First County Match

The first county match for us on the Oxfordshire ladies B team against West Berkshire was last Sunday. Which, incidentally, was one of the hottest days of the year so far.

I turned up an hour early to practice and get used to the tables. The try-outs for the womens' national darts was being played there that day too, so I felt like there was a competition atmosphere.

The Berkshire ladies arrived on time with their sparkly font printed tops. The county shirts for the new girls, including me, hadn't arrived yet so we wore our varsity tops, which are basically the same; dark blue polo shirt with an emblem on the left front and a nick-name on the back. I can't say wearing my suit trousers was the most comfortable for playing in or the little black slipper shoes, but one has to wear a uniform or one gets told they can't play.

It was SO hot in the club. There was minimal air conditioning but amazingly it was a degree cooler in there than outside. There was one table, which I played on once and ref'd on once where there was a nice cool breeze. It was also the table where I bottled my last ball by not doing a snazzy 'around the table' shot and went for the pot and rattled it in the jaw leaving my opponent on the black.

The format of the competition was a little unfamiliar. We only got to play single frames. I am so used to playing 'best of 3' or 'best of 5', it seemed a little unfair to just be playing one frame.

Even so, we gave West Berkshire a challenge and they rose to it and beat us fair and square.

Next up we had to play Oxfordshire A girls.

The Berkshire ladies went on their way to get some sunshine and enjoy the rest of their Sunday. We, however, had to stay and play another round of single frames.

I wan't expecting to have much of a chance against the A team, I mean, who would? B.A. Baracus or Face weren't in the team, but still, the name enough is intimidating.

But we all seemed to pull out the stops and along with a few shouts screams and ululating sounds from me we pulled through and won, 12-9, I think. I was lucky enough to play 3 frames along with one other and won all three, so my stats for the beginning of the season are looking reasonable so far.

I find that I have to play lots of frames before I really get comfortable at the table and it must be true for a lot of players. The A team weren't playing before they played us. They were watching us get beaten by West Berkshire.

I don't know when the next county match fixture is for. I am not sure I will be able to make it what with my various trips abroad I have planned.

Practice hasn't been as regular since the University team has finished the season.

Last Monday we had the semi-finals of our Monday night league team. I played absolutely abysmally. Conny was the only one who won her match, so that's Monday night pool finished with for now, BUT summer league is just starting and John has got together a Thursday night league team.

This Sunday, today, there is a charity/memorial tournament at the Crown House. Emma Penny-Larter organised this for her nephew who died 5 years ago. It's an annual event, but thinks that this will be the last one. I forget which charity it's raising money for but it should be a good day of pool for everyone and a good atmosphere and a chance to support Emma and her family. It starts at 1pm and will go on to the evening. It's a Bank Holiday this weekend, but I will be back at work tomorrow, so I hope these aren't the famous last words... " I won't be drinking/getting drunk".

Wish me luck.

Crown House Saturday 'just for fun' tournament

6am on a Sunday morning is NOT the time to be going to bed when you've got a lot of worked planned.

I wasted my Sunday recovering after the pool tournament that Emma organised at the Crown House.

38 people played (maximum entry) and everyone paid a £5 entrance fee.

£100 the winner and £50 the runner up (3rd and 4th get their entrance fee back).

I didn't get past the first round.

Nicki, Me and another woman were the only female entrants, a bit sad considering I know a lot more women play. None of us got past the first round either. And fate would have it but her and John were randomly picked to play against each other.

I won the second frame of five but lost the next two. I lost to 20yr old Billy. His friend, Dave, lost to short/hairy Tom. Dave was doing VERY well and lost a very close frame to Tom and was put out of the tournament.

Tom ended up in the final against Matty Challenor who won.

Benny Wenny-woo and John Kinsey both had to play against each other in the semi-final. Ben whooped John's ass, but don't feel too sorry for him, John got the £250 jackpot on the fruit machine!

Revelry ensued through and past the tournament.

I think it was a successful night and Emma did a fantastic job, but next time EMMA HAS TO BE PLAYING!

Looking forward to the next one.

Jojo

Varsity in Cambridge 2010

Another year another varsity Cambridge vs Oxford tournament. And it is Cambridge versus Oxford, they haven't beaten us for 12 years, but this year was the closest closing score for a while.

Each frame counts in this contest. There are 12 players on each team and each player gets to randomly play another in three frames.

Then, everyone plays three frames in a doubles tournament. There are a total of 54 points up for grabs. the final score was 22-32 to Oxford. ( think John mentioned 42 was the record)

Highlights of the day include...

Me saying, "you're supposed to pot the black at the end of the frame", to Rosie who I thought potted the black but it turned out it was a Cambridge girl... whps! I apologised, of course.

