Lancashire Win U9 Friendly Match
On Saturday 16th May at Heywood, Lancashire hosted a friendly match over five rounds between Tameside Under 9's and Lancashire's own Under 9 team. Lancashire had 12 players to Tameside's 8, so to even the match at 10 players each, Anna Priestman and Jennifer Smith were loaned to the visitors.
With good humour on both sides, both managers learned a lot about their young players. Coaching was allowed between rounds and rules clarified for everyone's benefit.
On the playing side, special mention should go to Dylan Taylor who scored an impressive 4½ out of 5 on board 6, and Matthew Carr who scored a maximum 5 out of 5 on board 10. This was Matthew's debut match for Lancashire and the result shows what a good prospect for the future he is. Calvin Robinson was also making his debut and, despite only learning to play a few months ago, scored a very creditable 3 out of 5 on board 7.
With 45 points available to play for over the 5 rounds (the results of Tameside's board 1 didn't count as he is overage!), Lancashire won round 2 by 2 points and Tameside won round 5 by 1 point; The remaining three rounds were drawn. The final score of Lancashire 23 points and Tameside 22 points shows what a closely fought contest this was.
The individual scores for Lancashire players were as follows:
| Board | Player | Total (out of 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Wood | 4 | |
| 2 | George Dale | 2 | |
| 3 | Billy Wharton | 1½ | |
| 4 | Imaad Phoplunker | 1½ | |
| 5 | Zakir Hafeji | 0 | |
| 6 | Dylan Taylor | 4½ | |
| 7 | Calvin Robinson | 3 | |
| 8 | Phoebe Bunyan | 1½ | |
| 9 | Grace LaBrie | 0 | |
| 10 | Matthew Carr | 5 | |
| - | Anna Priestman | 2½ | (with Tameside) |
| - | Jennifer Smith | 3 | (with Tameside) |
| Total | 23 |
2009 EPSCA U11 Final
On Saturday 9th May 2009 Lancashire's U11 team faced an early start and a long journey to play in this year's EPSCA U11 Final at Wycombe High School, High Wycombe.
The competition was tough and some of the teams, especially Kent and Nottinghamshire, were very strong. Although Lancashire's youngsters had a battle on their hands, it was a good day out - the players enjoyed themselves and gained much valuable experience. A special mention must go to Nathan Crosby and Dylan Taylor, both are still in Year 3 but tried their hearts out all day long.
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Walsh | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | Matthew Walsh | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| 4 | Judd Bennett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Joe Greenwood | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Fiona McKenzie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Nathan Redman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Joe Wood | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Oliver Bond | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| 10 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Nathan Crosby | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 12 | Cameron Beeley | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Andrew Lee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | James Huber | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 15 | Henry Taylor | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Heather Robinson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | John Care | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Alice Barron-Eaves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Sebastian Ellis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Aditya Chakravarty | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| R1 | Dylan Taylor | (0) | (0) | (0) | (0) |
| Total | 4½ | 4½ | 7½ | 16½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
2009 EPSCA U11 Northern Zonal
On Saturday 21st March at Oldham, the Lancashire U11 team had to overcome some tough opposition to finish 4th in the Northern zonal. With some experienced top board players showing the rest of the team what to do, especially James Walsh scoring 3/3 on board 1 and Judd Bennett scoring 3/3 on board 4, our other players followed suit with some fine performances. Altogether four players scored maximum points, including Sam Gorick on board 13 and Andrew Lee on board 20. Special mention should be given to 8 year old Nathan Crosby who thoroughly enjoyed himself on board 18 scoring 2½/3. The national finals are on Saturday 9th May in Buckinghamshire and the Lancashire Under 11's are ready for the challenge.
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| Dave Gaston and the 2008/2009 U11 squad |
|---|
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Walsh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | Matthew Walsh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Judd Bennett | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Jordan Lewis | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 6 | Joe Greenwood | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 7 | Nathan Redman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Joe Wood | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 9 | Fiona McKenzie | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Bethan Tempest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | James Huber | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Cameron Beeley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Sam Gorick | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Henry Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Heather Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | John Care | 0 | 0 | (0) | 0 |
| 18 | Nathan Crosby | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ |
| 19 | Michael Ashman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Andrew Lee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| R1 | Oliver Bond | (1) | (1) | 1 | 1 |
| R2 | Julia Johnstone | (0) | (0) | (0) | 0 |
| R3 | Alice Barron-Eaves | (0) | (0) | (½) | 0 |
| R4 | Sebastian Ellis | (1) | (0) | (0) | 0 |
| Total | 10½ | 13 | 9 | 32½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
2009 EPSCA U9 Northern Zonal
In the Northern zonal held at Nottingham on Saturday 14th March, Lancashire fielded eleven out of a required twelve players due to late withdrawals. The eleven fought bravely and, despite only scoring 8 points to finish ninth overall, they were never overwhelmed by the opposition. Rachel Greenwood lead the way with a very creditable one win and two draws on board 3. But despite some excellent performances, the results went against her team mates who struggled to get the points they deserved.
