Beds close in on Yarmouth

After six out of 10 matches, they are now within one win of qualifying for the National Intercounty championships in Yarmouth.

Despite Bedford duo David O’Brien (holiday) and Fintan McCann (broken hand), Beds produced a fantastic comeback to draw 22-22 with Suffolk.

New player, Callum Flecknell (Luton) made a great debut winning two out of four, but it was reigning champions Suffolk who raced into an early 7-4. Beds won the next set to level the scores at 11-1 at the halfway stage. Suffolk then took the next six frames to open up a 17–11 lead, but Beds battled back from the brink. The turnaround started when man of the match Josh Riddaway (Greenfield) potted from the break and proceeded to clear up.

Suffolk led 22-18 with four frames to play, but Riddaway, along with Tom Church (Wilden) , M-Jaye Waller (Luton) and Chris Wells (Luton) nailed their frames to level at 22-22, with all four players winning three from 4 frames on the day. A win in September at Cambridge will now guarantee Beds second place and Yarmouth qualification, while the race for the title down to a two-way fight between Beds and Norfolk. Others members of the team were James Molloy (Dunstable), Taylor Hart (Luton), Jake Baldwin (Houghton Regis), Cody Becket (Bedford), Jack Moriera (Luton), Adam Toms (Brogborough) and Joel Riddaway (Greenfield).

Meanwhile, the previous weekend saw the completion of the 2011 Bedfordshire Youth Grand Prix.

Church pipped Riddaway to the title, improving on his second place in 2010, with Molloy third. Up to eight players from the event will now go on to complete in the regional grand prix, with the qualifiers from their going on the to the national finals in September.

Results

Mens A Teams Division: Bedfordshire 26 Suffolk 18.

Mens B Teams Division: Bedfordshire 24 Suffolk 20.

Ladies Teams Division: Bedfordshire 18 Suffolk 26.

Youth Teams Division: Bedf