County Match Reports Kent Pétanque Association
County Match Reports
Kent Classic 2009Sunday 23rd August 2009
Report | Results | ImagesThis year the KPA Triples championship was played out at The Villager in Vigo in appalling weather. The terrains were so waterlogged that parts were unplayable with the result that some of the league matches had to be played in the car park, much to the delight of Jean Louis Guiot of Hartley who claimed that they were more like authentic French terrains. Even given the bad weather the turn out was a disappointing entry of only 8 teams.
The 4 teams qualifying for the main knockout stage were:-
The Fighting Cocks and The George cum The Old Sheaf made it through to the final and although by this time the piste had come to resemble tapioca pudding there was some very fine pointing, particularly from our international ladies Sheila and Linda. The George cum The Old Sheaf took an early lead and it looked as if they were going to repeat their win over The Fighting Cocks in the league stage but with some urging from Fred Booth on the sidelines the young Fighting Cocks team strung some winning ends together and came through to win 13 – 9. Meanwhile the plate final was interestingly being fought between the aged team of John Hinds, Dave Littley and John Middleton and the youthful team of Ben Littley, Josh Littley and Richard King. The youngsters came tantalisingly close to upsetting the applecart but in the end lost out to their seniors 13 – 8.
Dave Blakely, from the Vale Tavern Club, Ramsgate (Thanet), competing for England.
[Picture © David Antony Hunt]
Kent was well represented in the England squad that continued their domination of the Home Nations petanque tournament over the weekend at Princes Park in Dartford.
Report: Tony Hudd, extracted, with acknowledgements, from the KM “Kent Online” website by Jack Milner
England Team Activity-All of Kent
Team: Fay Golder (Tovil, Maidstone), Sheila King (The George, Mepham), Lin Shrimpton (Old Sheaf, Chatham).
Manager : Steve Golder (Old Sheaf, Chatham)
It all started so well…
Friday
We arrived in Luxembourg to a drizzly wet day but in high spirits. Met by John, who told us he was our chauffeur/ Interpreter (with his 8 seater Mercedes) and would be at our beck and call all the weekend – how impressive!
After a brief tour of Luxembourg we were taken to an arena where we met the No 1. and No. 2 Israeli Ladies team, their coaches and the Spanish Junior squad and coach. We were all taken to a lovely Italian restaurant for lunch where we were wined and dined, swapping stories and soon becoming firm friends.
The EPA Ladies Team: l to r: Linda Shrimpton, Sheila King and Fay Golder and Manager Steve Golder.
All eager to practice, we were taken on to Kayl Petanque Arena where we played a friendly game, in the rain, with the Israeli No. 1 team (who also happen to be the current European Champions and have already qualified for this year's World Championships!)
A great game which ended with England winning game 11! A good confidence booster!
Saturday
Starting the day with a hearty breakfast, John took us back to the arena where we were found to be drawn in the first round, inevitably, against Israel’s No. 1, and after ‘Avi’ (The Israeli coach) gave me a statistic sheet so I could record and monitor how the teams performed, the game began.
After a nervous start by England, the Israeli team, who have been playing together for several years, streaked ahead. England fought back with some good pointing and shooting but the Israeli’s were too strong. They shot the coche out twice and managed to win 13-2.
England settled down and went on to beat Blangey 13-4. Blangey started well but was matched by our ladies with again some really good pointing by Sheila and Lin joined by Fay who shot and hit 7 out of 9 boule.
However, in my opinion, the best game of the day was against ‘Hessen’ of Germany and the 6ft 4 inch tall shooter. The game was nip and tuck every end with Hessen shooting the coche out twice and Fay once to save point. With the game poised at 8-7 to Hessen (but out of boule), England were holding 2 points. Wanting to capitalise, the ladies consulted their Manager in deciding how Fay should play her remaining two boule. A shot and carreau would leave a possible coche move for game. Decision agreed Fay shot, hit the boule and watched as both boules left the piste. Moving the coche was still the shot to play; Fay lobbed a controlled boule into the air, rolled towards the coche and moved it 2 feet behind to pick up 5 points, 12-8 to England. The Hessen team fought back well with some close ends and with the help of the statuesque shooter they managed to defeat our ladies 13-12 - a game worthy of any final. The playing day finally came to an end about 9pm with the England team moving into the consolage. A band started to play on stage and the evening Gala began.
Throughout Saturday the shooting competition continued between games and it wasn’t until we were leaving late in the evening that we found out that Fay had got through to the quarter finals. Our ladies finally returned to the hotel for a night cap and a well earned sleep.
Sunday
Sunday began with sunshine and warm weather. The ladies were in a buoyant mood and getting through to the semi finals beat the German team of Niedersalbach 13-5.
The final against Luxembourg proved to be full of twists and turns. The second end included a shot by Fay hitting the coche, rebounding off a boule and landing three and a half metres from the throwing circle. With the England boule still holding, the Luxembourg team pointed and Sheila easily beat it. Lin pointed with two more close points making England lead 4-0. Then Luxembourg came back with a 1 and a 2 in the next two ends, leaving England 4-3. Sheila pointed an excellent ball to the coche, Luxembourg shot, boule went out and coche moved to 10 metres resting 9/10ths over the dead boule line. Luxembourg said the coche was dead, England said it was live. ‘“Arbitre” Fay shouted. The controversial decision was ‘Live’. Sheila pointed another super boule unbeaten by Luxembourg. Lin and Fay played a good boule each to get another 3 points, 7-3 to England.
