The Interleague knock out cup run in is now upon us and the booking in process is, for the teams anyway, over. The lucky qualifying teams are getting ready to do battle once more, as always, the current crop of the cream of England’s pool players will be putting in an appearance at Vauxhall Holiday Park, the “theatre of dreams”, for just about every pool player who wants to play at the highest level

Each year brings a crop of new teams and new players who after the experience of the weekend find out first hand why the event is so popular and why the seasoned old timers keep coming back year after year.

This year we have a few new team, how “new” they really are is a matter of opinion in some cases, G.M.C’s Eccles, West Yorkshire’s Belle Vue, Derbyshire’s Q Club, Lincolnshire’s Kirkstead & Skegness, Bedfordshire’s Meltis Club and Sussex’s Mid Sussex. And Cambridge’s Mickey Flynns

Some of the above team contain seasoned players playing for a different team whilst others are real first timers. But whatever the make-up of the team, they are new to the interleague

Who are the teams to watch out for, for me I always look to the teams that make to the business end of the event on a regular basis these teams include in no particular order

Godalming, Tolworth, Romney Marsh, JFK's, Worcester Dream Team, Reds Elite, Kettering, Cambridge Mickey Flynns, Leicester, Sun Valley, Trent Trophies A, P.J.'s Stourbridge, Wallsall A, Dawley A and of course Preston South

Any teams drawn in the same group as one of that lot had better not make the mistake of thinking it will be easy, none of the current crop of Interleague teams equals “easy meat”. They are all well capable of inflicting severe pain if taken lightly. Railway from the Askern pool league in South Yorkshire are making their debut this year, although the team name may be new to us the players will not be as they are all used to being here, Railway consists of a sizable chunk of the old Mexborough team, they might not be as strong overall as Mexborough were but I have no doubt that they will prove a real handful for their fellow group members.

We welcome back some old friends back in to the interleague fold, Ollerton, led by Dave Buckley make a welcome return, they have put the turmoil’s of the past behind them and hopefully will make the journey down from Nottingham worth it but I think they will be surprised to see by how much the overall standard has improved since their last visit.

This year’s big name non appearances include East Herts who qualified but failed to get their act togethert. missing are West Midlands Small Heath, Dave Preece’s boys are always good for the last eight so they will be missed

There are also the teams who always manage to qualify from the county knockout competitions. Teams like. And In no particular order, Sun Valley, Dawley A, P.J.’s Stourbridge, Leicester, Trent Trophies A, Walsall, and Godalming. They are all going to be here again this time round but some are not as strong as they once were whilst others are even stronger than they were.

The knock out cup has always produced shocks of one sort or another each and every time it’s contested but one of the biggest shocks of all time happened at when Colchester from Essex made it to the final. It was a shock because up to that point Colchester had a patchy record in the event that year they “gelled” and produced pool that took them all the way to the final. Anyone who knows how strong the interleague is will understand how bigger shook it was that Colchester made it to the final – you only have to look at the teams they knocked out on the way to the final to see how good their performance was. It served notice to all the big boys that the gap between the “super” teams and the lesser-known ones is shortening with each passing year.

In April this was highlighted when Normans Elite went the whole way and won the event to show that the gap is still closing between the perceived untouchables and the rest of the pack, Sadly Norman’s Elite are not here this time round.

These two team have now shown the rest of the interleague world that it is possible for lesser teams to make it all the way and in so doing are a shining example of what team spirit can achieve.

As mentioned earlier, this weekend is not just about the Knock out cup, there is the matter of the national singles championships that is played out over the Knock out cup weekend for a prize fund of over £5,000 with the eventual winner claiming the title of the National amateur singles champion.

Last year we saw Shane Balding (Lincolnshire) beat Grantham’s Neil Davey 7-3 in an excellent final but those were the last two still standing after two days of slugging it out with the other hopefuls.

When you look at the quality of players who dropped by the wayside last year you can see how strong the event really was furthermore how great Shane’s achievement was. Listed below are just some of the players who fell between the last 16 and the semi finals Frank Strivens (Epsom) Scott Willers (Milton Keyes) John Gillard (Rottingdean) Clint I’ Anson (Nottingham and Danny Miller (Stevenage).

Those are the ones who can say they with justification that they might not have won it but they did have a good run. Then spare a thought for the players expected to do well but went for an earlier than expected bath.

In Round one we had the following casualties

Dave Oxtoby (Nottingham), Liam Stanley (Nottingham), Steve Camp (Telford), Dave Arstall (Wigan), Jon Shapland (Ilkeston), Jez Still (Fareham), Jamie Fay (Orpington) Wayne Lannie (Worcester), Paul Penhale (Weston)

Followed by these in round two

Nick Booth (Bordon), Sean Halligan (Colliers Wood), David Biseker (Northampton), Rob Mckay (Enfield), John Gillard (Hove), John Rimmer (Southport), Paul Keeble (Felixstowe), Spencer Jones (Great Yarmouth), Darren Collison (Holland On Sea), Ian Davenport (Wigan), Shawn Payne (Sileby ), Dean Reeve ( Godalming), Pat Ward (Oakham), James Hazelton (Clacton On Sea), Graham Hewlett (Somerset), Colin Treadwell (Leicester), Martin Kirby (Market Way),

Round three saw the departure of these big guns

Scott Surridge (Worcester), Tim Williamson (Wantidge), Craig Bousfield (Derby), Steve Sears (Tamworth), Gary Mcleod (Sleaford), Clint I'anson (Nottingham), Karl Baxter (Andover), Michael Puntschart (Clacton On Sea), Geoff Harrison (Wigan), Dave Robinson (Accrington)

Once you get through to round four the quality starts to get concentrated so to go out here can’t really be considered to be an early bath but just to keep the theme going here are some of round four casualties.

Paul Shakespeare (Brierley Hill), Will Jerram (Southport), Dean Wisher (Kent), Steve Finnegan (Chesterfield), Marc Farnsworth (Houghton Le Spring), Jerry Tickell (London), Surinder Singh (Coventry), Tommy Donlon (Leicester), Mark White (Coventry)

Once you have negotiated round five you are in the last 32 and no matter who you are you have had a good day and to keep going as Steve Robertshaw (Leicester) did last year it is an amazing achievement by anyone’s standards the eventual winner, Carl Morris will not be defending his crown this year so you can all breathe a sigh of relief.

This is a very attractive event and tends to attract 200 – 300 entries each year so if you have not entered it before it will be a good test of your pool playing skills

Finally, as always the knock out cup will provide all teams with a roller coaster ride of emotions all packed into a weekend. Some will be in a state of depression by 11:00am on the Saturday of the event as they realise they have a mountain to climb to keep them in the event. For others it’s all plain sailing as they won the first match and can sit back and see how the other match will pan out before they are called into action again.

