So the 2024 county team cross a couple borders in the morning to visit our Sussex friends. I remember a few tight matches across a number of divisions over the last 5 years, so we look forward to the challenge. As county manager, I am aware of the enthusiasm within the squad at the start of a season as we all establish where we are at and how the season is going to progress. I am particularly keen on seeing how a number of things play out this year given the changes to the squads. Lee Crowhurst starts his journey as juniors team manager, and I know he is excited about the prospect of a number of his new young recruits. Lee, I am sure, will lead the team well, ably assisted by his new captain and vice-captain, Callum Britt and James Goldsmith, who will lead by example both on and off the table.
Our under 23s are still strong, and with Jasper Simmonds as captain at the helm, I sense another great season is ahead of them. We have integrated some youngsters into the C team this year, and I will look forward to seeing how they develop their games to the standard required at menâs county pool. Paul Cox and Chris Freelove will be guiding the team into battle (well, Sussex), and this fixture is generally a tough challenge. The ladies’ team has a couple of changes too, with people having a break from the game. This, of course, offers opportunity, and we are all excited to see Erin start her ladies’ pool career in earnest tomorrow. I expect the ladies to maintain their dominance across the region.
Our B team, I have a real like about the balance, and in my mind, Iâm thinking Farron Rowe supporting Redsull is something that could develop into a force to be reckoned with. Jack Galloway comes straight into the team to add strength, and I suspect people like Jamie OâDonnell and Jamie Gamble are going to start firing up their true potential. Our A team is now led by Dave Fernandez and Jasper Simmonds, and I know the boys in the team respect both these individuals on and off the table. Welcome, Charley McDowell, Iâm sure you will make a huge impact across the season. A long-overdue title is what Iâm saying here to a team that, letâs be honest, should have won the title at least twice in the last 5 years but never did. The aim is simple, therefore.
Finally, I will be looking to captain the seniors into a season that can deliver success. There is enough talent in this team to deliver success, and we have strength in depth all the way through in this new 11-person format.
So good luck to all tomorrow! Let the Sussex boys and girls know you are there to create a positive atmosphere, and if we do that, I am sure we will return to Kent with much success.
Our penultimate matches of the season against Surrey had varying degrees of importance bestowed upon them with titles up for grabs, personal ambitions being enhanced as well as the reputation of Kent County Pool from a playing perspective being put in the line.
With no Under 23 match (that division already claimed by our strong side), our Seniors team started the day off – the match report from Captain Twigger follows:
Seniors’ Team Captain’s Report
A wee team talk beforehand highlighted the talent and ability of our 2 missing travellers. It was reiterated about starting well and NOT going behind early doors. Realistically, we were up against a much better team on paper! We completed out aim in winning the first set 5:4. My memory is our Barb taking out a finish with a long black to peg them back to 3:3, at that time. Set 2, and we won the first 4 frames. 9:4 up it is! A bit of to-ing and fro-ing saw us 11:7 up at half-time.
The next set seemed to get away from us as the Surrey boys won 5 of the first 6 frames! But no, we showed resilience by winning the next 3! Into the last set 15:12 up, only 4 frames from 9 needed! How easy was this to be!!! NOOOOOO! In traditional Kent Seniors style, we made it hard work! đ¤Śđťââď¸đŤŁ
Despite winning the first 2 frames of the 4th set, the score went from 17:12 to 17:15. This left Barb and Deano to bring it home for a great win. Congrats to Deano for an amazing 4 out of 4. Every player contributed to the 19 frames won, and that is a special victory that will be treasured for a long time.
Thank you team. Xxx
That victory means that the seniors have dragged themselves back into the race for qualification at the nationals ⌠if they win their game in hand next weekend against Sussex they will start their final match against Berkshire in second place , knowing a win would get them there. However tgat will be no easy task with Leary, Barker and Yardley in the Berkshire ranks!!
Kent Ladies have set themselves up nicely to retain their title. A 28:16 win means a victory against Berkshire will keep the title in Kent. Powerful displays were seen across the board by seven of the ladies, achieving 3/4 on the day. These exceptional performers were captain Jools, Barbara Taylor, Mel Clements, Jo Miles, Jan Spinner, Amy Cook, and Vanessa Ledger.
