Billingshurst Bar Billiards

The second day of weekend bar billiards took place on Sunday, June 23 at Roffey Club, this time the turn of the All-England’s “Off-the-Spot” Open, organised by Sussex on their behalf.

In this version of “Alternative Rules”, every shot is played Off-the-Spot rather than having full use of the ‘D’ : how the game is played in Jersey and Guernsey

A total of 35 players had entered, hailing from Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and were divided into five groups of four players and three groups of five, with the eight group winners proceeding to the last 16 and a play-off between second and third placed players to decide who would be joining them, the remaining players proceeding to the Plate.

Billingshurst League-had seven players involved and Ricky Dewdney, Paul Jobbins, John Slee, Stuart Carruthers and Lee Cable all made it safely through their initial group stage.

By contrast, Windmill GG pair Michael Wilson and Clive Thompson were up against it in a ‘Group of Death’ containing two World Champions (one past and one present) and despite winning a game each both found themselves in the Plate.

Ricky, John and Lee all fell at the next hurdle to strong opposition in the form of three England Team regulars.

Paul Jobbins had a good Last 32 win against Worthing’s James Whittle but faced the daunting prospect of seven-times World Champ Kevin Tunstall in the next round and went down despite two close games.

As a Group Winner, Stuart Carruthers had a Bye to the last 16 and then made it to the Quarter Finals with a win over Fitzjohn, but lost to Brighton’s Mark James – winner of this year’s Surrey Open. Another Brighton player, Bob Hall came through to win back-to-back Opens (he won the Sussex one earlier in the month)

Meanwhile the Plate Competition was held and here our players’ fortunes changed, with Michael and Clive both making the Semis, where they faced two young members of current National Team Champions Prince of Wales, Woodgare, Chichester.

Clive found Chris Cox, who had won the Sussex-only equivalent event the day before, too strong, but Michael defeated the highly-rated Daniel Wheal before exacting revenge on Chris in the Final for his first National Plate Win. - Clive T

Ricky Dewdney (Cricketere)

2nd in Group C (vs Hall/Driver/Cox/Wheal)

Last 32 lost to Gerry Fitzjohn (Kent)

John Slee (Roffey SSC A)

3rd in Group E (vs James/P Osborne/Hollis)

Last 32 lost to Mark Trafford (Oxon)

Lee Cable (Roffey SSC A)

3rd in Group F (vs Carruthers/Burns/Jenner)

Last 32 lost to Dave Ingram (Brighton)

Paul Jobbins (Windmill GG)

3rd in Group D (vs A Brackenridge/Cunningham/Gordon)

Last 32 beat James Whittle (Worthing)

Last 16 lost to Kevin Tunstall (Worthing)

Stuart Carruthers (Roffey SSC B)

Winner of Group F (vs Burns/Cable/Jenner)

Last 32 – Bye

Last 16 beat Gerry Fitzjohn (Kent)

Qr Final lost to Mark James (Brighton)

Clive Thompson (Windmill GG)

4th in Group B (vs M.Jones/Ingram/Cole/Wilson)

PLATE Rd 1 – Bye

PLATE Qr Final bt Stuart Mepham (Worthing)

PLATE Semi-Final lost to Christan Cox (W-S)

Michael Wilson (Windmill GG)

5th in Group B (vs M.Jones/Ingram/Cole/Thompson)

PLATE Rd 1 beat Alan Donovan (Bucks)

PLATE Qr Final beat Bob Osborne (Brighton) (scored 14,000 in 1st leg)

PLATE Semi-Final beat Daniel Wheal (W-S)

PLATE FINAL beat Christan Cox (W-S)