Then there are the ones that draw their first match. For them it’s a nail biting time as both teams know that the draw hands the advantage to the third team in the group because they will know that a will make them favourites to progress out of the group. For the team they are playing it will be only a win will be good enough to keep their hopes alive.

The team not playing in the group will be praying for a draw because it will put one team out and leave them with a head to head with the third team with all to play for. It can be that tight. So tight in fact a single frame in 54 frames scheduled to be played in a group can and is sometimes the only difference between three teams. When things are that tight you can see why it becomes a roller coaster ride one minute you are in, the next you are out, and then you are back in, then it’s looking bleak then suddenly it’s all rosy again.

The ones who come out of the group to continue their quest will start to celebrate around 4pm on the Saturday. Not to hard though, they may have won the group but they are going to be playing one of the other 31 group winners, as both teams are definite group winners. Then it all starts again only this time there is no hiding place because the event then changes to a straight knock out where only 16 teams will be left by the end of play on Saturday.

Then it’s into Yarmouth or Vauxhall’s starlight room to party away Saturday night for those that are out of the event its brakes off time and go full on for fun. If your team is still in the event you know that you are going to have to up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 9:00am on Sunday morning. So for you it’s a how much can I get away with and still be ok in the morning equation.

The reality of getting that one wrong has been seen so many times before that it’s best to have an early night.

One thing is for sure we are going to have another great event and whoever comes out wining the final match on Sunday 7th October will have been tested to the limit and be worthy winners of the National Interleague Knock Out Cup.

To all those of you going I am sure you will not be disappointed and I will see you at the bar at some point. . So how the teams in this event fare? It’s time to give my thoughts on the group stages and rattle a few cages, burst a few bubbles and pleasantly surprise a few teams as we go through every group to see what the form book, according to me, indicate should happen. It has been said in the past that my comments about teams have been pasted to the walls of the team’s caravans to inspire the players not to allow my words to become facts. Others have been amazed to see what I said would happen, happen. But it’s all done as a bit of fun to generate a bit of interest before we all travel down to Yarmouth and do it for real, so as you read through your bit just remember that and enjoy your read.

Table One

In true Interleague tradition, table one will see the defending champions set off this event at 9am on Saturday morning. Staffordshire’s Trent Trophies A will start off the event against Bicester Select from Oxford shire who have Lewis Bland, John Bland, Paul Paddick & Tim Williamson in their squad and will no doubt have a plan of action on how to deal with the sheer strength of Trent Trophies who can call on Gareth Potts, Lee Kendal, Jamie Croxton, Liam White, and of course Mark Blackhaw, you can see that they are going to require some performance to stop this lot in their tracks

As they have been for a number of years now they are team to beat, lead by skipper Gareth Potts the team has only one intention and that is to win it again and with experienced International players like Gareth Potts & Lee Kendal they should be capable of getting somewhere close to it.

With the calibre of players that make up the Trent Trophies team, it is hard to see how Bicester Select will be able to stop them I know that the Bicester players won’t necessarily see it that way but from a neutral view point there can only be one winner of this match

That will mean that Nottingham’s Cherry Tree will take on Bicester Select with their pride dented Bicester will seek to avenge their defeat in the opening match against the Nottingham side. Sadly, for Bicester Select I don’t think they will find it that easy. Cherry Tree will know only a win will give them a chance against Trent Trophies, I think this match will be a draw so Bicester Select will have inadvertently knocked both teams out of the event.

Trent Trophies will ten take on Tolworth in the final match of this group and having only to draw with Cherry Tree. The only thing for Cherry Tree to play for will be pride but I don’t see Trent Trophies allowing then to salvage too much of that as they cruise through to the last 32

Table Two

This is one of those groups that has three fairly evenly matched teams and the group kicks off with Pocket Rockets B (Northamptonshire) taking on Worcestershire’s Worcester Fox U

Given that I think this will be a tight group the opening match will be important to both teams’ aspirations and the winner will be safe in the knowledge that their destiny will be in their own hands.

There are no superstars in either of the team’s line ups but Pocket Rockets B will be hoping that players like Craig Haynes & Justin Winne and in particular Matt Barcock can produce a performance that will give them the win

Worcester Fox U have been here a few times now and will know what to expect. They will be hoping that Dan Garwood, Darren Brace & Mark Ruff will have what it takes to see them through to the win

When it comes down to it I fancy Pocket Rockets B to win this match and give Worcester Fox U a tough job if they want to carry on in the event because they will have to take on Nottingham’s Cherry Tree, A team with a solid record in the event when they get to attend

Cherry Tree’s skipper can choose from Leon Hill, Ryan Hewitt, Chris Rigby and Andy Hind to guide them through to the win. With Worcester Fox U losing their first Match, the pressure will be on the Worcester team to produce the goods. This and the fact that Cherry Tree has a bit more experience will mean that they should be able to keep the Worcestershire outfit at bay. Leaving Fox with the feeling that things can only get better.

This will set up a group deciding clash between Pocket Rockets B and Cherry Tree and although the Nottinghamshire side will cause Pocket Rockets a few headaches on the way I feel it will be Pocket Rockets B that just shade it and make it into the last 32

Table Three

This is a group that looks like it has a clear favourite, if you look at the recent track record of the teams involved. South Norfolk starts the group with a match against East Yorkshire’s Hull.

Hull will need to bring their “A” game to the table if they expect to do well against South Norfolk, if their “A” game is missing then they will need to find another way to keep players like Chris Minns, Jon Kenny, Nigel Meal at bay,. Hull in my view might be overrun by Norfolk who are a very strong team. On the other hand Hull have tried and tested performers like Malcolm Davidson, skipper Mike Machin will need to pick his side well to get anything out of this game. I don’t think that overall that Hull will be able to stop South Norfolk from getting to the winning line first.

That will mean that Hull will then be taking on West Yorkshire’s Halifax B. having lost to South Norfolk, Hull may find Halifax B just a bit too hot to handle. I don’t know too much about Halifax B but they must be a capable side and will have Chris Lister, Dave Brooksbank & Omer Butt to do their bidding.

Whist I think Halifax will give Hull more than a bit of bother but Hull with their players should have enough experience to eventually see of any challenge that Halifax B can muster.

This in turn will set up an interesting clash between Halifax B and South Norfolk to see who will be group winners. This I can see being a tight affair to start with but the farther the match progresses the more South Norfolk class will come to the fore.

Table Four

Keeping South Norfolk company on the next table will be county stable mates Norwich A who are playing Surrey’s Premier Pool League in the opening match in this group. This is one the hardest group of all to predict because all three teams are strong without being the obvious group winner.

