FIRST a big thank you to Roy Watkins and his team from Ystrad Mynach without whom there would not have been a tournament. With a low entry into the tournament it was agreed to play a friendly team event, which took part during the mammoth session of the mixed doubles which actually took over 5 hours to complete with 8 of the 15 matches going to 3 ends and 6 games being decided on setting. What a Mixed Doubles that was. Ladies Doubles started the tournament but unfortunately the tournament lost a pair from Cheshire through illness. This was a truncated event but even so the passion and commitment shown by all was exemplary. The final was the 1st of the 3 setters when Sian Elvis & Carol Davey overcame Jo Mac & Helen Williams 21/19, 16/21, 21/18.
Running alongside the Ladies Doubles was the Men’s Doubles in which all pairs gave it their all, their commitment gave us a group that had 3 matches going to 3 ends with 2 games being decided on setting. The winners were Carl Golding & Steve Keen with the runners-up being Jeff Reynolds & Alex Dalton. 3rd was Chris Egan (Conwy) & Dave Markey (North East Wales) who took both the winners and the runners-up to 3 ends, 4th was Roy Watkins & Steve Ellaway who also took the winners to 3 ends.
Now it was the turn of the Mixed Doubles which was ‘scheduled’ to end at 1pm to start the team event, but actually finished at 4.30pm. From group 1, that had 4 out of their 6 matches going to 3 ends, and into the semi-finals went Jeff Reynolds & Sian Elvis and Steve Ellaway & Sandra Lovell, the pairs won 2 games each with the position of 1 / 2 being decided on points difference. 3rd was Steve Keen & Jo Mac with 2 of their games going to 3 ends, 4th was Gavin McStay & Amie Tsang (Cheshire) who also played 2 games to 3 ends, position 3 / 4 also being decided on points difference.
This then gave a marathon semi-final stage with both pairs delving deep into their energy reserves. The 1st semi-final was between Jeff Reynolds & Sian Elvis who beat Roy Watkins & Carol Davey 26/24, 18/21, 25/23 what a score, what a game to win but also what a game to lose. Both pairs were gracious in their win and their defeat to one another. The 2nd semi-final was not the torrid match of the 1st semi-final but was still a ‘humdinger’ going to 3 ends. Steve Ellaway & Sandra Lovell overcame losing the 1st game to take the match 21/18 in the last game against Chris Egan & Sue Edwards (Conwy). This then gave us a final, unfortunately it looked like on game too may for one pair as Jeff Reynolds & Sian Elvis took the gold award.
Thanks must go to all players in the tournament and to the players who played in the friendly games, you all played in a manner that makes the secretaries like me want to do it again.
Thank you to Roy Watkins for bringing your team to Conwy.
Thanks to Rob Jones and Dave Markey in trying to encourage players in North East Wales.
The Great Orme Tournament Series entry forms will be issued soon to give you all enough time to plan your programme of events.
Thank you all again for making the day a success in the way it was played.
Regards
Joe