Our Junior team once again ran riot with a 31:5 win. This team has a couple of players in their last season, so they will be strong favourites to finish their junior career with another national title. Captain Erin Gannon led the way with a full house, and she was joined in the top bracket by James Goldsmith, Chase East, Michail Cairns, who seems to be a man in form, and Alfie Harding. A special acknowledgment goes to manager Padraic for maintaining the standards throughout the season.
Our C team needed to win to have a chance of retaining the title, and they did that with an emphatic 29:15 win. This means a win in the last game over Berkshire will see the title stay in Kent. Chris Freelove and Jamie Fenech (said in a Scottish accent) completed the 4/4 highlights as the C team took every set, putting themselves in a prime position for the final game of the season.
Kent B team has had a few in-and-out games this season but put this game to bed in good style, winning the first two sets 7:4 and 8:3 before a mini fightback was put to rest with a final 7:4 to secure a 26:18 win. Looking at the B section table, it is not mathematically impossible to win the division, but it will need something resembling their comeback against Leicester at the nationals a couple of years ago. Remember, it’s never over till it’s over. It’s nice to see a couple of Skollobs weighing in with 8/8. Well done to Ben Morgan and Ritchie Bell; well played.
Finally, the very long wait for a region title for Kent A is to be determined in the final game against Berkshire, a head-to-head battle for the title. Surrey looked like they had thrown a real spanner in the works as Kent A’s notorious slow start saw them trailing 9:3 and 14:9. However, that never-say-die spirit and the domino effect started, and Steve Ritchie pulled the score level at 15:15. Kent took the lead 16:15 in the next frame, and from that point on, the rollercoaster ride began, resulting in victory with a score of 25:19. Quite something, I’m glad I wasn’t there; it’s too much for an old man to take!
Two players were called up to replace Wilbo and Jasper, and as I requested, both achieved 4/4 on the day. Well done to Aaron Bhat and Charley McDowell; it’s quite something to step into that team and deliver like that. It made me smile when I saw that. So that victory means Kent A will face Berkshire A for the title next month, and I hope it will be hotly contested by both teams.
Finally, I remember saying at the end of my last report to stay safe until next time. As most of you will know, the very next day after county, Dave Fernandez was driving to Stoke with Adam Bassoo to compete in the ultimate pairs when they experienced a dreadful car accident. Amazingly, and it sounds like someone was watching over them, they suffered battered bodies but lived to tell the tale. They even continued their journey and won the evening’s event. I’m not bothered about the result; only that our two friends are safe and well. So again, I say stay safe, and I will see you all in Chatham on November 5th for some real firework matches!
All to play for: Kent travels to London to maintain their challenge across all divisions.
Kent A kept the pressure on their rivals by delivering an emphatic 33:11 victory. This ensures the A team’s top place with two matches remaining. The match started in an unusual manner as slow starters Kent A put on the burners to deliver a first set 8:3 margin. The A team then continued to march forward in convincing style with further set wins of 9:2, 8:3, and 8:3 to emphasise their dominance on the day. Adam Bassoo, Sean Kirby delivered 4/4 results, and Ash Hind seemed to have brought his wand with him, as his 4/4 included some mesmerizing shots to win his frames. The team looked out for Mitch Standen, who lost his Nan this week, and celebrated her life with her favorite tipple, Tia Maria, and coke at the end of the match. The team will be thinking of Mitch and his family in the coming weeks.
The Kent B team overcame a slow start where they lost the first set 7-4 to move into the lead by frame 19 when Andy Twigger took the frame, and the team never looked back. Charley McDowell sealed the win on the way to a 25:19 win. That win sets the B team up to challenge again for the title with two games remaining. Two home game wins would clinch the title. Jake Lloyd continued to impress in his first season in the menâs game with 4/4 alongside Ben Morgan, who was spotted practicing at Jordans on the Friday evening. Thatâs what the team manager likes to see leading into county matches.
The Kent C team had a disappointing day, losing their match 25:19! It looked oh so different at the start of the match when they bolted out of the traps to take a 5:1 lead, but unfortunately, by the end of the set, that lead had gone as they went 6:5 behind. To be fair to the C team, they had a number of replacements enforced by absentees, which doesnât help in establishing a consistent team. An issue the team manager will be looking at as it causes unnecessary stresses to a number of people on the day of the match.
