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National Championships
2014
Teams representing the
ECBA's nine member counties met over the weekend of 31st October
to 2nd November to compete in the annual National Championships,
at Potters.
Each county is represented
by 6 teams of 4, with each team playing their counterpart from
each of the other counties.
As there are an odd number
of teams in competition, each session saw one of the counties
sitting out.
SATURDAY
Session 1
Sunderland and Hertfordshire start well, both picking up a maximum
6 points, while Cambridgeshire and Durham take 4 points from
their games. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Sunderland |
3 |
6 |
Hertfordshire |
3 |
6 |
Cambridgeshire |
3 |
4 |
Durham |
3 |
4 |
Bedfordshire |
3 |
2 |
Norfolk |
3 |
2 |
Northumberland |
3 |
0 |
Essex |
3 |
0 |
Suffolk |
0 |
0 |
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Session 2
All 6 points for Durham took them
to the top, alongside Sunderland who picked up another 4 points,
as did Cambridgeshire who took their 4 off Suffolk, to continue
their steady start. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Sunderland |
6 |
10 |
Durham |
6 |
10 |
Hertfordshire |
6 |
9 |
Cambridgeshire |
6 |
8 |
Bedfordshire |
6 |
5 |
Northumberland |
6 |
2 |
Suffolk |
3 |
2 |
Norfolk |
3 |
2 |
Essex |
6 |
0 |
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Session 3
Sunderland continued their good
start with another 5 points, while Durham picked up 4 against
Cambridgeshire. The two Northern teams were now moving ahead
of the pack, four points clear of third place. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Sunderland |
9 |
15 |
Durham |
9 |
14 |
Hertfordshire |
9 |
10 |
Cambridgeshire |
9 |
10 |
Suffolk |
6 |
8 |
Norfolk |
6 |
8 |
Bedfordshire |
9 |
5 |
Northumberland |
6 |
2 |
Essex |
9 |
0 |
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Session 4
Sunderland and Durham played one
another, sharing the points and leaving them both still ahead
of the pack. Suffolk took 6 points, moving them up to 3rd and
Norfolk took 4, moving them to 4th. Meanwhile Essex finally got
off the mark with 4 points against Bedfordshire. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Sunderland |
12 |
18 |
Durham |
12 |
17 |
Suffolk |
9 |
14 |
Norfolk |
9 |
12 |
Hertfordshire |
12 |
10 |
Cambridgeshire |
9 |
10 |
Bedfordshire |
12 |
7 |
Essex |
12 |
4 |
Northumberland |
9 |
4 |
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Session 5
Sunderland edged further ahead
by taking 4 points off Bedfordshire, while Suffolk and Durham
split the points in their encounter, leaving them second and
third respectively. Meanwhile Cambridgeshire took all 6 points
to bring them up to 4th with Norfolk. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Sunderland |
15 |
22 |
Durham |
15 |
20 |
Suffolk |
12 |
17 |
Cambridgeshire |
12 |
16 |
Norfolk |
12 |
16 |
Hertfordshire |
15 |
12 |
Bedfordshire |
15 |
9 |
Northumberland |
12 |
4 |
Essex |
12 |
4 |
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Session 6
Durham took 4 points to move ahead
of Sunderland who missed the session, while Suffolk added 5 points
to tie second place. Cambridgeshire and Norfolk both took 4 points
to move to make a total of 5 teams, all within 4 points of the
lead. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Durham |
18 |
24 |
Suffolk |
15 |
22 |
Sunderland |
15 |
22 |
Cambridgeshire |
15 |
20 |
Norfolk |
15 |
20 |
Hertfordshire |
18 |
14 |
Bedfordshire |
18 |
11 |
Northumberland |
15 |
6 |
Essex |
15 |
5 |
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Session 7
Durham and Norfolk shared the points
in their game, Suffolk took 4 off Sunderland and Cambridgeshire
gained 5 points, all of which shuffled the order slightly but
still left the top 5 teams still covered by just 4 points, with
Durham still at the top, but having played one session more than
their nearest competitors. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Durham |
21 |
27 |
Suffolk |
18 |
26 |
Cambridgeshire |
18 |
25 |
Sunderland |
18 |
24 |
Norfolk |
18 |
23 |
Hertfordshire |
18 |
14 |
Bedfordshire |
21 |
12 |
Essex |
18 |
10 |
Northumberland |
18 |
7 |
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Session 8
Durham and Suffolk both took 6
points and stood within a point of one another. Five points for
Norfolk took them up to third as Sunderland and Cambridgeshire
could only manage 1 and 2 points respectively. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Durham |
24 |
33 |
Suffolk |
21 |
32 |
Norfolk |
21 |
28 |
Cambridgeshire |
21 |
27 |
Sunderland |
21 |
25 |
Hertfordshire |
21 |
14 |
Essex |
21 |
14 |
Bedfordshire |
21 |
12 |
Northumberland |
21 |
7 |
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Session 9
The final session of the day.
