2007 ISLAND TRIPLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pinel, Selby and Boleat victorious!
From left; Neil Selby, Keith Boleat and Chris Pinel.
Twenty teams contested the 2007 Island Triples championship at Samares Manor on Saturday 8th September. Teams were drawn into three groups and played all those in their group.The winners of each group went through to the semi-finals along with the best runners up.
Two teams each won 5 of their six games in the green group. Neil Selby, Chris Pinel and Keith Boleat, having lost by just one point to Dorothy & Gordon de Gruchy and Tim Bechelet who also lost just one game, this time to Brian Mollet, Roy Langlois and Maurice Richard. With a points difference of +37 Selby, Pinel and Boleat topped the group, while Bechelet and the de Gruchys +23, secured the best runner up slot. Third in this group were Derek Hart, Fred Paisnel and Steve Foster with three wins +12.
Top of the blue group were Frank Morel, Robert Morel and Robert Birch, the only team to win 5 of their 6 games (+26). With four wins each Joy Hart, Maggie Allchurch and Elaine Paisnel with +6 were next and Keith Pinel with son Matthew and Jeremy Grigg (the only two junior players) were placed third with +2.
The yellow group had one team less and this was topped by Joan le Roy, Ken Luce and Lol Therin with 4 wins +36. Three teams each won 3 of their 5 games; Mick Cotillard, Darren le Brun and Tony Lagadu +5, Ian and Penny Foster and Gerald Rolland +4 and Colin and Betty Vibert with Mike Thompson -5.
Both semi-finals were won be fairly convincing scores. Bechelet and the de Gruchys beat Le Roy, Luce and Therin 13-4 and while the score was tied at 6 all between Selby, Pinel and Boleat and Birch and the Morels, a 5 in the next end took the former trio to an uncatchable position.
The de Gruchy/Bechelet triple started the final with a score of 4 points on the first end, but their opponents clawed this back over the next three ends to move one point in front. They continued to pull away to lead 9-7 before securing the 4 points they needed to take the 2007 triples title.
For more photos - go to the gallery.