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| Dave Gaston and the 2008/2009 U9 squad |
|---|
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Wood | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Nathan Crosby | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Rachel Greenwood | 1 | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 4 | Andrew Mark Beet | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | George Dale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Anna Priestman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Billy Wharton | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Imaad Phoplunker | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Jennifer Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Dylan Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Phoebe Bunyan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 2½ | 2½ | 8 |
Lancashire's U14 Girls Share ECGCF Northern Region Trophy
Report by Team Manager, Ian Hughes
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Under 14 Girls teams clashed at Aughton St Michaels School on Sunday November 2nd in their annual battle. This year was just a straight contest between the two teams with Cheshire unfortunately unable to field a team.
Each team had a strong line-up with Lancashire missing just one player on board 2 whilst Yorkshire appeared to have their strongest team playing. I have been managing the Lancashire team for seven years and this was easily the closest contest that I have witnessed in that time. A look at the scores at the end of each round will show you what I mean.
Round One: Lancashire 3, Yorkshire 3
Round Two: Lancashire 6, Yorkshire 6
Round Three: Lancashire 9, Yorkshire 9
Therefore, both teams will hold the trophy for six months each. I cannot fault the effort of either team in the competition as all players played extremely well.
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| Members of the 2008 / 2009 U14 Girls Team |
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| Lancashire U14 Girls Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total | |
| 1 | Rachel Cass | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Phoebe Price | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | Claire Edhouse | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ | |
| 4 | Sarah Ryder | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | Natalie Cass | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6 | Lara Buckley | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | ||
This is the last year for Rachel, Claire and Sarah at this age-group although there is still one more event to be arranged when this goes to a National Final sometime in 2009. With Phoebe, Natalie and Lara all able to play in future years, the Lancashire team looks very stable for some years yet.
2008 NYCA U16 and U12 Team Events
Report by LCA Junior Coordinator, Steve Fanning
Many of Lancashire's best junior players visited Edgbaston High School for Girls for the second time in a few weeks as the u12 and u16 teams gathered to compete in the NYCA Championships on Saturday 1st November 2008.
I know that it has been said before in reports from these events but it really is a pleasure to be associated with Lancashire's junior players. They are a well balanced lot, playing hard but fair when over the board, smiling and friendly away from it. They are all a credit to their parents and themselves.
The team managers had faced some problems in the run-up to this day, which fell on the second weekend of half-term for many schools. As a result both teams were significantly weakened by the absence of some top board players and it is testament to Lancashire's strength in depth and commitment of the players (and their parents!) that we could field competitive teams at all.
I think it is fair to say that the u16's had a hard day, facing some tough opponents on all boards. But the players reacted well and everybody gave their best. As is often the case, the best overall score was achieved in the first round with 4/8; this was followed by scores of 3½, 2½ and 3 for a total of 13. Although this left the team somewhere in the middle of the field, it was an excellent effort, with every player contributing something to that total. Many of the team were also in this year's u14 squad and so will be available to play for the u16's for some years yet - the future looks bright at this level. The top counties in the u16 competition were 1st Kent (23½), 2nd Berkshire (21½) and 3rd Sussex (20½).
The u12's got of to a flier with 8/12 in the first round, which to be honest took the team management a bit by surprise, after all we were missing four players who would normally have been playing amongst the top six boards. Our euphoria was tempered only by the information that the all-conquering Sussex team had started with 12/12! Performance inevitably dropped slightly in later rounds but subsequent scores of 6, 5½ and 6½ showed admirable consistency. The team's final total of 26 was enough to leave them in a hugely creditable third place, only ½ a point off sharing second. It was a pleasure for the assembled Lancashire organisers, parents and helpers to applaud such a great group of youngsters as they were called up to receive their trophies. Two players in the team won board prizes - Henry Broadley shared the Board 1 prize with South Wales (both players scoring 3/4), whilst Judd Bennett shared the Board 7 prize with Sussex with a perfect score of 4/4. Sussex won the u12 competition by a country mile (I didn't catch their exact score), while Kent finished second on 26½ points.
The individual scores are listed below.