That said, Norwich to be the best equipped team of the group with players like Paul Thraxton, Simon Ramm, Spencer Daniels & Martyn Curston. Premier will try to counter this with Dave Toothill, Geoff Williams, Dave Hall & Connor Jackson but on balance Norwich slightly the stronger side so that fact alone I am going to go for Norwich to come out on top.

This means that Premier will be taking on West Yorkshire’s East Leeds, they another team I know very little about but coming from West Yorkshire they have to play some quality teams in their County so they must have learnt something from that experience.

Premier on the other hand will have to pick themselves up from their first match defeat. Losing in the Interleague is a very depressing thing and you have to be of a strong will to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and get back to winning ways. This is not too easy if you have bags of experience but a nightmare when you don’t have the experience of being able to do it in the pressure cooker.

So I am going to go for East Leeds to win this one and end Premier’s involvement in the event.

With Norwich taking on East Leeds for the right to proceed to the last 32 both teams will be blissfully unaware of the magnitude of the match, oh they will know it’s to win their group but will be so intent on their own match they won’t be aware of the carnage going on in some of the tables around them as some of the fancied teams fail to escape from the group stage.

I am going for Norwich to win the group and become one of the first teams to book a spot in the last 32

Table Five

First up in Group 5 will be G.M.C’s Stockport Sharks taking on Lecestershire’s Hinckley don’t have any real big superstars in their line up like so they will rely on Adam Nixon, Jamie Ashton & Nick Patel to do the business for them. Stockport will have Chris Sargent, Paul Briggs, Rob Clarke to do their bidding. Of the two I think Stockport will just have the edge.

This means that Hinckley will then go straight back into action against NV.P.L. A from Northamptonshire, and that won’t be good news for Hinkley. In the line up for N.V.P.L. A will be amongst others Ant Floyer, Dave Biseker & Mark Oliver. There is a lot of experience the N.V.P.L. A kine up and as much as I would like to “big up” Hinckley I don’t see anything other than a N.V.P.L. A win.

That should set up a Stockport Sharks V N.V.P.L. A winner takes all tie and I have a feeling that the match could go either way and initially I fancied Stockport to do well here but having looked at the players available to both teams I find that I have now changed to N.V.P.L A as the winners of this match.

Table Six

Hampshire’s Andover take on South Yorkshire’s Barnsley. Barnsley are the newbie’s of this group, and no doubt will be thinking it’s good to avoid the gig guns but Andover are a solid side who usually do well in the group if not exactly setting the event on fire so things might not be easy as they may think.

That said, I think this match will be tight so Dave Thistlewood will need to pick his team wisely if they want to upset Andover’s plans. Barnsley were once a “big” team but this line up is not to the same strength as in previous years., the South Yorkshire will need Nick Woolerton, Lee Walton & Mick Dale to produce the goods to make sure they don’t get a nasty surprise and end up feeling like the have been outflanked by Andover..

All in all I think that Andover will get the better of Barnsley so that will mean that the will be a all Yorkshire flavour to the next match when Barnsley take on Beverley A.

Beverley A with Robert Whiting, Kevin Skelton & Paul Coates should not find Barnsley too much of an obstacle but like Andover they will have to be wary. If they take their collective eye off the ball then a draw could be a real possibility. That would put Beverley in a very dangerous position knowing they have to play Andover for the group with one hand tied behind their backs.

Providing that Beverley A win their match against Barnsley then the group play off between the two winning teams will be a straight race to 10. I believe that this will happen and that Andover will take the lead and despite Beverley’s constantly snapping at their heels. Andover should be able to keep Beverley at bay and in doing so will book their place in the last 32.

Table Seven

Suffolk’s Ipswich B take on Lancashire’s Wigan in the opening match in group seven and as Ipswich B are not really regulars at the event coming up against Wigan in your first match can’t be described as a lucky draw.

With players like Carl Bromley, Dave Arstall, Geoff Harrison, Ian Davenport and the legendary Shaune Dawber in their squad Wigan will be aiming for a good win to set them up for the third match in the group. I can’t see Ipswich B having too much luck against Wigan. Their players like Stacey Tite, Nathan Dodds, Chris Disney & Carl Anton will be able to say they have played the mighty Wigan

Not that I think Wigan will run away with the match but I do feel they will have the strength in depth to be able to cope with whatever Ipswich can muster to throw at them and still come out winners with a frame or two to spare.

Once this match is done the newbies of the group Interleague will make her entrance, Leicestershire’s Thurmaston will be taking on Ipswich B. Ipswich B will, I feel get some sense of pride back from this match. Thurmaston’s Dave Oliphant, Gary Ward, Kurt Weston & Mark Wesseldine are good but I don’t think they have what it takes to get past Ipswich B.

Given that I don’t think that Thurmaston will beat Ipswich it will come as no surprise that I can’t see them getting too much out of their second game against Wigan. It would be nice to be all romantic and say that Thurmaston could produce some magic and beat Wigan. However, Wigan will not play ball on that one they are about being as hard to beat as they can be be so there will be no favours done here and Wigan will win the group as ease.

Table Eight

The first match on table 8 will see a newly formed Meltis Club who have some real County experience in Dave Herbert, Paul Frith, James Griffin & Clevland Thompson in their line up so they will be looking to make in impact. They were formerly known as Bedord but with a couple of different players they might get away with being called a new team. They take on Nuneaton Lions from Warwickshire and with Alan Jones, Danny Evans, Lee Steptoe & Mark Chapman in their line up they will be looking to negate that impact but they had better make sure they remember that the team name might indicate a new team but the players in it will show that they bite.

Simon Dodwell, Meltis’s captain will try and lead his team through to the win and then look towards reaching the last 32 which is an indication that they will feel they are more than capable of doing. Nuneaton are a strong side but Meltis Club should just shade it

This will mean Nuneaton will be taking on Gosport B in the second match. The Gosport B team has, Chrystal Parker, Martin French, Scott Lowe & Jack Bartlett who will be looking forward to getting their campaign underway. It will be a bitter sweet match for Gosport because I feel they will not have enough power to overcome Nuneaton Lions, but they are then going to have to take on Meltis Club

Gosport B on a low from losing to Nuneaton Lions will attack Meltis Club from the start of the match and in doing so will leave themselves open to the sucker punch if they fail to finish their frames.

What all this means that Gosport B will be thinking they may still have a chance but in the end the frames will run out and Meltis will stumble over the winning line.

Table Nine,

Sees the battle of the freshman, all three teams are new to the interleague so predicting this group is really impossible but I will have a go, Surrey’s Mid Sussex go head to head with West Yorkshire’s Belle Vue whose line up will include Anita Goodman, Dale Mellor, Damian Asquith & Darren Sharp. Mid Sussex will call on Craig Gillingham, Curtis Lambert, Dean Cave And skipper Richard Craddick.