At the start of the day, the Under 23s, led by Jasper, had another convincing win, 16:4, which cements their status at the top of the league. Jasper Simmonds and Makhan Notay both winning 4/4. The team is again looking solid throughout and will get another chance at national glory, I feel, next year.
Our Juniors did what they do best, and our National and Regional champions marched on with another emphatic victory with 4 players getting maximum 4/4. Captain Gannon, Chase East, Callum Britt, and Finlay O’Shaughnessy leading the way with more than able backup in the team.
Disappointingly, the Seniors delivered a very weak and poor effort against their London rivals, going down 22:14. Only Barbara Taylor 4/4 and Marc Brazier 3/4 came out with any kind of performance, and the seniors’ team knows that they need to be better to get anything out of the season after what had been a great start to the season.
Finally, our Ladies found themselves in a bit of an unusual position after the first 15 frames as they were 11:4 down. However, normal service was resumed by frame 29 when they went 15:14 up with a Jo Miles win before charging forward to deliver a 29:15 victory, losing only 2 frames from the final 22!!! Incredible resilience. Barbara Taylor, adding to her seniors’ haul, ended the day 8/8. Well done, and Jan Spinner 4/4 leading the way in an eventual dominant performance.
Also congratulations to Ladies’ captain Jools on earning her next county medal for 1100 frames.
So going forward, we have two home games left this season for our teams to decide their fates. Surrey is next, followed by Berkshire on the 8th October and 5th November, respectively.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support. Letâs finish off the business end of the season in style. Get back to those Nationals!
Kent traveled to Hampshire following a mixed bag of results across the sections last time out, but came home in emphatic style across all of our matches. There were no under 23 or junior matches today, which meant the seniors kicked the day off in Basingstoke.
Last time out, the Kent Seniors drew with the mighty Berkshire (we should have won), so Captain Twigger wanted more of the same. Well, he eventually got it on the way to a 21:15 win, a victory that seemed a long way away after going 5:1 down inside ten minutes. However, this team is beginning to trust each other’s ability, and by the time the second set had finished, the seniors had clawed it back to 10:8 down. At 13:12 down, Willie Anderson went on in frame 26 to win, and from that point to home, we won 9/11 frames to secure the match 21:15. A remarkable result.
The top player today was Steve Jepson with a 4/4 performance, while Willie Anderson, Lee Crowhurst, Mark Brazier, and Andy Redsull all chipped in with 3/4.
The Ladies lost to Hampshire at home in the last meeting, so I know it was in the mind of Captain Jooles to ensure a great victory, and this indeed was the case with a 29:15 win, which cements their position back at the top of the table. The top players on the day were Jo Herrington with 4/4, and Amy Cook, Vanessa Ledger, Jan Spinner, Jo Miles, Mel Clements, and Barbara Taylor all chipped in with 3/4. Well done, ladies.
The Mens’ teams all had convincing victories in their respective divisions, with the C team winning 24:20 and the B team winning 27-17. Three players gained a remarkable 4/4 to ease the B team to victory: Farrron Rowe, Jake Lloyd, and Charley McDowell. Well done, lads. It’s difficult to achieve 4/4 at that standard. There was never any danger to the B team following an 8:0 start, which must have rattled their players. Callum Briwn and Jamie O’Donnell both contributed with 3/4. It looks like the team is back on track.
The C team had to make a couple of late changes, and as usual, they were spotted almost having too much fun in their game. Each set was tight, but the third set set the C team up as they went from 13:10 up to 19:14 up. The winning frame was secured, quite aptly, by that old stager Paul Wood, who was moving towards his own 4/4 at the time.
Finally, the A team, still hunting their first regional title, also marched confidently through to victory. The team talk was called early, and after a few inspiring words from Mitch, Jasper and Patel, the usual mud flinging started, and the A’s got off to a good start for a change, winning the first set 6:5. They followed up with two 7:4 wins before taking the final set 8:3. Players of the day were Mitch Standen and Steve Ritchie with a perfect 4/4, with Willie Anderson, Dave Fernandez, and Adam Bassoo in supporting roles with 3/4 performances. Another comfortable day at the office with bigger, more crucial games to come.