The coche went to 10 metres and Luxembourg picked up a point, again 10 metres Luxembourg picked up 3 points to make it 7-7. Evenly matched - it seemed that Luxembourg shooters preferred 10 metres! England picked up the next 5 points to make it 12-7 and put Luxembourg under pressure. With some good pointing and shooting the elusive 13th point would not come (haven’t we all been there!) Eventually fighting back Luxembourg emerged as winners. A superb final.
The quarter final of the shooting competition was a knock out and Fay was matched against the no. 1 qualifier - none other than the 6ft 4in German girl of Hessen. Fay lost by 6 points to Natascha who went on to lose the final to the no. 1 Israeli shooter Margalit.
Disappointed by the result of their games and the shooting competition but delighted by their performance, the proud but weary England team stepped onto the rostrum to collect their trophy, prize money, goody bag and a bottle of red wine for the manager from the President of Luxembourg Petanque and President of Kayl Petanque club.
The final evening meal at our restaurant in town was attended by all the chauffeurs, the President of Kayl Petanque club, the competition organiser Carlo, the Israeli ladies who won the main event and the shooting final, the Spanish junior team who come runners up in the final and of course ourselves, England runners up in the consolage and quarter finalist in the shooting. A merry time with much wine and celebrations had by all.
A final word
The hospitality and friendliness of the Luxembourg people and events would be hard to rival. John, Franco and Giuseppe the chauffeurs/ interpreters who were with us at all times, the restaurant staff and owners who supplied all the food and drink at the competition, the organiser Carlo, President Piettro, who made a point of introducing the England manager Steve Golder to the mayor of Kayl, ‘John Clemont’. It seemed everyone wanted to talk to and spend time with us English and we made many friends.
Many thanks to Myra, Sarah and Amy Huntley, who very kindly loaned us their England jackets and waterproof jackets which were well needed. It was good to match all the other countries that were well provided for at this competition.
Report: Steve Golder
The Girls in their Local Strip
On one of the hottest day’s of the year so far at Harrow PC, London, after losing the first game and being 8-3 down in the second game against the talented Coventry opposition and facing an early exit, the Kent Angels of Fay Golder, Sheila King and Linda Shrimpton finally started to find the form that merited them to be joint 1st in the qualifiers of this competition, with a nail biting result of a 13-12 win.
As a barrage system, meaning having the chance to redeem themselves against the team who beat them in the first round and gain a place in the top four playoffs, the ‘Kent Angels’ had a comfortably win of 13-6.
With only a 20 minute break for lunch, a focused ‘Kent Angels’ team returned to the piste to take on and beat the 2007 EPA Ladies Triples Champions, 13-5.
Needing to beat the No. 3 seed of fellow Kent team, Hartley, to ensure a place in the final, the on-form Hartley team (who had, up to now, not lost a game) unfortunately were out-played.
After a long break, waiting patiently for the playoffs to determine which opponent the ‘Kent Angels’ would meet in the final, their competitors turned out to be none other than the 2007 EPA Ladies Triples Champions (resilient aren’t they). but was there still a few twists and turns to come? Fortunately, for the Kent Angels who won 13-3, this was not the case and a jubilant Fay, Lin and Sheila were congratulated by nearly everyone at Harrow, securing their rightful place at the World Championships in Turkey.
Report: Medway’s Fay & Steve Golder
Main and Plate Knockout Results
As is the norm’ Kent dominated the EPA Junior Triples competition, that this year was held at Lordswood on 26th April. For the third year running, since it’s inception in fact, the event was won by a team containing Kent players.
back row l to r: Alex, Robert, Andrew & Jack
front row: Ben, Gary & Josh.
Having seen their long term team mates, Philip Jarrett and Charles Fribbens step up to the senior ranks 2005 British Junior Champions and 2006 English Junior Champions - Robert Cooter (P&C) and Alex Bruce (Vale) teamed up with their old adversaries from Northern Region, Jack Barrington and Andrew Willis, who were similarly indisposed.
Also competing was 2007 English Junior Champion Gary Atkinson (George) who was teamed up with last year’s third placed players Ben & Josh Littley (Villagers).
After 4 rounds of the Swiss system the Kent/Northern combined team of Alex, Robert, Jack and Andrew remained undefeated to lead the standings while fellow Kent players Gary, Ben & Josh lied in second place which meant they both progressed to the semi-finals along with teams from Chiltern and the Isle of Wight.
Both semi-finals were keenly contested with the experienced Kent/Northern combination progressing at the expense of the Isle of Wight team while Gary, Josh and Ben had to hold their composure at 12-12 against the Chiltern team, which containing the junior doubles winners, to win the vital point that saw Ben and Gary progress one step further than they did in the doubles three weeks earlier.
In the final Ben, Josh and Gary took an early lead but age and experience won out in the end as Alex and Robert’s team took the National Junior Triples title.
Report: Mark Cooter