A special note on the u12 team. On the eve of this competition we found ourselves three players short and the team management were extremely grateful to Damon Chow and Michael Greenaway for stepping into the breach at short notice on Friday evening. On arrival at the venue we found that young Rachel Greenwood had travelled down with her brother Joe and their parents. Speaking to dad Colin, we decided that it would be too much to ask Rachel to occupy bottom board - after all she hasn't even played for Lancashire at her own age group (u9) yet. However when Rachel found out that we were one short she demanded to be allowed to play and so play she did! Without any one of these three players, the team would not have won trophies and we are grateful to them all.
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Members of the u12 team with their trophies - Matthew Fanning, Sikander Ali, Louis Rothwell, Henry Broadley, Michael Greenaway, Fiona McKenzie, Rachel Greenwood, Judd Bennett, Damon Chow, Joe Greenwood, Stephen Chung and Jordan Lewis (photograph courtesy of Colin Greenwood) |
|---|
| Lancashire U16 Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Michael Rabbitte | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 2 | Nathan Talbot | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Nathan Taylor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Jamie Horton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Ben Atueyi | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 6 | Lothian Innes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Alex Rabbitte | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 2 |
| 8 | Dominic Lewis | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 3½ | 2½ | 3 | 13 | |
| Lancashire U12 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Henry Broadley | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3 |
| 2 | Sikander Ali | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 3 | Matthew Fanning | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Stephen Chung | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 2½ |
| 5 | Louis Rothwell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Jordan Lewis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Judd Bennett | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Joe Greenwood | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 9 | Damon Chow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Michael Greenaway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Fiona McKenzie | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Rachel Greenwood | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Total | 8 | 6 | 5½ | 6½ | 26 | |
2008 NYCA U18 and U14 Team Events
Report by U18 Team Manager, Bill O'Rourke
Above all else, first let me report that these teams are a joy to work with. Talented but with a great sense of humour, they are rarely in danger of taking each other too seriously. Which is strange, because they continue to improve and now the u14's are the runners up in the national u14 team championships.
Held at Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham, twelve u14 and eight u18 players travelled down on the team mini-bus or with parents to do battle with mainly southern teams. The u18 team was shorn of its top two players who had to fit in the Manchester University open day, but thankfully James McConnachie stood in at the last minute. U14 team manager Pete Edhouse had got a very good u14 team out.
Round one saw an excellent start by the u14's with a 8/12, but the u18's came a cropper and stated poorly with a 2/8, proof indeed that it is tough at the top - there were several players in the 190 grades playing!
Round two was the reverse, perhaps a little complacency had set in, but the u14's were humbled 4.5/12 and dropped back to mid table. The u18's meanwhile reported an excellent 5/8 against tough opposition.
Round three saw the u14's back to form with another 8/12, pulling themselves into the top three. The u18's were finding it tough, but had a creditable 3½/8.
Round four saw plenty of tough games, but the u14's finished with a 6/12, an excellent 26½/48 total and second overall! This was behind a solid Sussex team. But Nathan Taylor won the board 1 prize with 4/4, as did Henry Broadley on board 2 with 3/4 and Ben Atueyi on board 6 with 3½/4! The u18's posted a final 4/8 to finish just out of the medals with 14½/32.
The omens are excellent. The vast majority of the u14 team are able to play again next year age wise, and will be receiving training from top players this season.
My many thanks to all the players and parents for an excellent day out!
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Members of the u14 team with their trophies - Moya O'Rourke, Aidan McCormack, Henry Broadley, Matthew Walsh, James Walsh, Jamie Horton, Sikander Ali and Benjamin Atueyi |
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The u18 team - Nick Bishop, Nathan Talbot, Michael Rabbitte, Abigail Pritchard, James McConnachie, Liam O'Rourke and Tom Fielding |
| Lancashire U18 Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Michael Rabbitte | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 2 | Nathan Talbot | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1½ |
| 3 | Tom Fielding | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 4 | Abigail Pritchard | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| 5 | Nicholas Bishop | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Liam O'Rourke | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Chris Brodie | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2½ |
| 8 | James McConnachie | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 3½ | 4 | 14½ | |
| Lancashire U14 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Nathan Taylor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 3 |
| 3 | James Walsh | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| 4 | Isobel Cotogni | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 5 | Jamie Horton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Benjamin Atueyi | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3½ |
| 7 | Matthew Walsh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Andrew Guy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Sikander Ali | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Matthew Fanning | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Aidan McCormack | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Moya O'Rourke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 4½ | 8 | 6 | 26½ | |
Previous Results
Detailed results from earlier events have been archived to the Online Bulletin area.