My feelings are that they are both fairly evenly matched. This would indicate that neither team will be able to deliver the knock out punch to the other, that may well mean the match may end as a draw.

If it is a draw it’s up to the top table for the spin of a coin to decide who gets the rest and who goes straight back in to battle. I will even predict that Mid Sussex will win the toss and put Belle Vue back in to bat.

Chomping at the bit and raring to enter the fray will be the first timers form Derbyshire’s Q-Club. Because they are also first timers I have no past performances to gauge how they will do. But the Q-Club will be wanting to get of to a good start, their squad is one of the biggest here with 18 players so they will have to make some tough selection choices, amongst their squad are Mel Adams, Dave Fernandez, John Chambers, Paul Bradford & Tom Elliott to mention but a few.

Sadly for the Q-Club I think the size of their squad will be their undoing, they will have to give as many of their players as possible a frame, this will lead to not playing their strongest set of players and will pay the price by losing to Belle Vue.

That will mean that Q-Club will be taking on Mid Sussex in the final match of the group and it will be tough for Q-Club to get a result if they are not playing their best players for that reason I am going for Mid Sussex to win the match and the group on countback – meaning Mid Sussex wining more frames against Q-Club than Belle Vue did.

Table Ten

Leyland from Lancashire start out on their Knockout Cup 2009 sojourn against Sussex’s Bognor Regis. Although both these teams are new to the Interleague they .did well in their counties knock out cup so it should be an interesting tussle – a true north V south battle, Leyland will ask Andy Turner, John Bell, Matthew Williamson & Simon Jackson to guide them trough. Bognor’s playing staff will include Barry Holly, David Driver, Ken Ford & Richard Chapman

With neither team having any previous experience at this event it will be down to the team that handles the pressure best, I have seen so many good players crumble when asked to perform on the interleague stage. Being a southerner myself and not really knowing which of these two sides are the best I will follow my instincts and predict a Southern victory

Having lost their first match it is just going to get even worst for Leyland as they have to go in against Reds Elite, so poor old Leyland will have to face one of the nterleague’s biggest names. If any of the Leyland players wonder just why it seems so bad that they are to play Reds Elite they are Led by Martin Kirby, he can pick his team from Liam Farrell, Steve Mullan, Surinder Singh, Callum Mullhern &| Stan Makh. That’s a pretty strong line up and the rest of the team are no slouches either.

I think this line up will prove too much for a number of teams in this competition let alone Leyland. which is why they consistently get to the business end of the event So with all due respect to Leyland this one looks a bit like a David and Goliath tussle but this time David won’t have the benefit of a sling and a rock.

After the win Reds Elite will turn their attention to Bognor Regis in a group decider. Bognor Regis will have to bring their “A” game to the table if they are to get anything out of this match and with Reds Elite getting off to a flying start against Leyland in their first match I do not think that they will have what it takes to be nice and let Bognor Regis get too close to them so it’s Reds Elite into the last 32 for me.

Table Eleven

This is an interesting group in that all three teams will feel they have a chance Cumbria’s Penrith take on Kent’s Medway. Neither team has instantly recognised stars in their line up but they have some quality players in their respective teams, so they will both have to rely on a team effort to give them the strength they will need to get past the winning line.

Penrith will be hoping for some solid performances from the likes of Brian Hetherington, Phil Leary, Richard Forrester & Robert Gregg. To counter this threat Medway have the services of Chris Hearnden, Jamie Kitchen, Lee Crowhurst & Richard Conn.

My feeling on this one is that Medway will just have the edge over Penrith but it won’t be one way traffic. Penrith do have the power to win this match and assuming things pan out the way I think then Medway will beat Penrith by the odd frame. By the time this match finishes both teams will be well aware they have been in a match.

Penrith will then have to take on Surrey Warriors, another team with an interleague history and they won’t be any easier to beat than their first opponents Surrey Warriors have Danny Taggart, Darren Magor, Martin Lambert, Simon Lemarchant & Jason Retter.

That little grouping will ensure that Penrith will have to fight for everything they get but in the end I would expect Surrey Warriors to have a bit too much fire power for Penrith.

This will set up a thrilling head to head between Medway & Surrey Warriors and this where the real pedigree of both teams will have to show if they are to progress. I think this is going to be a real tight match where it’s unlikely there will ever be more than a frame or two between them once it gets beyond the point where Medway can qualify things will simmer down a bit as the reality sinks in for Medway – so close but not quite close enough.

Table Twelve

Hertfordshire’s E.H.P.L., who by the way are sort of new to the event, they have retained the name of their team whilst not really retaining the original players in the team but they still have the unenviable task of trying to pick their way past an ultra steady team from Essex in the shape of Braintree A.in their line up they have players like Darren Ciniglio Jed Thomson Phil Matchett Darren Price, and some random bloke called Rob Hill,

Brantree are one of those teams that promise so much but do not deliver on that promise as often as they should maybe the addition of Rob Hill to the line up might help them to become the sort of team they should be.

Now I have warned E.H.P.L. of what is likely to be their impending doom its up to them to work out their best form of defence. But I still think that despite the warning E.H.P.L.will still come of second best in the fight. Although Braintree should be aware that E.H.P.L. have some very dangerous players in their line up like Mark Beesley, John Mele, Rob Foster & Trevor Clarke

For the next match we will be welcoming back an old friend in the shape of Nottinghamshire’s Ollerton. Ollerton were in their time one of the top sides in the interleague, quite what they are like now I don’t really know but I do know they will be taking on a shell-shocked E.H.P.L. and I feel that poor old E.H.P.L. will suffer again in this match.

It will be as tight a match as the previous one but nonetheless E.H.P.L. will be on a hiding to nothing and by the end of the afternoon the team could well be suffering from a collective bout of insomnia over the way things turned out. It’s not because E.H.P.L. are a bad team it’s more that both the other teams in their group have been there and got the T shirt, they will be only too pleased to show how much experience they have gained over the past few events by knocking out E.H.P.L.

That will leave the path clear for a group decider between Braintree and Ollerton. The outcome of this tussle depends on who steals a march on the other. My feeling go with Braintree because they have a bit more strength in depth. But with the players Ollerton have at their disposal like Kev Seaman, Andy Wilson & Dave Buckley Braintree will have to play well to win the group.

Table Thirteen

This is probably going to be one of the most interesting Groups over the weekend. Workington have not been here before take on a strong Renegade A from Berkshire. Workington’s team will come from Dan Hancox, Matt Brawn, Shaun Ayre, and no jokes please - Wayne King

As it happens they will face Renegade A, who have current England Manager Robert Uzzell and other luminaries like Vikas Sabharwal, John Sheil, Sefton Payne & Peter Lofts so it won’t be easy for Workington to get a positive result out of this match.

