Monday 13 June 2016

Dauntless coming to Midway

Approaching the halfway point in the season, there's a lot to write home about:

Rocking Good Way

On a sunny Sunday afternoon Pip G lifted the Rockingham Mêlée trophy, pointing and shooting his way imperiously to a maximum five wins.
Meanwhile Tony, Daniel and Nigel progressed the search for more talent in a busy day at Oakham's Rutland Show

Cup Capers

June 6th and 7th were Cup nights. On the Monday in Leicestershire, Panthers
assuaged three whole years of hurt by edging out the Blaby Tigers, and Plough Inn 2
made it painful for Beacon 1. But Thurmaston 3 and Glenhills 1 disappointed with
2-3 home losses to Malt Shovel Old Boys and Queniborough Spartans respectively.
The next evening in Rutland saw thumping 5-0 knockout wins for Panthers (at home
to Greetham Vikings Traders) and for Rose & Crown, Houghton (away at White Lion)

League Duty

Panthers continue to make light work of it in Leicestershire's Division 2. It was more
suffering on Wednesday for Beacon 1 who went down 1-3. For Glenhills 1 the fairy
tale goes on ... a 4-0 derby drubbing of Glenhills 2 puts them top of Division 1 by one
point. But it was 'same old' for Plough Inn 2 who at least managed a leg at home to the
Baggies. And the slide continues for Thurmaston 3 who are now perched precariously
above the drop zone following a second 4-0 defeat in three, this time to Belper Arms 2
in what was virtually a complete reversal of last year's result between the two teams

It's still early days in the Thursday Pétanque League but Panthers are an astonishing four
points clear after clattering Red Lion Too. The highlight of the night, if not the week,
occurred when Sophie and Jon (2-4 down at the time) smoked a 5 and a 6 in
consecutive ends to see off a shell-shocked Hugh and Magster

Footnote: On 04 June 1942 USAF 'Dauntless' bombers diving out of a cloudy sky caught the Imperial Fleet off guard by means of intercepting enemy communications and a separate sacrificial decoy low level torpedo bomber attack. In an episode almost as brief and arguably more significant in world history than Muhammad Ali's Rumble in the Jungle, three US carriers launched against their four Japanese counterparts, destroying them all for the loss of one of their own ... "He's one of our own, He's Pip Strawb'ry Gilman, He's one of our own!"

Saturday 4 June 2016

Tough at the Top

Panthers negotiated a crucial week of fixtures with home draws against Thurmaston 3 in the Leicestershire League (18 May) and Mansfield Titchfield Snappers in the Thursday Pairs (19 May) ... and a 4-0 trouncing of the Fox & Hounds Originals at 'The Boot' (24 May)

Marching on with a comfortable Wednesday night 3-1 win at home to Belper Arms 1 (25 May) and a summary dismissal of Nottingham City Rat Pack in the Thursday Petanque Cup (26 May), Panthers came a cropper at the Dog & Gun (Tuesday 31 May) with a disappointing 1-3 defeat

This Wednesday's crunch game at Queniborough Spartans was postponed to 22 June and
yesterday's (02 June) visit to NCPC 1 resulted in a 3-1 win for the Loughborough Panthers

In all three league tables Panthers are top - by a reduced margin of three points in the Rutland Premier Division, by a single point but with a match in hand in the Leicestershire League's
Division 2, and by two points in the Thursday League Division 1 from Air Hostess 5 - who
have emerged as our main rivals and the only other unbeaten team after Round 6

In other news ...
Rose & Crown, Houghton's promotion bid in Rutland's Division 1 has suffered a setback
with two heavy defeats and only five points from their last four outings - but with
11 matches to go the four point gap to the top is far from insurmountable

It's not been a good time either for Thurmaston 3 in Leicestershire's Division 2
where a 0-4 capitulation at home to the Spartans on match day five
saw them slide to 7th place, albeit with a match in hand

Meanwhile the LPA top flight has become very competitive with only Plough Inn 2 adrift
on five points from their first six games. Glenhills 1 remain among the front runners
in spite of losing at home with a weakened team on match day five

Next up a busy week with Cup fixtures on Monday and Tuesday
and the usual League programme on Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday 18 May 2016

May Update

Saturday 14 May 2016

While You Were Working

On Tuesday Nigel warmed up for the evening league match by nipping down the M69 on
another raid in the Heart of England Region, coming home with the
Coventry Open Over 60s Doubles Shield

Play Misty For Me

On a dreich night the intermittent smirr and casual water
was more reminiscent of Autumn in a Scottish glen than Spring in Rutland.
The 4-0 (52-19) result looks like a routine drubbing of the Batchelors, a
poignant shadow of the team which stormed Division 1 in 2011 and finished 2013 only
four points behind the Premier Division champions - halcyon days we thought would never end.
But brothers Paul and John who remain, marshalled some stubborn resistance
and the Collyweston outfit were unlucky not to come away with something from the match.
Highlight of the evening was arguably a two-boule-takeout-and-carreau from the
triple managed rigorously by the tall one. With the Fox & Hounds Originals taking three
legs at Old Black Horse, the Panthers have a two point cushion at the top after matchday four