Me saying, "I didn't foul, I'm not a cheat", to a local drinker who thought it OK to look on and comment on EVERYTHING and give his wisdom to the girls on both sides.

Samiha and Laura both got 3-0 in their singles play-offs... the only two girls who did. Well done!

Ally saying, "excuse me, hello?" to her opponent who was on the phone for most of their game time, very unprofessional, Ally handled the situation with grace.

None of the Oxford girls in the singles or doubles got a zero against their name, but we should have given Cambridge more zeros. I know I was taken by surprise from a seemingly scrappy player, but then she pulled something out of her bag of tricks and managed to clear up when I thought I'd gotten ahead. I was feeling more than a little shocked and angry at myself and didn't let the next two games go the same way. I think a few other girls were taken by surprise in this way too. It just goes to show that experience is paramount.

I'm feeling garlicy today from the Indian meal we had back in Oxford last night. We, who were left, all managed to get back for 21:45hrs and get sitting in the restaurant by 22:15hrs.

Things that were decided in conclusion from the days' experience (by me at least)...

1. Cambridge girls a a touch two-faced and sneaky when concerning rules; they say they don't understand and then do a foul and say "is it?".

2. John is not required; "John, can you please go, I can't play when you're watching". Poor John.

3. Conny will always forget something

4. Mary can bake - she brought Oreo-bottomed cupcakes that were amazing and Conny didn't have the foresight to eat one as soon as they came out.

5. John likes cupcakes.... up his nose, really.

4. Beer is always required

5. Jojo and Louise are going to write a sitcom

6. Louisa is 'REALLY SCARY' to Cambridge.

7. Samiha kicks ass and played the best - she is the one to watch.

8. Sasha is an excellent doubles partner and can sink a black under pressure.

9. Jo is one half of Jojo... "How Welsh are you and what's your Dad's name?"

10. Rosie, who didn't sink the black before the end of the frame.

11. Laura drives a BMW and used to be a pig. oink.

12. Sam is one half of Jeebles!

13. I'm scraping the bottom here....

14. Girls take FOREVER TO PLAY and we should time the games next year.

15. Oxford RULE!

I have to get on with some work.

Working hard

Mondays.Probably the toughest day of the week.

Especially tough this week because of the four days of revelry prior to this particular Monday, it being my birthday an' all and celebrating with the usual 'drinkys'.

So a new term and new resolutions have really started well; "no drinking mid-week and work really hard at the lab by getting in as early as possible", haven't really sunk in to my psyche just yet. Still I'm not one to throw in the towel at the first hurdle. If I were that way inclined I would have given up pool long ago.

As it happens, tonight us Monday night league players; Me, Jo, Conny, John and Emily played against Ben and co. beating them in the cup match (I think it was a cup match, fuck knows, I just get told to play and play when I'm told). We won. I beat Ben, John beat his opponent and Conny did too, Emily didn't need to play but it was just as well as her opponent, our very own Adam Brown, didn't even turn up... too scared!

We were supposed to have the match at our home pub, The White House, but seeing as our players were already at the Crown House we stayed and played there. I continued to play and play and play and play until I realised that I would hate myself so much the next morning for not going to bed ages ago. And, that's why I'm still writing this blog now. DOH!

Thanks Ash Fletcher for playing against me for hours this evening and letting me beat you a few frames. 10/10.

Playing pool for a cinema ticket.

First social practice for the County Girls team.

I turned up 5 mins early and no one was there yet. I wasn't in the best of moods, just feeling the pressure of a new term looming not to mention that I'd just tried to get my head around the excel spread sheet for the Oxford University Women's Pool Team finances that I haven't been doing since I was made treasurer. Anyway, about 10 of us turned up for the social practice and it wasn't long before Nicki came around asking who wanted to join in on a little knock-out tournament for a £1 entry fee.

Eight of us played in the tournament after we'd all had a good hour of knocking balls around practising against each other. I was pulled out of the draw against Carrie, it was unfortunate that she potted the black right near the end of the game before it was due to go down, and then I won the next frame, so our 'best of three' was done before anyone else was finished. I then went into the next round against Katie and won, and then again against Sarah to win the £8 pot. It's a shame we all couldn't play everyone, but we would have been there until midnight. It's just the luck of the draw and the luck of the day, but a nice start for me.

I decided to spend my money at the cinema and see The Blindsight. It was a good film for a Sunday night, setting me up for a long week at work.

Jo and I couldn't decide if there was a match on tomorrow night for the Monday league. No-one has heard form Conny. Is she even back from Dominica yet? Is she too relaxed in her Caribbean styleee?

watch this space.