Workington will then have to take on Wolverhampton Wednesday B another team with a real pedigree in the event and always give a solid performance here and with Jamie Wylde, Chris Reckord, Fred Bannister & John Gair all in their line up this time will be no different. I cant see Workington putting to much of a dent in Wolverhampton Wednesday’s armoury

That should mean a head to head between Renegade A & Wolverhampton Wednesday for the group. Both these teams will not lie down when things don’t go their way so this one may well need a play off to separate them, if that comes true then I go for Wolverhampton Wednesday to win the play off because their top three are slightly better than Renegades.

Table Fourteen

Suffolk’s Lowestoft Town Select have a pretty hard task if they want to make it through to the knockout stages the reason for this is they will have to figure out a way past one of the biggest teams in the event, namely, Cambridgshire’s Ely. Ely will have in their line up Dale Parson, Iain Aldous, Jimmy Chambers & Chuck Selllars although Phil Harrison will be missing again they still have a good team.

Lowestoft Town Select are a good but have failed to make a real impact on the event but with Aiden Owens, Jack Daines, Kingsley Peck & Steve Tongs they will be hoping to change that and get a good run going. But I can’t see past an Ely win – I think Ely will prove too much for Lowestoft Town Select.

Once the first match is out of the way Lowestoft Town Select will face Reds 1, if they thought Ely was hard enough they are in for a another surprise when they have to take on Reds 1 with their line up of amongst others Roger Charles, Roy Pontefract, Steve Shelton & Martin Groves – all of whom are seasoned campaigners and will set about Lowestoft Town Select from the off.

As with the first match although Lowestoft Town Select will try I think that Reds will, like Ely, be just too strong for them and will bow out of the event.

The match between Ely and Reds 1 should be a cracker & will be a bit affair both sets of players are well used to playing at Yarmouth and know what it’s all about. So things won’t be easy for for either team and although it will be close i give the nod to Reds 1 who should just have a bit more than Ely – had Phil Harrison been there it would have been the other way round

Table Fifteen

The draw always throws up some funny things and in this group all three team begin with the letter B not an earth shattering statistic but odd enough to mention

London’s Barnet make a welcome return after a break in attendance and their team will look pretty much the same as it always has with Kyle Merrigan, Ronnie Sharp, Rupert Ward & Steven Wallace in their starting line up and their opponents will be Berkshire’s Bracknell & Ascot A. In their lin we should see Danny Oliphant, Dave Bryant, Leigh Morshead, Lucky Birdy & Mick Worsfold

I doubt that either team will have it all their own way but I feel sure that one of them will at some point in the match make the decisive break and the one who does that first will be the winners of the match, of the teams involved I fell that Barnet are better equipped to take control of the match and run out winners.

Unfortunately for Bracknell & Ascot they will be almost certainly be out of the event before they take on Brighton M in the second match. That’s the importance of winning your first match. Brighton M line up will come from Jack Cairns, Nigel Enticknapp, Damien Head & Dan Brooker.

I think that Bracknell & Ascot will find a way to beat Brighton M and restore some pride but the result will put both teams out because Brighton M would then have to go into the final match having to give Barnet a bit of a tonking.

The does not usually happen and Barnet will make it through to the last 32 with a few frames to spare

Table Sixteen

Derbyshire;s Corn Exchange will have to work very hard to make their stay in the Interleague a success when they take on Kent’s Folkestone. Neither team has real recognised frame winners and will rely on a good team selection from their respective captains. Both teams are what can be referred to as up and downers. That means that they are both capable of producing the goods but equally capable of not performing to their abilities

Folkestone are the K.O. Cup old boys in this group so it’s a little bit hard to guess what will happen when the teams meet but I feel that Corn Exchange with team leader Jon Shaplan along with John McMahon, Marcus Harrison, Mick Ruane & Mark Jones will just have the edge because mainly because they have been to the sharp end of the event before and will probably settle quicker.

That will mean that Folkestone boys like Darren Fordam, Mark Wynn, Stefan Godden & Carl Richardson will have to take on a team I know quite a bit about Worcester Dream Team. The dream have the distinction of being one of the Interleague’s top teams and a look at the ranking list will show you that. Worcester Dream Team with Scott Surridge, Ben Taylor, Fred Tandy, Gary Simmonds & Darren Selvey should prove a bit too strong for Folkestone. I would expect a tough fight before a Worcester Dream Team victory. .

The head to head between Corn Exchange & Worcester Dream Team should prove a an interesting challenge to for both teams and will probably be nip & tuck all through in the early stages of the group decider but as the match moves into the decisive latter stages, whilst Folkestone will be thinking of what to do with their Saturday night, Corn Exchange & Worcester Dream Team will have other things to occupy their minds. I would expect Worcester Dream Team’s greater strength to kick in and guide them to the victory – sorry Jon: ?

Table Seventeen

This group is definitely this year’s group of death all three teams are proven group winners but only one will come out of this group the other two are going to moan about this draw from here to April.

The opening group match is a last 8 match without a doubt; both teams are regular visitors to the quarter finals. So if you are a neutral and want to watch pool at the highest stand watch this match. Surrey’s Tolworth will be taking on one of the events favourites in an attempt to reach the end of play on Saturday and looking forward to Sunday morning, Suffolk’s Ipswich will be thinking exactly the same thing, beating Tolworth and then look forward to making it through to Sunday. Tolworth line up will be selected from amongst others Steve Petty, Dean Reeve, Jason Norris, Frank Strivens , Rich Teasdale. Compare that to the Ipswich team of Alan Mower, Dylan Thomas, Mark Keeble, Matt Purnell, Paul Keeble, Phil Cullingford & Richard Twomey.

In previous year’s Tolworth would be my favourites but Ipswich have been flying in recent events and although it’s going to be tight I think it’s going to be Ipswich that steals the match.

Tolworth will then have to take on Romney Marsh in their second match in this group knowing they are going to have to win big if they are to have a chance to win the group, they could have done without having to do that against Romney Marsh and despite Tolworth being a strong team, they are not so far ahead of Romney Marsh that they can expect to beat them by the comfortable score line Tolworth will need to.

In Romney Marsh line up they have the services of Guy Ruddy, Richard Webb, Conrad Gorham, Gavin Webb & Kevin Miles ball of whom have consistently put in solid performances. Romney Marsh have the added pressure of playing in front of their honouree president of their Facebok site as well, all this, added to Gut Ruddy’s worries about having to buy me a Magners at the bar will be the undoing of them.

