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 Mother’s 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 that’s 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. Let’s 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.
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 players😊) 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 men’s 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 J’s – 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 “they know how to play pool correctly” – 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 😊. 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 I’ve 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 wasn’t 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 23’s 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 that’s 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 men’s. 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 wasn’t 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.
I am pleased to announce that our new Kent A team captain is Adam Bassoo and his vice captain will be Dave Fernandez.
Adam approached me a couple of days ago to enquire about the role and its responsibilities. After discussion with Adam and senior players within the county we are delighted to offer him the role.
We feel that having someone of Adam’s playing stature at the top of our county will evidence long term planning with a view to create the best performance from the team. I would like to wish Adam the best of luck in getting this team to finally lift the silverware it deserves.
Adam will be picking his first team this afternoon and will post it later today.
So the 2023 season gets underway this Sunday 12th February and the Kent squads will travel the short trip to the seaside to play our good friends Sussex.
Following last year’s success we have, I believe, enhanced the mens squad significantly and with the type of player that will thrive with the new international rule set. Some of our most talented juniors and under 23s are now eligible for the mens squad and it will be enjoyable watching them demonstrate their abilities on the mens stage.
Our trials saw some old hands coming back into the fold as well as some exciting new talent and when you add that to existing winning teams we are set for another great year of 8 ball county pool.
Our ladies will start overwhelming favourites and new additions in the squad plus existing talented players will make them the team to beat. Our under 23s are looking even stronger and I have no doubts they will go on to greater success.
Despite losing a couple of youth players we are still looking at our youth team to defend the title they won last year. They do play exciting pool and I look forward to monitoring their progress throughout the year.
Our seniors team as been somewhat refreshed even at the very last minute but with youngsters (49 years of age) coming into the squad this is the way seniors teams will be progressing moving forward.
So good luck to all our teams. Safe travels and we will see you all in Brighton on Sunday to start the next chapter!
We have just over a week to go until the first county match of the season. After such a successful 2022 it’s a difficult act to follow but the KCPA committee are sure that in 2023 we will be even more dominant.
Thanks to all of the players that have provided photos and a few words for our new team page. This is a great reminder of the breadth and depth of experience that we have in our squad.
Good luck everyone and let’s hope we can add some more titles and achievements to those player biographies this year.
Kent County Pool teams have ended the 2022 season by dominating pool across the categories. They delivered their best ever outcomes in region 7 by winning five of the seven categories available, finishing runner up in one and third in the other. In total we played 2528 frames winning 1602 to 926, so winning 63% of all frames.
This means we will have 5 teams attending the national finals in March next year, a remarkable achievement. But we are definitely not finished yet is the message from myself and the committee. Since I became county manager 4 years ago I have been fully supported by the committee members, captains and players in delivering the success so far. I believe we can still get better and that our most successful season is ahead of us. In short We want to win every category.
So starting with the A team, runners up after beating Surrey for the second time this year, Surrey being champions. The Kent lads squeezed out Berkshire by one frame in the end so will go to the Nationals after last years runners up performance in confident mood. 26-18 final score against Surrey.
A team top performers this year were Josh Patel and Dave Fernandez.
Our B team are national and regional champions and when you look at their development you can see the formation of a solid unit. They finished off their campaign with a 29-15 win over Surrey with no other than Captain Andy Redsull signing off with 4/4. Top performers over the season were Ash Hind and Charlie Minta.
The C team have shown the strength and depth of Kent Pool by winning all of their matches and winning their final game 24-20 against Surrey.
Jamie Hughes and Scott Woods were the top performers with Jamie winning the region individuals in his first season. Congratulations.
Ladies are again champions and there has been evidence of the new players coming in when needed and winning frames to enhance their reputations. They signed off in style with a 27-17 win with World Champion Barbara Taylor winning 4/4. Jo Herrington also delivered 4/4 and has clearly improved her game across the season. Well done to all our ladies including season top performer Vanessa Ledger who also topped the region. Fantastic achievement Vanessa.
U23 top performers were Jasper Simmonds who also topped the region and Jake Lloyd as they took the title for the first time. Jake was also top performer in the juniors and we look forward to seeing how he progresses in the coming years.
Juniors dominated the division and ended the season with a 35-1 victory which evidences the improvement that has come in the team. There are other notable exceptions with Callum Britt joining Jake in joint first, also winning the individual region, with James Goldsmith coming a close second. Another team that can go well in the nationals in March.
The Seniors had a winner takes all match against Surrey to take the title but sadly for us it didn’t happen and the seniors lost 22-14 in the end. A consolation was that Martin Prime finished top of the region and will go ahead for England trials.
Congratulations to the following players who have earned their first county medal:
Finally I would like to thank Lee and his team for significantly enhancing the playing experience for the players. The staff have been excellent all year catering for our every need and there have been many compliments with regards the standard of the club.
We will now plan for next season with trials and selection knowing the Kent County team is in a good place.
The Kent Seniors won their game in hand 19-17 against London at Spots and Stripes to set up a winner takes all final match v Surrey at home in Chatham on November 6th.
The seniors won the first two sets 6-3 to take a 12-6 lead into the next set. London began to eat back into that lead and things got rather nervy but Graham Thrower potted the all important black to take the win.
Thanks to Gary Kingsnorth and Steve Jepson for stepping in, winning 6/8 between them.
