Kevin Carter writes:
The 25th Selectors Weekend was won by Brian Fisk, beating Kevin Carter in the final.
The Selectors is a CA selection event and is sometimes thought of as the fifth 'Eight', even though it has 16 contestants. It is intended for up-and-coming players, along with established players who cannot play in a true 'Eight', either because they are not good enough or because they cannot find the extra time for an Eight.
We had a number of up-and-coming players this year, notably Gabrielle Higgins, Steve Woolnough and Richard Smith. All are sure to do continue their improvement but this year's Selectors belonged to the old hacks, four of whom came through the flexible swiss stage to contest the semi-finals.
In the first semi-final Kevin Carter 26'ed Ian Parkinson and in the second Brian Fisk comfortably defeated Ian Plummer. There was a brief discussion about a best-of-three final. However, conditions were very testing, with lawn speeds up to 13 plummers and hoops set very firmly in the sun-baked clay. Several games over the weekend took in excess of three hours. So, with neither finalist relishing the possibility of a finish in the glare of headlights it was decided to play safe, take a leisurely lunch and then play a single game final. In the event Brian played very well and nothing went right for Kevin, so 90 minutes was sufficient to produce the winner of the Ranelagh-Weightman Cup.
Meanwhile the flexible swiss continued, with Gabrielle showing how unlucky she was not to make the semis. She took the 'Best of the Rest' prize (an engraved glass donated by the Surbiton Club) and also earned herself a handicap cut to scratch.
Owing to the conditions not many peeling turns were attempted, and most that were resulted in disaster. However, one was completed; Richard Smith managed a TPO. In eleven months time Surbiton will host a couple of MacRob tests. If conditions are similar they will be interesting to watch.
Results summary:
1st: Brian Fisk
2nd: Kevin Carter
3rd: Gabrielle Higgins 6/8
Ian Plummer 4/6
Steve Woolnough 5/8
John Daniels 5/8
Andrew Gregory 4/7
Gary Bennett 4/8
Ian Parkinson 4/8
Graham Gale 4/9
Peter Thompson 3/7
Richard Smith 3/8
Tom Weston 2/6
David Mooney 2/8
Mary Knapp 1/6
Mark Hamilton 0/5
| Updated 2.vii.22 |
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