Congratulations to the following players having earned their next county medal:
300 frames – Jake Lloyd 300 frames – Jo Miles 200 frames – Charlie Minta 100 frames – Karen Darby
So itâs off to London for our next match on September 10th. Itâs my wedding anniversary that weekend (30 years), so if Louise lets me come to pool, I will see you all. Until then, enjoy the hot weather that is about to be bestowed upon us. Well done, teams!!
Kent battle to claim slim advantage across the board: the heat was on in more than just the weather in Berkshire on County Day Sunday!
Travelling to Berkshire to win matches is always a tough ask, especially now in the men’s and seniors division where Dylan Leary and Eddie Barker are representing the Berkshire teams alongside a whole host of other talented international players.
The Seniors kicked the day off against a mighty Berkshire team with the cry for positivity and recovery following a first loss of the season last time out, where we went down too easily to Surrey. The first set was like a tennis match with no team giving up anything; Berkshire led 5:4. Second set 9:9. Kent’s Dean Kasitz, or as he is fondly known, “Deano Deano,” played a superb first frame of the third set to take out Dylan Leary and give us a slender advantage. Berkshire, however, fought back again to take a 15:12 lead before another response from Kent led to 6 in a row, taking an 18:15 lead. However, Berkshire, with all their experience and class, managed to salvage a draw, 18:18. So, still in the Kent boys’ hands again for a top 2 finish. Excellent performances from both Dean Kasitz and Andy Gee with 6/8 between them.
The Under 23s, led by their captain Jasper Simmonds, went ahead early in the match and raced to a 7:4 lead, but a spirited Berkshire comeback meant it came right down to the wire to get that win. Up stepped England International Jake Lloyd to deliver that victory, 11:9, and a sigh of relief for the Under 23s who are undefeated this year and sit top of their group at the halfway mark.
There was no Ladies’ game yesterday (postponed), and another date will be looked at in the future.
Onto the all-conquering Juniors who keep getting better and better. The region and national champions raved to a 6:3 lead in the first set, then eclipsed that, 7:2, in the second set to take a 13:5 lead. The third set was a little closer before the Kent juniors romped through the 4th set, 8:1, to deliver a resounding 26:10 win. James Goldsmith and Callum Britt were the standout performers with 4/4, and Finley O’Shaughnessy delivered the winning frame. Top of the group at the halfway stage and looking very much like Region 7 winners again!
The C team was missing their captain, Paul Cox, this month, and Paul entrusted the captaincy to his vice-captain Horley. Phil, supported by Chris Freelove, set the tone for the match, and their start was emphatic, delivering the first two sets 8:3 and 7:4 to take a 15:7 lead at halfway. More dominance ensued, with the final score running to 27:17. First-time captaining the side, Phil had to make some selection changes as another player dropped out. His choices made good as they delivered 11/12 frames, with Ben Coles coming in from reserve to win 4/4 (thank you, Ben, for agreeing to play for us). Nathan Glass got back to some form again, winning all 4 to cap an excellent day for the stand-in captain/vice-captain. Well done, lads.
A shock result for the Kent B men that had their captain saying, “That hurt!” Our B team lost their first regional match for 3 years, and just like the weather, it was a bolt from the blue!! Apparently, our Berkshire friends played extremely well, but I’m sure talking to some of our players at the end, there will be a keenness to reverse that result at Chatham later on in the year.
We move on to the much-anticipated A team match between the newly crowned national champs against a Berkshire side who have pretty much dominated locally and nationally over the last 8 years. The Kent boys are keen to show Berkshire their national result is no flash in the pan! Berkshire won the first set 6:5, but Kent roared back with an 8:3 win to lead 13:9 at the halfway point. The heat in the room was taking its toll on a few players, but Kent was gaining an advantage and reached a scoreline of 20:16 early in the third set.
With Kent seemingly one foot in the winning line, Berkshire pulled back to 20-20, then 21:20 Kent, a magnificent clearance under pressure from Steve Ritchie that took it to the last frame. A difficult chance for Josh Patel–he went for the clearance only to see his last red rattle and hang on and lie in the cushion. His opponent snookered him 4 times, and each time Josh found a way out of that snooker and once almost dramatically potting the ball down the rail from a snooker. In the end, the new rules enabled our opponent to steal the win, and a 22:22 draw was the outcome.
