THE final qualifying round of the Corbridge’s winter league on Sunday proved to be a good day for a number of teams, not least the pairing of Dennis Moore and Dave Dancox who benefited form a couple of slip-ups to move from third to first to claim the league title and secure the number one seeding for the matchplay stages.
Their 43-39 victory over Johan and Herman Loubser was just good enough after the previous week’s top two of Neil Cartwright and Richard Creamore, and Tim Calladine and Paul Carson, suffered unexpected defeats although both pairings safely made the matchplay draw.
Best score on the day went to Niall Keenan and Allan Prince whose excellent 45 points compiled in their victory over John Belcher and Jason Clarke still wasn’t quite good enough to make the top 16 but it did scupper their opponents’ chances of making the knock-out.
Marcus Avery and Neil Dunwell’s second best of the day 44 was good enough to move them up into a qualifying position, as did third on the day Andy Cowin and Iain Laing (subbing for Dave Wookey). Mike Pigott and Colin Anderson, along with Dave Simpson and Steve Smith, both qualified comfortably after battling to a 42-42 tie, while Andy James and Alex McAuley and Alan Bannister and Craig Marr were already safely through before Sunday’s games.
Charlie Garside and Stuart Mason, Bob Love and Brian Kelly, Daryl Callister and Tony Collis, Richard Bray and Chris Darnill, John Callow and Mark Riley and Andy Kewley and Mike Christian all won their respective matches to guarantee qualification while Martin Cairney and Adam McAuley claimed the 16th and final spot with a good win over Colin Halsall and Jon Carey.
The first round of the knockout takes place this Sunday, 8.30am shotgun start, with the remaining teams competing in the plate competition.