Posted by Sunday, April 14th
Cobbetts Open Doubles 2024
There was an excellent entry of 36 teams for the Cobbetts Open Doubles at Burridge on Sunday, April 14th. Unfortunately, one team had to drop out on the morning of the competition, due to illness, leaving us with a bye.
There were leagues in the morning with the nine league winners and the next best 7 teams progressing to the main competition. Top team with 3 wins +32 were Dave Stubbs & Rich Greeves from the home club. Close behind were Steve & Karen Lombard on +31 and Dave Plumhoff & Tony Kidd on +29. Other league winners were Marc Franco Llado & Callum Lombard +22, Phil Bradshaw & Lesley Eastlake +21, David Franco Cruz & Matthew Butcher +20, Dave Lucas & Alex Hepburn also +20, Lee & Diane Redfern +11 and Angela Brooks & Martin Gordon 2 wins +13. Other teams on 2 wins making it through to the main competition were Sammy Ogles & Kaylee Thatcher +20, Stuart Brown & Neil Ryder +14, Carrie Litchfield & Jant Dalton +11, Leo Black & James Ellis +10, Dave Kilshaw & Graham Blake +7, Paul & Sheila Hayward +4 and Dave & Margaret Baxter +1. Missing out, on +1 but with fewer points for, were Bernie Miles and Peter Dawson.
There were some very tough contests in the afternoon knockouts with several of the favourites knocked out by the quarter finals. Top seeds from the morning, Dave & Rich, cruised through the first round 13-0 but then fell to clubmates Lee & Diane in the last 16, Dave P & Tony were beaten by another home pairing of Dave K and Graham B who then defeated David, playing with Muscliff junior Matthew, in the quarter-finals. By this stage, Graham & Dave K were almost unstoppable and they swept aside Steve and Karen in the semi-final. Phil & Lesley went out to Marc & Callum who then reached the final with a semi-final win over Lee & Diane.
In an excellent final, Dave & Graham, took an early lead against Marc & Callum only to be pegged back. The lead changed hands several times before the Cobbetts’ team eventually sealed a well-deserved victory.
In the Main Consolage, Dave P & Tony beat Sammy & Kaylee in one semi-final while in the other, David & Margaret Baxter from Gravesend, in their first visit to Burridge, lost out to Leo & James. Dave & Tony beat Leo & James in the final.
Three of the four teams in the Plate semi-finals were from Cobbetts. Bernie & Peter (in his first competition) were defeated by the Bordon pair of Frank Charlesworth & Christine Peat. Mark Robertshaw & Hassi Leverett were defeated by clubmates Jim Bardell & Steve Brickell, who went on to win the final 13-3.
Paul Myers and Roger Greenhalgh from Crondall were winners of the Plate Consolage and, with Marie Helene Lopez and John Guppy runners-up, it was great to see a team from ABC in the prizes, Hopefully, their club will soon have a new home in Petworth and will be back playing in the league again.
There were 3 players in the Wooden Spoon league and Kevin Williams and Erica Dixon- Gough from Parley won both their games to take home the spoons.
A huge thank you to Chris Barron for his morning bacon rolls and lunchtime burgers, hot dogs and soup. Also a big thank you to all the other helpers with the food and the raffle, the providers of cake and raffle prizes and those who helped with the general organisation of the day.
| Main | Winners | Graham Blake and Dave Kilshaw (Cobbetts) |
| Runners-up | Marc Franco Llado and Callum Lombard (River Hamble) | |
| Semi-finals | Lee Redfern and Diane Redfern (Cobbetts) | |
| Steve Lombard and Karen Lombard (River Hamble) | ||
| Quarter-finals | Dave Stubbs and Richard Greeves (Cobbetts) | |
| David Franco Cruz (River Hamble) and Matthew Butcher (Muscliff) | ||
| Phil Bradshaw and Lesley Eastlake (Bath) | ||
| Alex Hepburn (Parley) and Dave Lucas (Independent) | ||
| Main Consolage | Winners | Tony Kidd (Handcross) and Dave Plumhoff (Kent) |
| Runners-up | James Ellis (Bordon) and Leo Black (Independent) | |
| Semi-Finals | David Baxter and Margaret Baxter (Gravesend) | |
| Sammy Ogles and Kaylee Thatcher (River Hamble) | ||
| Plate | Winners | Jim Bardell and Steve Brickell (Cobbetts) |
| Runners-up | Frank Charlesworth and Christine Peat (Bordon) | |
| Semi-finalists | Hassi Leverett and Mark Robertshaw (Cobbetts) | |
| Bernie Miles and Peter Dawson (Cobbetts) | ||
| Plate Consolage | Winners | Paul Myers and Roger Greenhalgh (Crondall) |
| Runners-up | Marie Helene Lopez and John Guppy (ABC) | |
| Wooden Spoon | Winners | Kevin Williams and Erica Dixon-Gough (Parley) |