Our captain, Adam Bassoo, captured the mood in the camp when he said it shows where we have come from and where we are now when we are disappointed with a 22-22 draw to Berkshire. Still in the A team’s hands, can they seek that elusive Region 7 title that has eluded us, or will we at last get our name on that title? We will see what the second half brings. Player of the day for the A team, young Harry Compton, 4/4 with some controlled and measured finishes. Harry does love a pose when he wins 4/4!! đ
Next month, it’s Sussex at home on July 10th. There will be no A team or seniors games as both teams lose players to the Worlds, so games are being rearranged for the future. Good luck to our Kent players going to Worlds in Morocco. That’s WC Barbara Taylor (ENG), Willie Anderson (SCO), Josh Patel (IND), Jasper Simmonds (ENG), and Andy Twigger (SCO).
As a final note congratulations to the following players having earned their next county medal. Special mention to Andy Redsull who joins Paul Cox in the ‘1300 club’, an amazing achievement:
1300 frames – Andy Redsull 100 frames – James Goldsmith
Kent teams travelled to their nearest neighbours with some confidence following a positive start to the season.
National Champions v Region Champions in the Menâs A section saw the Kent men deliver a resounding 29-15 victory. All the more impressive when you consider the A team were missing three strong players in Charlie Minta, Sean Kirby and Dave Fernandez. However the strength in depth is now evident as there are plenty of players capable of stepping up to the mark when needed: Steve Ritchie (4/4), Jamie Gamble and Aaron Bhat coming into the team to maintain the strength. Josh Patel delivered another 4/4 to remain top of the rankings and only an in off black in my last frame of the day prevented a full house for Wilbo.
The B team raced to an early 6-0 start before the opponents pulled back to 10-8. The Kent side kept their noses in front before pulling away in the last set convincingly by winning 7 of the last 8 frames to deliver a 27-17 victory. The team certainly seem to have their mojo back following a disappointing nationals and the combination of youth and experience seems to be creating a positive atmosphere. Ben Morgan picked up 4/4 in the match and Nathan Glass, brought up for the day fought back well after losing his first two frames to pick up the next two to finish the day on a positive note.
The C team delivered an overall good team performance and looked like wrapping things up early in 4th set but our Surrey opponents fought back from 20-13 down to 20-19. Up stepped Chris Freelove to stop the rot before Paul Wood delivered the winning frame in a 24-20 win.
Our ladies had a convincing 29-15 victory with Captain Fane and WC Taylor both winning 4/4. Karen Darby stepping in for Amy Cook winning 3/4 frames. Well done ladies on another dominant performance.
Our Under 23 team had no match so it was left to our Juniors to hand out another convincing win by beating Surrey 25-11. Callum Britt the player to shine this month with his 4/4. When you look at the rankings of the juniors you will see most of them are 75% and above evidencing their win rates in the division.
The other match of the day saw our Seniors lose a rather disappointing match 23-13. We had a terrible start going 6-1 down then pulling back to 11-8 before our opponents pulled away in the 3rd and 4th sections. So that was the seniors first loss of the season and Iâd back us to bounce back next time with a better performance.
Congratulations to the following players having earned their next county medal:
Our next match is Sunday 11th June away to Berkshire so I look forward to seeing you all there. There a few pics of the day here – I never got round all the teams but will do next time out.
Kent clean up across all divisions – despite some stern opposition
On the face of it winning all sections might look easy but it was far from it across the board with London putting up some excellent challenges in a number of sections.
The after match celebrationThe real Phil Harrison supporting on SundayThe trophy Nigel wants again some day but the one we own presently
Kent Ladies ran out 24:20 winners but nearing the end of the second section London were ahead by 12:4 and at the start of the last set it was 17:17. A burst of frames from Mel Clements, Jo Herrington, Hannah Bevan and Karen Riches helped the ladies to steer clear before Amy Cook sealed the win.
The Under 23s had started the days events with a comfortable 14:6 win with Jasper Simmonds leading the line with 4/4.
The Senior team seemed to be cruising after the third set as they took a 17:10 lead into the 4th. That lead suddenly became 17:16 as the London seniors ripped through the heart of the team until Steve Jepson and Mark Brazier sealed the deal with a winning couple of frames. Final score 19:17 and a special mention to Dean Kasitz who delivered 3/4 in his first match starting. Well done.
