National Club Champs 2002
FINALS: Sat 18/Sun 19 May

They'll need to make another (bigger) sign now ...

Pontefract claim Club Treble ...
Ian McKenzie reports from Nottingham

Lee comes up one short

Men's Semi Finals
Pontefract bt Nottingham  5-0
Lee Beachill bt Duncan Walsh  9/2 9/2 9/2
Derek Ryan bt Matthew Oxley  4/9 9/6 9/7 9/2
James Willstrop bt Neil Reddington  9/3 9/2 9/5
Alan Norrish bt Gawain Briars  9/10 9/1 9/1 9/6
Christian Doneglan bt Chris Knighton  9/6 9/0 9/0

Lambs bt Chichester  4-1
John White bt Peter Genever  9/2 5/9 7/9 9/4 9/7
Craig Wapnick lost Tim Vail  2/9 9/5 8/9 (dead rubber)
Steve Richardson bt Martin Greenslade  9/5 9/7 9/5
Adam Talib bt Stuart Summers  9/5 9/1 9/2
Dave Speed bt Adam Dominey  10/8 9/1 9/5

Women's Semi Finals
Pontefract bt Edgbaston Priory  5-0
Becky Botwright bt Kim Johnson  9/4 9/1 9/4
Lauren Siddall bt Helen Truelove  9/2 9/3 9/0
Kirsty McPhee bt Bev Hemming  9/0 9/4 9/2
Nicola Dudley bt Lesley Bolton  9/3 9/1 9/2
Gill Topliss bt Jenny Slin  9/3 9/0 9/0

New Eltham bt Winchester  5-0
Keeley Johnson bt Rebecca Waddington  9/3 9/3 9/5
Mandy Preuss bt Sharon Callinane  9/1 9/2 (dead rubber)
Candy Wilton bt Jo Russell  9/0 9/0 9/1
Karen Hume bt Jo Kingwell  9/0 9/1 9/0
Lucy Murphy bt Suzie King  9/7 9/3 9/6

Men's Over 35 Final
Nottingham bt Redbridge  5-0
Jason Nicolle bt John Ransome  9/4 9/5 3/9 9/7
Duncan Walsh bt Andy Russell  9/1 9/4 9/2
Henry Skinner bt Dave Lazarus  5/9 9/7 1/9 9/2 9/6
Peter Williams bt Mike O'Brien  9/6 9/5 9/1
Richard O'Connor bt Roger Greene  9/2 9/1 9/3

Womens Over 35 Final
New Eltham bt Stourport  3-0
Mandy Preuss bt Zena Wooldridge 9/6 9/3 9/2
Candy Wilton bt Sam Fearnley 9/2 9/1 (dead rubber)
Karen Hume bt Sheila Morley 9/0 9/0 9/0

Mens Over 45 Final
Nottingham bt Army SRA  3-0
Pete Williams bt Robbie Robinson 9/4 9/0 9/6
Richard O'Connor bt Dave Leaky 9/2 9/3 9/0
John Limb bt Dave Ryder 9/7 9/2 9/4

Junior Mixed Final
Pontefract bt Leamington  4-1
James Willstrop bt Chris Hall  9/3 9/2 9/1
Andrew Cross lost Dean Alder  1/9 7/9 2/9
Christian McGuire bt James Grimshaw  9/5 9/2 9/0
Lauren Siddall bt Jemma Holt  9/4 9/2 9/4
Kirsty McPhee bt Leonie Holt  9/0 9/3 9/1

Non County Mixed Final
Bexley bt West Bridgeford  3-1
Andrew Murphy bt Jason Barkes 9/10 9/1 9/0 8/10 9/3
Stuart Campbell lost Kevin Emery 9/2 9/7 1/9 9/10 7/9
Jill Withey bt Sue Honnelley 9/5 9/3 9/2
Nicky Slater bt Rosanna Marks 9/2 10/8 2/9 9/5

Mens Plate Final
Limpsfield bt Abbeydale  3-2

Women's Plate Final
Chichester bt Nottingham  5-0

Mens Over 45 Plate Final
Chichester bt Beaconsfield  2-1

Non-County Mixed Plate
Chichester bt Wigginton  2-2 (7-6 on count back)

Junior Mixed Plate
Carlisle bt Redwood Lodge  4-1

  2001 Finals

Pontefract Triple Champions
Ian McKenzie reports from Nottingham
Pontefract's men's and women's teams have won the National Club Championships at Nottingham, the first senior double since Nottingham in 1998. With the Junior mixed event already clinched on day one, it's a satisfying treble for Malcolm Willstrop's charges.

The Women's team were first off the mark today, with wins by Becky Botwright (1), Kirsty McPhee (3) and Nicola Dudley (5) all three in straight but hard fought games. Final opponents New Eltham, champions for the last two seasons,  scored initially with a win at fifth string when the fine strokes of Lucy Murphy eventually held sway against Pontefract's veteran Gill Topliss. At third string Kirsty McPhee's drops won through in the end against Candy Wilton and in a closely fought fourth string the speedy Nicola Dudley delivered the killer blow with an ambitious volley drop that nicked after her opponent had saved matchball in the third and come back to 8- all.

The Men's final was all to play for for some time, with Pontefract's Christan Donelan giving the Yorkshire club the lead, coming back from 2/1 down and 3-1 down in the fifth to just edge Dave Speed after 87 draining minutes. At third string James Willstrop changed his game after being drawn into an initial slogging match against Lambs' Steve Richardson to win the final three games with his fine shots. At the end Richardson was bent double from the exhausting work of chasing Willstrop's deceptive shots from corner to corner. First blood to Pontefract.

At fourth string Lambs' Adam Taleb, after coming back to win the first, conceded the second  when 5-0 down and collapsed thereafter to give Pontefract the three rubbers required for the national title.

Meanwhile Jonny White was staging an unlikely comeback against Lee Beachill. White's comeback, after what, it must be said was an indifferent performance, followed the funniest moment of the weekend.  Down 9-5, 9-1 White refused to change sides to receive service when ordered to by referee Massarrella who moved into official mode.

"Play on please," ordered Massarrella. "He XXXXX in that corner," said White and opened the door obstenciously for some fresh air while Beachill looked a little sheepish.

"He's made the court unplayable," exclaimed White to a chuckling Massarrella, hinting that perhaps the match should be his, and invited the referee down to inspect it - an offer declined.

This pantomine did little for Beachill's concentration and White surged back from 4-7 to 8-7 in a hand when his opponent  should have had the match tied up. White now rampant on the volley won the game 10-8, and crisply ran through the fourth 9-2 before Beachill's greater composure and discipline took the fifth 9-2.

The remaining rubber was sensibly conceded by Pontefract who therefore won 4-1, the same score as their women and recorded a famous double the first since hosts  Nottingham in 1998.