Raiders, Hunters on target
Pool results from the first week of playoffs saw the Awanui Raiders defeat the Awanui Solid 8 team 7-4 (5-3) singles. John Dykes and Pauline Murti led the Solid 8 off with two wins at the top, but their team struggled from then on against the more fancied team of Awanui Raiders players, Peter Pitchford, Adam Henderson, Mark Thompson, Mike Rider and Wim Vos doing the business.
Eddie Bellas managed a win for Solid 8 against Carol Adams. The top two for Solid 8 won their doubles but that was it, with the Raiders winning two more to put them through to tonight’s match. It’s been a strong first season of pool for the Solid 8 team, with some good scalps during the year.
The Herekino Hunters went north and made it look easy on the scoresheet, but the sheet doesn’t always tell the full story with a 7-3 win against the Houhora Marlins. The first four Hunters players won and gave their team the confidence to go on with the match, but the next three lost before Harry Mano put Bruce Hall in his place and gave the Hunters the crucial 5-3 singles lead. The first four Marlins players who lost their singles didn’t win the doubles either, and that meant the Hunters play the Raiders tonight at Awanui. It’s been a tough year for the Marlins with a lot of new players giving the game a shot.
In division two, the Razorbacks and Awanui 8 Ball played a tight match all night at Herekino, with the Awanui team leading 5-3 at the turn.
Awanui 8 Ball won the first doubles before
the Razors last three double parings won, and this took the match into a team game. While I wasn’t present, I’m sure the tension was high with the Razors nailing the win and set to play KA Rack Em Up tonight.
The last match was also a tussle for both teams, Awanui Tigers and K&A Bolt for different reasons. The Bolt because they were short on numbers, and Tigers because they couldn’t nail a win against a short-handed team in regular play, (eight singles and four doubles) so a team game was required to sort out a winner on the night.
The Bolt had played exceptionally well to get this far with only six players, but the luck of the game deserted them with the Tigers team
not really having to pot any balls to win, but just playing safe to take out the victory. In doing so, they play Awanui 8 Ball tonight.
The Grand Final is this Sunday at Herekino Tavern from noon, but not before the last playoffs matches are played this Thursday at 7.30pm.
Tonight’s draw:
Home teams mentioned first.
Premiership:
Titans v KA 8 Ball
Awanui Raiders v Herekino Hunters
Division 2:
KA Rack Em Up v Herekino Razorbacks Awanui 8 Ball v Awanui Tigers