The Junior side showed no signs of slipping up as they raced into a 5-0 lead, never looking back with a 30:6 win. Chase East, Finley O’Shaughnessy and Josh Wheeler all achieving the maximum 4/4.
Onto the C team another tight start until 8:8 which is when Kent side began to pull away for their victory of 25:19. Top performers today were Phil Horley leading off, Scott Woods and our evergreen captain Paul Cox also achieving his 1300th county frame for Kent – what an achievement.
Our B team were in a right match from the off as they were 6:5 down after the first set, 11:11 at the start of the third and 17:17 after the first leg of the final set. Thankfully a run of 6 wins starting with Jake Lloyd who achieved 4/4 took the score to 23:17 before another run from London made the final score 23:21 so a real match up in the end but we take the points onwards to the next game.
The A team men lost their first set 7:4 but quickly recovered in the 2nd set with a 9:2 victory to set the precedent for the rest of the game and at the end ran out 26:18 winners with Sean Kirby continuing his impressive run from the nationals with 4/4 alongside Dave Fernandez.
So a full set from the teams and we now move forward to our next match against Surrey on 14th May. Until then stay safe and keep practising . We are looking for more titles this year than last year!
As a final note congratulations to the following players having earned their next county medal:
1300 frames – Paul Cox 800 frames – Karen Riches 600 frames – Martin Prime 200 frames – Ritchie Bell 100 frames – Paul Wood 100 frames – Louie Wilson
Sunday 19th March was Motherâs day so probably a good thing there were no Juniors or Under 23 matches, meaning they could spend the day with their Mums. For the rest of us, Hampshire were the visitors to Chatham Pool and Snooker Club.
The day started well for Kent when the Kent Seniors won the opening match pretty convincingly 22-14. There were a couple of good performances from Andy Redsull and Andy Gee with maximum points and Barbara Taylor got her first senior frames on the board with 3 out of 4. So, the Seniors have started the season with two games unbeaten and look forward to having a good season.
Before the afternoon matches began there was recognition and celebration for the Kent A team as they won the Inter County National championships a couple of weeks before. Although the Juniors did not have a game they were also applauded for their endeavours at the same competition, as they also came home National Champions. Well done all.
Kent A
Hampshire proved to be stern competition for the new champions winning the first and third sets 6-5. Going into the final set it was 17-16 to Hampshire but a 5 frame winning burst at the start of the final set all but sealed the victory with Kent going on to win the match 24-20.
Notable performance from Jasper Simmonds winning 4/4 with some good clearances and an exceptional final frame clearance from Charlie Minta, delivered the winning frame.
Kent B
Kent B were determined to get back to winning ways following, in their words, a poor performance at the national finals. Farron Rowe gathered the team at the start of the match to get the team in the right mindset and this seemed to work well as they won the first set 7-4 and the second set 8-3. Farron must have motivated himself pretty well as he delivered all 4 of his frames as did Charley McDowell, so thatâs 8/8 for the man called up from the C team for the last two games. Well done Charley, great start to the season.
31-13 final score.
Kent C
A couple of changes at the start of the game meant a shuffle to the pack with senior Lee Crowhurst stepping in to help. The team dominated the first 3 sections with 8-3, 8-3 and 9-2 wins which eventually turned into a 29-15 win.
Three players won all four of their frames, Jamie Fenech (said in a Scottish accent), Louie Wilson and Phil Horley – well done lads – a good emphatic win following your draw last time out. Letâs hope you can dominate again like previous seasons.
Ladies
Well the ladies suffered their first loss for many a year yesterday losing 24-20 to a strong Hampshire team. However more importantly for the Kent Ladies, things took an unexpected turn during the last set when Barbara Taylor became unwell and needed assistance before being taken to hospital. I have spoken to Barbara this morning and she thanks everyone for their kind words and well wishes.
Barbara wants to let people know she had IV fluids overnight and is having some scans today and hopes after that to be discharged home later today.
