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Wrest Park

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Beds & Herts League

25 August      v Letchworth (away)     Lost 2-4

Bryan Harral (1) and Cliff Hayes (20) lost to Duncan Hector (-1) and Nick Mounfield (1.5) -9

John Bevington (1.5) and David Marsh (10) lost to Ian Mantle (2.5) and Keith Rhodes (8) -18

Bryan Harral beat Duncan Hector +24

John Bevington beat Nick Mounfield +7

David Marsh lost to Ian Mantle -13

Cliff Hayes lost to Keith Rhodes -13

We needed to win or draw to retain our league title, whereas Letchworth needed to win to wrest it from us, so it was perhaps no surprise to find that they had brought out some heavy artillery in Duncan and Nick, who quickly found their range in the doubles. After Bryan had got round to penult he was peeled through the last two hoops and pegged out by Duncan, and Nick then went round on what was mostly a two-ball break to win with six of our bisques still standing. John and David at least used their half-bisque but it wasn’t enough.

There was something of a recovery after lunch, when the rain arrived and became steadily heavier as the afternoon went on. Bryan won quickly and John got the better of Nick after being pegged out, but Ian and Keith’s solid play gave Letchworth the win they needed, the Hector Shield as league champions and a place in the EACF leagues playoff to be held at Wrest Park on 25 September.