With Durham missing the final session, and Suffolk, Norfolk and
Cambridgeshire all within 6 points of them, they looked likely
to lose the top spot which they had held for the latter half
of the day.
And with Suffolk taking all 6 points off
Norfolk, they were the ones to take the overnight lead, heading
the standings for the first time. They finished on 38 points
and were now 5 clear of Durham and Cambridgeshire, who had also
finished the day with a 6 point haul.
Norfolk finished the day in 4th, 10 points
off the lead and 3 ahead of Sunderland who, after a strong start
to the day, only managed to muster 3 points from the final 3
sessions.
Hertfordshire had also tailed off after
a good start, they finished the day on 17 points, along with
Essex, who had started slowly, but had diligently hauled themselves
off the bottom with a decent afternoon. And 3 points behind those
two were Bedfordshire, with Northumberland a further three points
back. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
24 |
38 |
Cambridgeshire |
24 |
33 |
Durham |
24 |
33 |
Norfolk |
24 |
28 |
Sunderland |
24 |
25 |
Hertfordshire |
24 |
17 |
Essex |
24 |
17 |
Bedfordshire |
24 |
14 |
Northumberland |
24 |
11 |
|
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SUNDAY
Session 10
With Suffolk sitting out the first
session of the day, Durham full advantage of the opportunity
to move back up to the top. Cambridgeshire could only take 4
points, which left them in third, while a resurgent Essex won
all three games against Sunderland to move another notch up the
standings. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Durham |
27 |
39 |
Suffolk |
24 |
38 |
Cambridgeshire |
27 |
37 |
Norfolk |
27 |
30 |
Sunderland |
27 |
25 |
Essex |
27 |
23 |
Hertfordshire |
27 |
21 |
Bedfordshire |
27 |
14 |
Northumberland |
27 |
13 |
|
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Session 11
It was a crucial session for Suffolk
and Cambridgeshire as they faced one another, a decisive result
either way would greatly boost the chances of whichever side
came out on top. And it was decisive, for Suffolk, they won all
three games and with Durham taking just 2 wins, they were back
in the lead, while Cambridgeshire now fell back to 7 points behind
the leaders. Meanwhile Northumberland shared the points with
Sunderland to lift them off the bottom, at the expense of Bedfordshire. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
27 |
44 |
Durham |
30 |
43 |
Cambridgeshire |
30 |
37 |
Norfolk |
27 |
30 |
Sunderland |
30 |
28 |
Hertfordshire |
30 |
27 |
Essex |
30 |
25 |
Northumberland |
30 |
16 |
Bedfordshire |
30 |
14 |
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Session 12
Another 6 points for Suffolk, while
Durham and Cambridgeshire split the points in their games, meant
that Suffolk edged into a 4 point lead over Durham and were now
10 ahead of Cambridgeshire. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
30 |
50 |
Durham |
33 |
46 |
Cambridgeshire |
33 |
40 |
Norfolk |
30 |
33 |
Hertfordshire |
33 |
31 |
Sunderland |
33 |
30 |
Essex |
33 |
28 |
Northumberland |
30 |
16 |
Bedfordshire |
33 |
14 |
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Session 13
Suffolk picked up 4 points over
Hertfordshire and went one point further clear of Durham who
again shared the points, this time with Sunderland. The tussle
to be the best of the rest was between Norfolk, Essex, Hertfordshire
and Sunderland, who were covered by just 3 points. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
33 |
54 |
Durham |
36 |
49 |
Cambridgeshire |
33 |
40 |
Norfolk |
33 |
36 |
Essex |
36 |
34 |
Hertfordshire |
36 |
33 |
Sunderland |
36 |
33 |
Northumberland |
33 |
19 |
Bedfordshire |
36 |
14 |
|
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Session 14
Suffolk and Durham met one another
in a set of games that could have brought Durham back to the
top. However Suffolk took 4 points to extend their lead by another
2. Meanwhile Cambridgeshire took 6 to bring them closer to the
top. Four points for Norfolk mean that they were now safely in
fourth place. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
36 |
58 |
Durham |
39 |
51 |
Cambridgeshire |
36 |
46 |
Norfolk |
36 |
40 |
Hertfordshire |
39 |
35 |
Sunderland |
39 |
35 |
Essex |
36 |
34 |
Northumberland |
36 |
19 |
Bedfordshire |
39 |
18 |
|
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Session 15
While Durham took 5 points, Suffolk
went one better to extend their lead to 8 points. At the same
time Cambridgeshire could only manage to share the points with
Hertfordshire, which left them 7 points adrift of second, although
they still had games in hand.