Barbara wanted to thank in particular Aimee Firkins, from Hampshire ladies team, for holding her hand and reassuring Barbara throughout the time waiting for the ambulance yesterday, Karen Darby for communicating with the ambulance service and updating them on her condition and me for responding to the call when she was poorly in the room.Â
As a final note congratulations to the following players having earned their next county medal:
600 frames – Wille Anderson 100 frames – Jo Herrington 100 frames – Ash Hind
Moving on our next match is at home to London on 16th April. Keep practising and see you all there.
Now that the dust has started to settle after an eventful weekend at Pontins Pakefield, we thought it was time to reflect on the achievements across the Kent squad before we move onto our second county match of the season.
England Team Trials
Our county was well represented across the categories, but firstly massive congratulations go to Jan Spinner who qualified for the England Ladies Team.
Jan Spinner
It is great achievement just to finish at the top end of the region to qualify for a trial in the first place. Then being pitted against the top 64 players in the country to battle it out for 8 spaces in the squad is an even tougher challenge.
So congratulations to all of our other triallists, they weren’t successful this timebut but undoubtedly will be back:
Seniors: Lee Crowhurst, Martin Prime Under 23s: Callum Brown, Harry Compton, Jake Lloyd, Frank Moss Ladies: Jo Herrington, Vanessa Ledger Juniors: Callum Britt, Chase East, Erin Gannon, James Goldsmith, Josh Wheeler (trials held in January)
Inter County Finals
Firstly we must congratulate again our National Championship winning teams – Mens A and Juniors.
Mens A
Kent Mens A went one better than last year by beating Bristol A 23-18 in the final, the first ever win for a Kent team in this category. Their fate looked in the balance in the semi-final against last year’s champions Leicestershire A with both of the last two frames in play at a score of 22-20. Kent managed to win the one frame they needed to secure a spot in the final.
Our boys were never behind in the final winning the first two sets 7-4 and 8-3. With Kent’s lead at 21-12, Bristol started to get some momentum winning the first 5 frames of the final set to make the score 21-17, but Mitch Standen put us on the hill and in his first outing as captain at a National Finals, Adam Bassoo took the winning frame. This picture says it all.
Bassoo seals the win
Juniors
In some ways a similar story for the Juniors, runners up in 2022 and champions in 2023. The first win in this category since 2001.
The team made light work of their group matches winning 23-12 and 27-9 over Northamptonshire and West Yorkshire respectively. they took this dominance with them into the semi final beating Leicestershire 19-9. Taking the National crown with a 19-11 win over Essex in the final with Finley O’Shaughnessy getting us over the line.
Finley takes the winning frame
We weren’t able to emulate this success in the other categories but they will all be back for another campaign.
Under 23s
A first round loss to West Midlands B put our team into the Cup event, our boys re-doubled their efforts beating London 11-3. But then faced West Midlands A and lost out 5-11 in the quarter final. Most of this team all still have time leave in this age category with only Charley Macdowall having aged out, so we’re sure they will come back stronger next year
Mens B
Expectations were undoubtedly high coming into the event as reigning champions. Unfortunately it was to be as a first round loss to Leicester put the B team into the Cup. A win against Worcestershire saw them progress to the quarter finals but our team were unable to make it any further losing 19-23 to Essex.
All good experience for the team and plenty to build on.
Ladies
The ladies team have had so much success over the years having won on 8 previous occasions. We made a good start beating Essex 23-12 in the first round and secured a semi final spot by beating Region 7 neighbours Hampshire 23-18. This was as far as the ladies were able to progress losing out to the ultimate winners Cheshire 18-23.
The current season continues…
Many thanks to all the players and supporters who were with us along the way at Pakefield. Our campaign to get to the finals again next year is already underway with our second match of the season on Mother’s Day (no need to thank us for the reminder) 19th March were we host Hampshire.
The Region 7 combined champions, Kent, travelled to Brighton to start their 2023 campaign against Sussex.
It was a busy week before actually getting to Brighton due to a couple of A team shortages (Dave Fernandez & Adam Bassoo- so a couple of our lesser talented playersđ) plus the resignation of our A team captain, which came out of the blue.
I can tell all Kent Players that the reason for the resignation was nothing other than an inability to commit, therefore he felt it was unfair to ask others to commit to 10 games per season when he could only do 3. He may return in the future but the strength and depth of Kent came to the fore even before we travelled to Sussex.
