Wednesday 18 May 2016
Saturday 14 May 2016
While You Were Working
On Tuesday Nigel warmed up for the evening league match by nipping down the M69 onanother 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
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% recordwith 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
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 championsForwards 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