Monday Night is FIGHT night! Well, it was.

"You're fit you're fit but ya dan't na what a do wiv it!"

Happy memories from last week's match against the Ampleforth pub in Headington as poor Laura was trying to take her shot in the first frames of the evening. The rest of the team just sat there wondering if the guy was playing some psyche-out tactical manoeuvre for when he played one of us later.

I was up next, but not against the chuffing chanter. After I lost a close first frame half way into the second the chanter came back and started on my opponent who ended up having a fisty-cuffs with him right there in front of the table. A hat went flying over the table, a few balls shifted position on the table as bodies were wrestling around it (*add your own double-entendre).

The fight was eventually taken outside and our team looked bemused but making jokes about whether the ruckus meant 'loss of frame'. It wasn't long before my opponent returned unscathed but perhaps a little flustered. He politely gave me the frame, apologised for the fight (the guys was just a random and nothing to do with their pool team) and we played a decider. I played well but not perfectly and was impressed that my opponent cleared his balls away so well under the circumstances. Obviously fighting during play doesn't ruffle him that much. Perhaps it was the Jaeger-bombs him and his team were doing before-hand that calmed his nerves. I congratulated him and bought him a well-deserved pint of lager.

So, we ended up losing 3-2 last week, not a shameful loss against a team who were drunk and in fights.

The return fight, sorry, MATCH was this evening at the White House in Oxford. I was drenched on my bike on the way over from Cowley Road, it decided to pour down with rain on my way over. I was soaked and so was my cue, so I had to use Jo's. I asked to play first so I could go home early. I won 2-0.

Next up was Hazel, who played very well, but against their best and very good player, she lost 2-0.

Next up was John-boy Kinsey-man, he put in his usual glittering talent and won 2-0.

Emily used-to-be-blonde Middleton was up next and wowed the crowd with her shots against a whacking-the-ball opponent who was SO jammy snookering Emily all the time, but she got out of them and rightly won 2-0.

So, no pressure for Jo, as we'd already won, but we still need points... Jo put in an amazing few frames against the sparing partner I played against last week, another 2-0 for the team. Jo played exceptionally well, especially when John said some magic words which seemed to rile her up good. Jo was a great challllenger to play tonight.

No, I didn't go home early in the end.

Thank you, team, for a fun night tonight.

Thanks, Conny, for loving the Blog so far and for everyone else who's been reading it and enjoying it.

Can anyone write to me about what's gonna happen on the condiment-pool night on Wednesday 'coz I'm gonna miss it!?

First county players meeting/social.

I really didn't know what to expect today other than administration stuff being sorted, paying for t-shirts and hoodies and finding out when are matches are. I didn't expect the pool hall to be filled with county players already drinking the ciders and beers at 11am (it was really 10am 'coz the clocks went forward last night), I thought that I was just meeting with the other girls in the team and having a knock around for a couple of hours but the men were there too and the youths, the place was busy.

After my coffee had been spilled over me and my trousers and pool case it was announced that everyone was going to be randomly put into teams of one girl, one youth, one senior and one men's player to play in a tournament. Amazingly, John and I were put in the same team. John did not look overjoyed when I saw him at the bar grimacing and put his head down into his hands. We spend enough time together with him coaching the girls Uni club AND we play Monday night league too, but I was happy to get the chance to annoy him. The rest of the our team was made up of 11 year old Elliot and seniors player Steffan. We didn't play so well and lost a few sets, but somehow, many of the teams weren't doing so well either averaging just a total of 10 points. we scraped into the semis and then found ourselves suddenly in the final playing against V's team who had beaten us 4-1 earlier.

Young Elliot was first to play. By this time most of the county players had gone home, it was 6.30pm-ish and everyone was feeling tired. Kenny, Elliot's opponent, cleared most of his balls away from the table in his first visit so putting the pressure onto Elliot. Elliot played some awesome safety and tactical shots and held in there until he played some beautiful shots to win the game.

Next up was Steffan against V. It was a tense game and there were some tense pressure shots from both sides, but Steffan 'held his own' and won the frame.

John was the third to play. He was a touch scrappy, but I think the sleepless nights were adding the weight on his shoulders because his 'touch' was a bit off. Dave, his opponent put up a good fight but it just wasn't enough for him to beat John. At one point I thought I was going to have to play after John, but thankfully, no. He went on to win and we won the tournament. Incredible, but true.

I'm looking forward to our home match tomorrow night for the Monday night pub league. I'm wondering if I should start drinking Jaegermeisters from when I go to the Crown to practice before hand or wait 'til I get to the White House pub. Either way, I'm ready for a fight.

Next county match in May.