By the end of the week Adam Bassoo was in place as the new A team Captain with his vice-captain, Dave Fernandez also in position. We trust this move evidences that the future of Kent on the table is in safe hands as these guys know exactly what it takes to win titles both internationally and nationally.
The message was clear from the new captain and that was to return from Sussex with a comprehensive victory- How did we do!!
So, this meant a significant re juggle of all of the menâs team to ensure we were fully represented across all divisions. Ash Hind, Steve Ritchie both came up from the B team and we took Jamie Gamble from the reserves because I knew he had the ability to play at this level and it also prevented more disruption to teams at a time when stability was required.
Charley McDowell came up to the B team and this meant the C team could start their season with the right players in the team.
Results
Kent A won with a resounding 30-14 with Willie Anderson taking on the role of captain for the day, a role the team manager has no real experience for!! But despite this the team played really well and the three Jâs â Jasper, Josh and Jamie (our reserve, whom I had complete faith in) won all 4 frames to kick off the season successfully. The captaincy has now been handed back to Adam to take forward the team in the way he wishes, with an ambition of at last, winning a trophy for this team.
The B team also kicked off the defence of their Region 7 title with a comprehensive 27-17 victory and as I was keen to see how our new ex juniors played in their first match I was delighted to see a 7/8, even better was the words from Andy Twigger âthey know how to play pool correctlyâ â I am assuming this was a reference from the more traditional Twigger when his philosophy is get a ball over the bag at all costs đ. In addition to the 7/8, Charley McDowell also delivered 4/4 following his selection to come up for the day and again this was no surprise to me as this young man is improving week on week and month on month. The future is bright for these guys and the team.
The C team, undefeated Champions last year, perhaps never had their own way in their match but they certainly played an interesting match and will have developed as a team I know for sure. Every set was won 7-4 with Kent going ahead early with Sussex coming back to level in the second then extending their lead in the third before Kent showed their normal resilience to grasp the final set and remain undefeated yet again. Nathan Glass, Ricky Peirce and Chris Freelove earning 3/4 frames.
Our Ladies started the season as they start every season and had no less than four players with 4/4 stats as they ran out 31-13 winners. Those 4 players standing out were Barbara Taylor, Mel Clements, Jo Herrington and Karen Riches. I am looking at the ladies to go to the nationals with a real chance as I can see the new players are getting better by month and Jooles must be delighted with their progress.
Our Youth players certainly lived up to their reputation as defending champions and again Iâve said it before, but we have a good number of players that are winning at their own level but also competing against more senior players in various competitions and knockouts across Kent and this will enhance their game no end. Just stay patient boys and girl and it will come- Rome wasnât built In a day. The top ranked players winning 4/4 in a formidable victory were Captain Erin Gannon, Callum Brit, Alfie Rogers and James Goldsmith. James also won 2 /2 in the under 23âs so had a great day winning 6/6 in two winning teams. We are all very proud of our Youth team- Padraic let them know they all have bright futures.
The day started with the Under 23s and the seniors kicking the season off and the Under 23s eventually ran out convincing winners 14-6 with Jake Lloyd doing what he does best by winning all of his frames once more. Frank Moss came in to the second half and won 2/2 so great performance to come in and deliver those frames for the team.
Lots of changes in the Seniors team from last year and we had to make a sudden last minute change when Dean Kasitz called off with COVID and so had to be replaced, get well soon Dean, your debut in the seniors awaits. So when the seniors are short there is only one man to pull in and thatâs John Paul Fowler !! Last time he was called in as a reserve he produced 4/4 against Berkshire, the only difference this time was the opposition, well done John in helping the seniors kick off with a 21-15 victory. A certain Barbara Taylor made her debut and we look forward to Barbara carrying most of us through the rest of the season.
So all in all 6 wins and a draw with a combined victory of 176-92. A great start to the season and a special mention to my son Oliver Anderson for coming across to support me in the seniors and the menâs. 5/8 for me so just for all you youngsters even when you get to my age you can still win frames of pool.
Our next county fixture is at home to Hampshire on 19th March and before that we have the National finals so we have the A and B team in action alongside the Youth, Under 23 s and ladies so best of luck to you all.
And wasnât it amazing to have the new shirts there, they certainly were the envy of the day and evidences the bigger picture success story of this progressive county.
