Seeding proves its worth

AT THE end of the first Guernsey Club de Petanque competition to have seeded players and teams, the Autumn Triples results sequence suggest that the system achieved its goal. Some fine-tuning is required, but members did benefit from playing similar opposition, rather than frequently facing a no-hope match.

Delighted winners of the Green Division Trophy were the popular trio Hazel Clitheroe, Margaret Le Page and Graham Machon (Mac 3), with 10 wins from 14 games.

In the final round they knew that one win from the two games would clinch the title, but they went on to win both, 13-9, 13-9, against the tricky and unpredictable Madeleine Dawson, Richard Hamon and Joan Michel (Long and Short).

The holders of first place for the last three weeks, Jackie de Carteret, Roy Veron and Ray Le Noury (JRR) faced a hard match against third-placed Geoff and Jenny de la Rue and Shirley Guilliard (Three Bowlers).

Two wins would have given JRR outright victory, but it was the Three Bowlers who won both 13-11, 13-10. JRR remain in a very creditable second place with eight wins from 14 games, while by only 19 points difference Three Bowlers are third.

Les Trois Bleus' Gavin Michel, Roy Gaudion and Shane Brehaut won the Blue Division with 11 wins from 14 games. In the final round, they faced fourth-placed Easy Like (Seb Renaud, Mollie Dorey and Anna Larbalister).

It was a nervous time for the Bleus and they tensed up to drop the first game 12-13.

Looking across the terrains, they could see that the team vying with them for the top spot had won their first game convincingly; the pressure mounted - they had to win the next game by a good margin. That is exactly what they did, 13-3, enough to win the trophy.

The team in second, JMM (Maggie and John Hosking, Mike Green), won their first game 13-1 and thought that the top spot was beckoning.

But in the second, Les Amarreurs (Diz and John Syvret and Eric Walters) stiffened their game and fought hard to win 13-10.

The Red Division was the closest-fought of the three leagues in the Autumn Triples, the winners taking the trophy with the lowest percentage of wins.

Two teams vied for first place throughout the competition, but it was Jokaro (Kate Moss, Rod Green and Jose Villaneuva) who held on to win the trophy on the very last game and to earn points in the year-long Greens Grand Prix Trophy competition. Fab 3 (Alex Mauger, Alfred Wallnofer and Paul Duchemin) were second, winning the first game 9-13 against Jokers (Pat and Martyn Mace and Dave Harvey) but losing the second, 13-10.