That set of results meant that Suffolk
now needed only 5 more points to retain the title. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
39 |
64 |
Durham |
42 |
56 |
Cambridgeshire |
39 |
49 |
Norfolk |
39 |
44 |
Hertfordshire |
42 |
38 |
Sunderland |
39 |
35 |
Essex |
39 |
34 |
Northumberland |
39 |
20 |
Bedfordshire |
42 |
20 |
|
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Session 16
Suffolk picked up 4 of the 5 points
they needed, and with Durham only able to match them, the title
was secured for Suffolk, with 2 sessions still to go.
Cambridgeshire picked up the maximum six,
which drew them closer to second place, while Hertfordshire,
Sunderland and Essex were now covered by just a single point. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
42 |
68 |
Durham |
45 |
60 |
Cambridgeshire |
42 |
55 |
Norfolk |
42 |
46 |
Hertfordshire |
42 |
38 |
Sunderland |
42 |
37 |
Essex |
42 |
37 |
Northumberland |
42 |
23 |
Bedfordshire |
45 |
20 |
|
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Session 17
Suffolk took another 5 points,
while Durham's efforts to secure second spot took a severe dent
as they were only able to get 1 point against Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile Cambridgeshire's four points meant that they had been
handed a lifeline and would need just 3 more from the final session
which Durham would have to sit out. |
|
Pl |
Pts |
Suffolk |
45 |
73 |
Durham |
48 |
61 |
Cambridgeshire |
45 |
59 |
Norfolk |
45 |
50 |
Hertfordshire |
45 |
43 |
Sunderland |
45 |
39 |
Essex |
45 |
39 |
Northumberland |
45 |
24 |
Bedfordshire |
45 |
20 |
|
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Session 18
The final session of the weekend
matched up Northumberland and Bedfordshire in a pairing which
would decide 8th and 9th places. If Bedfordshire could take all
three games it would move them off the bottom at the expense
of Northumberland. And while they managed to win 2 of the 3 games,
it wasn't enough.
While the weekend had started well for
Sunderland, the latter half of Saturday and the whole of Sunday
had been a disappointment for them. They failed to add to their
tally in the final session and finished the weekend in 7th.
A bad start to the weekend for Essex had
seen them playing catch-up for a day and a half. Overnight they
had been neck and neck with Hertfordshire and the final session
saw them up against one another. Essex would need to win all
3 games to take fifth spot, but they didn't quite manage it.
Hertfordshire scrambled a single point which was enough to leave
the teams level on 44 points, and Hertfordshire took 5th by virtue
of having scored 8 shots more over the 2 days.
Norfolk couldn't add to their total in
the last session, but by then they were safely in 4th and could
neither be caught by those behind or catch the those ahead. Nevertheless
fourth was a good showing and their best since 2011.
For Durham it was a case of what might
have been. They were leading the way for a large portion of Saturday
and looked to have second place well in hand until a disastrous
final set of games. However they looked good for a top 3 finish
all weekend and it was their best result for many years.
Going into the final session Cambridgeshire
knew exactly what they needed to do to secure the runner-up spot.
Three points would do the job, but as it was they did even better,
winning all three of their games against Sunderland, to finish
second four points clear of Durham.
But the weekend belonged to Suffolk. Sitting
out the first session of each day meant that it was not until
the end of Saturday that they hit the front, after which they
only lost the lead for the first session on Sunday, which again
they did not play. From then on in they led the way, increasing
their lead with each successive session and finally finishing
14 points clear of their closest competitors and making them
the first team other than Cambridgeshire to successfully defend
the title.
You can download a copy of all the weekend's
results here. |
|
Pts |
Shots |
Suffolk |
79 |
523 |
Cambridgeshire |
65 |
424 |
Durham |
61 |
425 |
Norfolk |
50 |
364 |
Hertfordshire |
44 |
349 |
Essex |
44 |
341 |
Sunderland |
39 |
324 |
Northumberland |
26 |
324 |
Bedfordshire |
24 |
275 |
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