Despite a brave fight I can only see Tolworth winning the match – but not by a big enough margin to aid the Surrey outfits’ chances of progression

Romney Marsh will have to go like a bat of hell if they are to make their dreams come true against the power that is Ipswich. I for one would not tip Romney Marsh to get past Ipswich even though Romney Marsh are far from being week. Its a fact that when a good team only needs to draw to qualify for the knockout stage they will get it, regardless of what their opponents throw at them – short of punches of course despite

Table Eighteen

London’s JFK’s take on Oxfordshire’s Witney. Witney are a steady team who will do their best to keep JFK’s at bay but it won’t work, Witney have in their line up Chris Chapman, Chris Jones, Gavin Wright, James Oakley, Mike Gibbons & Stu Griffin.

JFK’s will have, Danny Miller, Dean Wisher, Jack Pople, Jamie Fay, John Kelly, Jon Runghen, Mark Thrussell, Neil Toms, Ramesh Gokhul & Rob McKay – what team will keep that team on the back foot for very long.

This will mean that Brighton B with Andy Williams, Clive Rayson, Les Sanders, Paul Nicholas, Richard Payne & Mark Proto can have their own private battle with Witney for second place in the group. Personally I think that Brighton will win and set up a group decider against JFK’s

When it comes down to it I feel that Brighton, who are a respectable outfit, really won’t have enough spare in the tank to see them past JFK’s, that should not unduly worry them because 90% of the other teams in the event won’t have either.

JFK’s are simply one of the strongest teams in the whole event and this group is going to be a one sided group – sorry to the other teams involved but JFK’s are on a different level to the other teams in this group. If it does turn out that JFK’s fail to make out of this group then we will have on of the biggest shocks in interleague history on our hands.

On top of that, a lot of other teams will be queuing up to but their conquers a drink

Table Nineteen

Buckinhamsire’s Milton Keynes C will take on a strong team in the shape of Hampshire’s Gosport A, who are a team with a good history in the event and most of it is a being considered up there with the best. When they get knocked out it’s more often than not in the knock out stages rather than the group

Milton Keynes skipper, Tony Heggarty does have some options to make sure his team shows well against Andover but will need to use them wisely if they are to get anything out this tussle, he will pick from Scott Rutter, Steve Apleby, Dean Mills & Franco Masalm

Gosport A with George Swannack, Stephen Parker, Jez Still & Joel Pickersgill at their beck and call should really have what it takes to get past the Defences of Milton Keynes C no matter how Tony Heggarty decides to deploy his troops. Assuming they get past Milton Keynes C, Gosport A will start to feel like it’s all going their way.

The next match between Milton Keynes C and Sun Valley will see Sun Valley take frames of Milton Keynes C at a steady rate and Milton Keynes C will do well to stop Sun Valley from getting out of sight. But by the 18th fame I would expect Sun Valley to have put a major league dent in Milton Keynes C’s beliefs for this event.

When the final match takes place Gosport A will know what is required if they are to progress, Sun Valley will also know that a win is going to be required. With this sort scenario there is bo room for weak hearts, one bad frame can spell the endm it really is that tight at times. Sun Valley are not the same team they were a few years ago but they still should be able to pack a big enough punch to see Gosport A off so I predict Sun Valley will make into the last 32.

Table Twenty

Sees a bit of local rivalry in the opening match of this group between Nottingham & Leicester city and has the air of a drawn match written all over it. Nottingham’s team will feature Colin Wilson, Lee Mason, Lee Thorpe & Curtis Bradley. Leicester City will field Ady Frost, Andy Freer, Ben Franklin, Gaz Mitchell, Harry Irwin & Lee Brown but with the two teams so evenly balanced the likelihood is that the teams will trade frames on a one for one basis until they run out of frames. That means a trip to the top table to flip a coin to see who stays on the table; I am going to go for Nottingham to stay on the table.

That means that Nottingham’s next match will be against G.M.C.’s Eccles, in their line up they have Alex Williams, Craig Twentyman, David Rawlingson, Mark Kenny & Mathew Walker.

For Eccles, their first time here it will be a fairly easy introduction to life at the interleague, meaning they don’t have to face one of the big guns.

Nottingham have been a fairly successful side at the national finals so I would expect them to be able to see Eccles off and give Eccles a tough job to do if they are going to qualify

When Eccles take on Leicester City because of the other results all three teams are still in the mix but when iot all settles down I think it will be Nottingham that go through but only on count back.

Table Twenty One

Hammersmith from London with Giuseppe D'Imperio, Kenny Bryant, Les Creaven, Hughie Sutherland, Neil Brady & Paul Taylor included in their line up might think their opponents Cambridge Mickey Flynns are a new team, but if you look a bit closer you would see that this is no new team, in their line up will be Ian Norris, Mick Conlon, Mickey Lambert, Paul Stelmazuk & Simon Rivers. – that is a awesome line up and I think it’s going to be just to strong for Hammersmith to cope with.

That means that Hammersmith will then have to take on Trent Trophies B, they too are a steady outfit and hammersmith will have to produce some quality pool and get into the groove very quickly if they are to keep up their hopes of making it through to the knock out stage this time round.

Trent Trophies B will line with Jamie Symons, Mark Buckley, Ollie Booth, Rob Harding & Ryan Cope. Those naes are not in the same league as Trent Trophies A but they do not loose too often.

Sadly for Hammersmith I can see them getting the better of Trent Trophies B and will bow out of the event.

That will set up a battle royal between Cambridge Mickey Flynns and Trent Trophies B neither team will be over keen on the task facing them but they are both competent sides and Trent Trophies have been sent packing in the group stage before so it’s not Mission impossible, all in all I think Cambridge Mickey Flynns will come out as the winners of this group but they are going to asked some serious questions before they reach the winning line

Table Twenty Two

This group is another one where two of the teams are not good teams to be facing if you are a new team and first timers Maidenhead B have to do just that by taking Shropshire’s Dawley B in the opening match.

Whilst new to the Interleague they should be aware that Dawley B with Andy Moreton, James Price, Jamie Mills, Shaun Worrell & Steve Camp will not be easy to overcome and that I think is what will happen – they won’t.

When Maidenhead B take on I can see Lancashire’s Preston South I can see Preston South racking up a big win against Maidenhead B because of the fact that the Preston South players have been here so many times in the latter stages it takes something special to get the better of them. Plus Yarmouth now feels like a second home to them couple that with a strong squad and you get a belief that the team will do well. In their team they boast skipper Andy O'Hara, Craig Day, Gareth Hibbott, Jason Hill, John Rimmer, Lee Clough, Will Jerram & Carl Roughley – that is some line up

The same can be said when Trent Trophies B take on Preston Southbut this one won’t be so easy for the Lancashire boys. I can see the Staffordshire team giving as good as they get in the early stages of the match. As the match moves into the final part I feel the greater strength in depth of the Preston South team will start to take an effect and will eventually lead to Preston South claiming their space in the last 32.