Top Cats

Settling nicely into Division 2 in the Leicestershire League, Panthers maintained their 100% record
with their first 4-0 of this season in an away match at Belper Arms 2. With Queniborough
Spartans dropping legs at home to Belper Arms 3, and the Thurmaston 3
match postponed, Panthers go three points clear
Meanwhile in the top flight Glenhills 1 are 'doing a Leicester' : with a 4-0 (52-29) demolition of Three Crowns 1, Georgio Ranieri Tate's happy band are the improbable League leaders
by two points. Plough Inn 2 begin a recovery job, after a painful start to
the season, with a creditable 2-2 draw at Axe & Scratch

Escape To Victory

On Thursday evening the Loughborough Panthers
went head to head with the surprise early leaders, Air Hostess 6.
After a slow start and some attritional play the Tollerton team succumbed
13-7 in both legs. In the second round Panthers made rapid progress against a disheartened opposition. But, no sooner had Dave and Mick closed out their game, than the
enemy rallied to 12-12 against Sophie and John ... who held on to secure
a first 4-0 of the season and top spot in the table by three points

That Was The Week That Was ...

... a good week, then, for Panthers in the Leagues : all twelve legs won and top in all three tables

Friday 6 May 2016

Hot Streak

May Day Monday Magic

Mick, Daniel, Tim, Nigel, John and Sophie all contributed to a convincing 24-16 win for Leicestershire at Wetherby against Yorkshire. A downpour forced an early lunch but did nothing to halt the Foxes' march to victory on what turned into a remarkable day, with Leicester's Mark Selby winning the world snooker title for a second time, 13 minutes after Leicester City FC were crowned Premier League champions

Forwards Sent Back

On Tuesday in Rutlands' Greene King Cup the ORFC Forwards
came to try their luck in the Boot & Shoe cauldron. The Panthers bagged
the two triples games comfortably and Tony and Daniel closed out the tie in
double quick time in their pairs game. Pip and Nigel won comfortably but Tim and
John decided to coach their opposition - a project they accomplished rather too successfully
In the draw for the Round of 16
Panthers get a chance to avenge the Rose & Crown
with the visit of Greetham Viking Traders on the 7th of June. On the
same day the Houghton outfit begin their Plate campaign at the White Lion at Whissendine

Warming Up

Wednesday evening put the "summer" back in the Leicestershire Summer League. Panthers at home trounced the Malt Shovel Old Boys by 48 points to 15, somehow managing to drop a leg but nevertheless going top of Division 2 on points difference from Thurmaston 3 after two matches.
Meanwhile in Division 1 four matches were drawn, opening the door to Glenhills 1 to go top with a second 3-1 win, this time at Plough Inn 2. This clash included a couple of carreaux for a 6 in one end ... but the names of the players involved have been redacted from the official match report

Red Lion Tree Axed

A third 3-1 win in the Thursday Pairs sees Panthers close the gap on early
leaders Air Hostess 6 to one point. In the first set of doubles Rich and Nigel achieved a
'technical fanny' with successively a 3, a 4 and a 6 to win 13-3 while Dave and John won more conventionally 13-8. But the Panthers were once more up against it in round two. Dave and John suffered again on the 'graveyard' side of the piste while Rich and Nigel pulled off a Panthers' trademark comeback from 8-12 down to pinch a win. MVP on the night was Rich whose
pointing under pressure kept the Loughborough Panthers' 100% record in tact

Friday 29 April 2016

Weather Woes Notwithstanding

Panthers Tame the Red Lion

Wednesday 27 April was another cold evening but Panthers opened their Leicestershire Summer League account with a 3-1 win at Redcaps 1 in their first ever Division 2 fixture. Thurmaston 3 will need to be watched after their impressive 4-0 beating of Belper Arms 1
Meanwhile in Division 1 Plough Inn 2 went down heavily at Glenhills 2 but Glenhills 1 launched their first ever top flight campaign with a 3-1 drubbing of last year's champions, Keyham 1

Points Make Prizes

Thursday evening saw rain added to the climatic inclemency but this did not prevent another 3-1 win for the Loughbough Panthers, this time at Three Crowns, Hathern. Sophie starred with a supreme pointing performance. Panthers are now second in the Thursday Pétanque table with the fancied Mansfield Titchfield Snappers and Air Hostess 5 both failing to repeat matchday 1 wins

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Roving in Rutland

Cold Comfort

On a very chilly Tuesday evening in the wilds of Leicestershire, beyond the 'Bermuda Triangle' that is Melton Mowbray, there was a warm welcome from the Sewstern Hounds at the Community Centre, their new venue across the road from the Blue Hounds pub. Lacking somewhat in preparation, Panthers eked out a 2-2 draw with two convincing wins and two narrow defeats. Star player on the night was Pip, who managed to 'take all six' on four consecutive ends
Panthers stay top of the Premier Division on 'goal difference'

Destruction Derby

Meanwhile in their home fixture at Houghton the Rose & Crown defeated local rivals
Old Black Horse A by 3 - 1 and are now joint leaders in Division 1 after three matches