Ian Lines won tight finish to East Midlands Championship

[<<] [>>] by Ian Vincent at Nottingham
24-26 Jun 2011 (AC - Championships)

Ian Lines won the East Midlands Championship, beating Robin Brown in the (standard advanced play) play-off -24tp +24 +1otp, David Maugham, who held the title for the last few years, won the plate.

The final was played on a freshly cut lawn in baking sun, but the going was still fairly soft due to heavy rain on Friday night. Robin tripled out out Ian's Yellow to leave a three ball ending, with both the Blue and Red clips on hoop one. Both players started breaks, but reached the position where, having run 4-Back, Blue just grovelled through Penultimate, unable to hit Black near the peg, with Red for 1-Back and in the jaws. Blue retired to a position peg-high to the East Boundary and Ian elected to take his lift, shooting at blue down the boundary. He missed, but after Robin pegged out Black, Ian hit the return, and, some turns later, got position for penultimate, with Blue in position for Rover. Blue ran the hoop, but failed to hit either Red or the peg, ending on the North boundary. Red ran Penult and took position for Rover. Black played to a position between Penult and peg, but Red ran Rover firmly and then hit the peg.