Penfold Doubles Tournament: Tuesday 18 April 2023.
Tierney and Hammond: Worthy Winners
The eagerly awaited doubles handicap tournament at the Parochial and Home
Guard Club was ready to roll. 18 players were signed up; the club’s new
Kirkstall Brewery pale ale and lager was proving a success with the members;
and an evening to commemorate former member, Harry Penfold was about to
unfold.
And yet, what format should the evening take? A one frame knockout had
worked in the past, but that meant the first round losers were stymied for the
rest of the evening. It was decided to have two leagues with all teams having
a minimum of three matches, based on handicaps. To ensure all matches were
completed that evening, the red triangle was reduced to six reds.
League games started with a mix of jocularity and steely competitive spirit. In
League 2, the defending champions, McWilliams and Jarvis (Jnr), got off to a
bad start with defeat, albeit a close black ball game. They won their other two
league games to post a competitive score which could put them in the final.
However, it was Tierney and Hammond who produced an unassailable three
wins out of three to be the worthy winners of this league.
League 1 comprised a number of the club’s best players based on their
handicaps and the lowest handicap team of Kumar and Brockway navigated
two wins out of their first two games. This was however followed by a defeat
to Walsh and Sykes, which when compared to Dawson and Hall’s 100 % record
meant the Kumar Brockway ‘bookies choice’ were not to reach the final.
And so Tierney and Hammond were to play Dawson and Hall in the final, with a
9 point start. With most games of the tournament going down to a black ball
finish and the handicappers patting themselves on the back, the final drew a
good crowd expecting a close game. Indeed, confident potting from both
teams early doors suggested this could happen. Then Tierney’s red after a
fortuitous canon on the brown, along with blue, red and black created distance
between the two teams. This put pressure on the other pair who weren’t
allowed any easy chances for the rest of the game. The final ended with
Tierney and Hammond running away with it and Dawson and Hall conceding
on the blue.
Many congratulations to Dave Tierney and Ben Hammond, the Penfold
Doubles Champions 2023. Finally, a big thank you to Harry Penfold, whose
legacy continues to provide us with a great annual tournament, and a drink to
boot. As was said on the night, Cheers Harry.
Reporter: Dave Sykes