Jesters A settle into top spot
A SETTLED side proved to be the winning formula as Swindon Jesters A stormed to the top of the Cuestars Section Team Challenge rankings.
Taking advantage of home tables, the defending champions defeated Trowbridge A 4-3 in the final of event five.
Jesters A have replaced long-time leaders Eastleigh A following back-to-back tournament victories.
They kept the same side that won at Basingstoke, in January, while Trowbridge A made two changes, bringing in Andrew Mayell and Jake White to replace Simon Closman and Andrew Dyer.
Liam O’Shea, Sam Jefferson, Sam Hillier and Sam Weekes chalked up a rare 6-0 whitewash over Basingstoke A in the quarter-finals.
And for the second successive tournament they beat Eastleigh A in the last four.
Eastleigh A dropped one place to second and Trowbridge A one place to third.
Just eight points separate the top three with three to play. The tour heads to Chandler’s Ford on March 15, Eastleigh on April 26 and Westbury on May 31.
Basingstoke A, Plate finalists in January, went one better in Swindon. They beat Reading 5-1 in the final.
RESULTS:
LAST 16 (five points): Stoke Bandits bt Reading 4-2, Trowbridge A bt Jesters B 4-2.
QUARTER-FINALS (eight points): Jesters A bt Basingstoke A 6-0, Eastleigh A bt Jesters C 4-2, Eastleigh B bt Jesters D 4-2, Trowbridge A bt Stoke Bandits 4-2.
SEMI-FINALS (12 points): Jesters A bt Eastleigh A 4-2, Trowbridge A bt Eastleigh B 4-2.
FINAL (25/18 points): Jesters A bt Trowbridge A 4-3
PLATE:
QUARTER-FINALS: Basingstoke A bt Jesters C 4-1.
SEMI-FINALS (one point): Basingstoke A bt Jesters D 4-2, Reading bt Jesters B 4-3.
FINAL (five/three points): Basingstoke A bt Reading 5-1.
TEAMS:
Eastleigh Liam Burnet, Lee Roling, Dan Bentley and Lee Bell.
Eastleigh Matt Geer, James Thomas, Rob Henley and Bradley Hatch.
Liam O’Shea, Sam Jefferson, Sam Hillier and Sam Weekes.
Jesters B: Derrick Volante, Josh Lee, Connor Probets and Joe Moon.
Jesters C: Jodie Symes, Oliver Parsons, Jamie Perry and Cameron Russell.
Jesters D: Daniel Hall, Matthew Bellinger, A Gregory, D Ronan.
Stoke Bandits: Nathan Farmer, Joseph Elshaw, Mark Lloyd and Edward Hall.
Trowbridge A: Daniel Tallentire, Jake White, Daniel Winfield and Andrew Mayell.
Basingstoke Martin Hill, Nicholas Bone, Gary Bagshaw, and Jack Dady.
Reading: Dean Matthews, Nat Day, Mason Sawyer and Shane Sheehan.