Slattery Scottish Open (51)
11-12 March 2000
East Kilbride, Scotland
By Michael Crane
Disappointment! Last year with an entry of just 29 the disappointment on sponsor John Slattery's face was clearly visible, so, with an amazing increase to fifty-one this year I was expecting a broad, beaming smile to split his face in two - but, imagine my horror to see once again one of disappointment! Why? It was all to do with the prizes - according to John they looked like rejected wedding presents!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not recycling my old, unwanted wedding gifts, it’s just that the glassware provided this year lacked the engraving of previous years (technical problems with the sand blasting machine) and so, to compensate I got some nice patterned crystal instead. John was not happy; but, that aside the tournament went well.
And what a turnout? After last years entry of just 28 we almost doubled it this time with an entry of fifty-one. It seems the Scots are interested in keeping their annual tournament alive and have managed to ensure there will be a fourth one next year. We even had eight new Scottish members join, so there is new blood out there and it's leeching it's way into Biba.
Friday K/O (29): As if an entry of 51 wasn't enough, the 5-point Friday knockout had a great entry of 29 players, beating the Main of 1999! It all went very well and in the semi-finals Al Hogg beat Paul Barwick and Raj Jansari beat Paul Watts. They decided to split the prize money and Al took the weekend break and free entry into the £1000 pool (will he be the first to take advantage of it? Read on and find out!), with Raj taking the money.
Doubles (11 pairs): As usual a few funny names, 'Magnetic Knee Pads' (they don't work - don't buy any if offered to you), 'Lung Fu Pao' (very Oriental), 'Pancho', 'Socks & Gloves' and 'The Perves'. After the semis in which 'The Perves' beat 'Shooting Hitters', and 'Battersea Dogs' beat 'Lung Fu Pao' it was decided to split the prize money and play a 1-pointer to decide the winners. Hitting a blot on the 'Dogs' 4-point during the bearoff, 'The Perves' turned defeat into victory and went to bed feeling happy - 'though I'm not too sure what Happy thought of that!
Main (51): The Scots were better represented than last year but they only got one into the last eight, new-member, John O'Neil. Unfortunately he lost to another John, John Hurst. It was strange but in the last 8 we had four Johns in the bottom half of the draw. Of the remaining last eight, Jeff Barber beat Dave McNamara; Lawrence Powell beat Ed Rogers; and John Broomfield beat John Wright. In the semis Lawrence beat Jeff and John (Hurst) beat John (Broomfield), leaving the final between Lawrence Powell and John Hurst.
The final, watched by several players - which made a change as often by this time of the day a lot of players have finished and gone home - went one way then the next and for a time neither player had an advantage. It was a fairly even contest, Lawrence took an early lead to 3-1 after four games, then the score was just one point apart up until it reached 5-6 to John after which Lawrence took over and led 9-6.
John pulled it back to 9-7 and then 9-9 which became DMP (Double Match Point) after an early cube from Lawrence. This game swung back and forth and eventually went to Lawrence making him the 3rd Scottish Champion - and a qualifier for the December UK Finals.
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- Michael Crane
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