Table Twenty Three

Bedfordshire’s Luton Elite get group 23 underway with a match against Herttfordshire’s St Albans Saints in what I see as a tight group. The Luton Lions team will be hoping Andrew Fazekas, Tony Turnstill, Alan Poulter & Mark Price will produce performances that will see them past St Albans Saints, but with players like Alex Dorow, Andy Barker, Gordon Fyvie, John Bloor & Tony Hawes St Albans Saints should be a handful and if they click then I think St Albans Saints will come out on top.

Following that match Luton Lions will have to take on one the oldest teams in the event in Barking Phoenix, skipper Alan Pointer says this will be his 30th trip here with a team spread over 18 years – that is some record. So the other teams better watch out he has gained some experience over those years.

When Luton Elite & Barking Phoenix clash in the next match it should be a fairly close affair but Whoever gets control on the table will be in the driving seat and with a strong team and 18 years of experience to call on I am going for Barking Pheonix to win this match after a real struggle

When Barking Phoenix take on St Albans saints it might be a tight match or it might not be it all depends on which team turns up for St Albans saints, they traditionally win their first match and then blow all their hard work away be losing the second one, this is what I feel will happen again but this time St Albans saints won’t throw it aqway Barking Phoenix will win the match by being the better team and with players like Andy Holland, James Shadimier, Sean Heyden, Steve Adams & Wayne Pardon to call on you can see why.

Table Twenty Four

Derbyshire’s Fritchley who can boast in their line up Dan Binder, Mick Rouse, Pete Gregory & Phil Fields – not household names but steady players will need to be at their best when they take on Cambridgeshire’s Peterborough, Peterborough in their team we will see Ady Bonsor, Andy Mear, Chris Horn, Darren Hope, Gary Eldred, John Auchterlonie, John Roe, Lloyd Robinson & Michael Defrane that line up should be more than enough to see them beat Fritchley.

That will mean Fritchley will then take on Kent’s deal with Alan Moss, Andy Redsull, Carl Disney, James Challis & John Fowler this match should be a lot more to Fritchley’s liking and will be a lost closer than their opening match but Deal are a team that has been here a few times and will know how to win, despite Fritchley snapping at their heels I think Deal will have just enough to beat the Derbyshire team to the winning line.

When Peterborough take on Deal, for the group, again, it will be close but the greater fire power of Peterborough will see them through

Table Twenty Five

Derbyshire’s Dinnington start their Derbyshire careers in this group, on the national stage with a tie against Cambridgeshire’s St Neots who will include Adam Barnet Brian Wilson, Dave Kavanagh, Nigel Redshaw, Niki Bayes, Simon Maslen & Stuart McPherson.

The Dinnington team looks very much as it did when they played from South Yorkshire with Ben Clayton, Glen McKay, Ian Bradley, Ian Brunt & Bskipper Vince Ley

Of the two teams I think that Dinnington will prove that tey are stronger team and come away with the win

This will mean that Kirkstead from Lincolneshire then take on St Neots. This should be anintersting match and offer Kirkstead their best chance of coming away with a win but in the end I think that the greater experience will see them through.

When Dinnington take on Kirkstead they will know the draw will be good enough for them and given the strength of the Dinnington squad they really should have no trouble in reaching the required number of frames with relative

Table Twenty Six

London’s Waterloo has the unenviable task of trying to get the better of Shropshire’s Dawley A in the opening match in this group. Waterloo who have Etienne Wagner, Frank Costello, Ian Crowle, Ian Stringer & Jerry Tickell. but if you compare that line up with that of Dawley A who have

Craig Reynolds, Danny Evans, Darren Pountney, Ian Duffy, James Brennan, Keith Blackham, & Scott Yardley, Now that’s what I call a line up. Perhaps after seeing that you can see why they are so successful here..

I don’t like putting a downer on any team but the other two teams in this group but they do look like they are up the junction and will have to play out of their skins to get a result from this group. One thing that might help the teams out is the fact that Dawley are sometimes slow starters, if they have a weakness then this would be it.

Even allowing for a slow start I can’t see any other outcome than Dawley winning the first match. This will mean that Waterloo will then take on Luton Elite who have in their line up Alan Shields, Brett Hattle, Byron Banks, Clinton Johnston, Darren Nolan, Paul Cox, Paul Turnstill & Wayne Sampson

The match between Luton Elite and Waterloo should be fairly evenly matched which is bad news for both teams because with each frame lost it becomes harder for Luton Elite to have a meaningful match with Dawley A and another nail in Waterloo’s coffin.

All in all I think that Luton Elite will run out the winners of this match but only just so that will leave Luton Elite a mountain to scale if they are to progress.

When Luton Elite take on Dawley it will be a bit of an anti climax as Dawley A will have warmed up and will take the first few frames which will knock the stuffing out of Luton Elite and as such will make it that much easier for Dawley A to clock up the frames they will need to make through to the knock out stage..

Table Twenty Seven

Staffordshire’s Afford takes on West Midlands’ Walsall in what looks a very evenly matched tie Afford have Andy Critchelow, Mark Copeland & Tony Hazeldine who will be hoping for a solid performance. Walsall A have skipper Jason Whitehouse to pick from Andy Swatman, Carl Butler, Mark Malpas, Matt Highway, Matt Ward & Lee Ashleywho will be doing their best to make sure its Walsall that win the opening match.

I am going to go for Walsall to win the first match in this group and have the luxury of sitting and watching the next match between Afford & Buckinghamshire’s Milton Keynes A, Milton Keynes team will come from Dave Minister, Dean Bunce, Jody Willers, Liam Doherty, Paul Sedman & Scott Willers

The Milton Keynes Skipper will be hoping that his boys can produce a performances that will see them past Afford. This like the first match will be very tight and may well end up in a draw as both teams struggle to find the winning touch take that will give either of the teams to safety of a frame cushion or two.

If it does end up being a draw Walsall will be handed a golden opportunity to win the group all they will have to do is not loose. Milton Keynes A on the other hand will have to attack right from the off if they are to get anything from this match. Milton Keynes A do have what it takes to win this match whether they do or will be down to Walsall not panicking if things don’t go their way at the start. If they loose their heads Milton Keynes A will take full advantage. If Walsall just keeps plodding away then it will be them that go into the knockout stages.

Table Twenty Eight

This group looks like being a blood bath with all three teams in it having what it takes to win it. West Midlands’ P.J.’s Stourbridge take on a real old war horse in the shape of Surrey’s Godalming. Godalming will have to at the top of their game if they are to get anything out of this match. It does not matter how good your teams is if it isn’t playing it’s “A” game Godalming with Andy Sutherland, Darren Dodds, Jason Toovey, Max Brooker, Nick Booth & Steve Sheerstone will grind your team down and eventually squeeze the life out of it.

However, in this group they are playing P.J.’s Stourbridge and their team will have Ben Swinnerton, Jarod Griffiths, Neil Raybone, Pat Ward, Paul Dunkey, Steve Sears & Wayne Bedford there just are not that many teams that can squeeze the life out of this team, so unfortunately for Godalming it’s not looking good for the win

That will mean that Godalming who will have to stay on the table and take on Netherthorpe. with Alistair Bailey, Dean Booth, John Waller, Kevin Ryder Jnr Kevin Ryder Snr, Michael Wilde, Phil Cartwright & Tom Farrelly that is a line up that would spell group winner in any other group bar this one

Godalming will be so miffed at losing the first match they will not have recovered their composure when their next match starts. This means that Netherthorpe will have stolen a march on Godalming before they manage to regain their composure. Do this against a team like Netherthorpe and you are not going to get anything out of the match so it’s going to be goodnight from Godalming.

For Netherthorpe it’s a head to head with P.J’s Stourbridge. This should be a nip and tuck match with frames traded on a one for one basis and it would not surprise me to see this one need a tie break to separate the two teams. If it goes to a play off I would have to go for P.J.’s to come out on top and make it through to the last 32 but will not please the Netherthorpe boys who were expecting to win

Table Twenty Nine

Leicestershire’s Leicester open this group against newcomers Skegness from Lincolnshire and if Skegness have done their homework they will know what’s coming, if they have not then they are in for a big surprise. Leicester’s players include Colin Treadwell, Gavin Lomax, Harry Patel, Lee Ross, Nicky Parnell, Shaun Payne, Steve Chambers, Steve Morris, Steve Robertshaw, Tom Ford & Vinny Allen.

Contrast that against those of Skegness Bobby Buchan, Bret Linaker, Jake Raynor, Jamie Turner, Kev Smith, Marc Pickworth, Paul Chisam, Rick Sheen, Sam Martin Scott Foreman, Sean Hayes & Shaun Pettit and you can see that on the face of it therew is a bit of a gulf between the two sides. Sorry but it’s Leicester with ease on this one

Skegness with then take on Shrewsbury B, Shrewsbury B have some good players in their line up too like Adam Sykes, Dan Sumner, Darren Brookes, Jon Sykes & Russell Harris

Under normal circumstances Shrewsbury B would be considered a fair bet to do well but against Skegness but it’s been a while since they were last here. It is possible that Shrewsbury can jump straight back in to life in the interleague, if so then it’s another defeat for Skegness

Shrewsbury B won’t be completely out of contention by the time they have to take on Leicester because I think their style of play is better suited to playing Reds elite than it was against Skegness. Perhaps this group would have been completely different had it been Lecicester V Shrewsbury B in match one But the draw is the draw and although I can see Shrewsbury B pushing Leicester I can’t see then having enough to stop the Leicestershire boys from reaching the last 32

Table Thirty

Essex’s Clacton take on Northamptonshire’s Kettering both teams have some very experienced players in the Clacton line up will be from Anthony Hazelton, Darren Collison, James Hazelton, My old mate, Micheal Punschart, Roy Aldis, Sam Rockell

Whilst Clacton has some very experienced players in their ranks, Kettering has even more experienced players like Bob Love, Dermot Lally, Graham Berruto, Jay Patrick, Leon Oakes & Martin EvansI would expect that this will be a tight affair with both teams vying to get the upper hand but as I usually do when it looks like things will be tight. I go with the team with a bit more experience so I feel that the winners of this match will be Kettering.

That means that Battersea will be taking on Clacton, Battersea have the services of Ade Beckett, Aluaro De Souza, Darren Hall, Dave Haste, Joe Cunningham & John Brady. But I don’t see Battersea getting a great deal out of this match either other than the experience they can bring to the table next time round. But wouldn’t it be nice if they could do something, the Clacton side just looks too strong for them

When Battersea take on Kettering it will be for experience because KKettering will already have one eye on the last 32 and there won’t be too much that Battersea will be able to do that will put a halt to Kettering’s march l through to the knock out stage.

Table Thirty One

Suffolk’s Felixstowe take on Lancashire’s Clitheroe. in the curtain raiser for this group in another of the tie ties that matches two good teams up head to head. If this were a boxing match it would be billed as a evenly matched bout where the contestants will slug it out to the last one standing. Felixstowe have Dean Barber, Eliott Last, James Fusker, James Ross, Johnny Brown, Tony Cracknell whilst Clitheroe boast Adrian Dugdale, Ian Harle, Ian Townson, James Whitewell, Paul Blackburn, Paul Hodges & Roger Hope.

When it comes down to it I think Felixstowe will be the ones who after a bit of a struggle will come out on top but they will need to patched up a bit before their next bout later on in the afternoon.

That means that Clitheroe will be taking on Northamptonshire’s M.H.P.L. who will include in their line up Ady Allan, Ben Adkins, Craig Bilson, Daniel Turner, Richard Begley, Scott Ried

This is another of those tight matches which could go either way as the two teams involved appear to be evenly matched but I guess M.H.P.L. should be considered marginal favourites as the team with more experience

This will mean a head to head between Felixstowe and M.H.P.L.and yet again it going to be a very close match but with the prize of a spot in the last 32 up for grabs it may be the team that handles the pressure better that wins the group. If that’s the case then I would go for Felixstowe

Table Thirty Two

And so we come to the final 3 group matches in this year’s knock out cup and like all the others there is an interesting mix of teams first up is Somerset’s Weston B who will be taking on Whitehaven in the teams will be for Weston B Aaron Stone, Debs Chudley, Emilio Palumbo, Ian Griffiths, Joe El Jared, Mark Chudley, Paul Penhale &Tony Joannou.

In the Whitehaven team is Alan McLeod, Carl Ennis, Dave Smith, Dave Todd, Gary Southern, Grant Porter & Mike Walker

this should be a good match for neutrals to watch because there is no natural group winner but I think that in the end Weston B will have just enough fire power to leave Whitehaven wondering if things could have been so different hadfthey won an extra frame or two

This will mean that Whitehaven will have to beat Nuneaton A and then hope that Nuneaton A beat Weston B in the final match of the group. But that is not the way I see it panning out, Nuneaton A with Andy West, Andy Yearby, Ben Gilbey, Gary Cox, Karl Knight, Neil Randle, Scott Varden & Tom Smee should bit a bit too strong for Whitehaven.

That will mean that Weston B and Nuneaton A will go head to head for the final berth in the knock out section and although a close match seems the most likely outcome I think that Nuneaton A will have just enough to ease themselves into the last 32 at the expense of Weston B.

Tom Fahy
Tournament Director