Bury & District Quiz League Week 23

With the weather still holding and steadily warming up this week, the handicap cup preliminary round took place.
The first of the preliminary cup round had the now traditional appearance, of the Rose and Crown Starling who made the journey to the Heap Bridge Social club, giving the Phoenix Knights what looked like a telling start of six points.
The Rose chose to go first on the night and pulled a point back on the first Phoenix question with a bonus US president Andrew Johnson but it was only just as the knights had answered Andrew “Jackson”. The Rose dropped there US president Chester Arthur which wasn’t picked up and the knights also missed the last of the round with “chi not” also not picked up. The round score 4-7, for a handicap total of 10-7. The handicap had been halved in the first round. Round two individuals saw the Phoenix knights have a nightmare missing out on the human body, heavyweight boxing and Italian cities. Scoring only on the Country I.T. Suffixes with Switzerlands .CH and the Rose picking up the Atlas bone and Florenzia bonus dropping just the Austrian suffix .AT, for a round score of 2-8 and the total of 12-15. Handicap had been reeled in by the visitors. Round three had both teams scoring a full house with questions pairing into each other nicely. Totals 23-20. Round four the stink or twist round with a category of “Acting the Goat”, the Rose thanks to Lee’s interpretation of Norwegian and Kieran’s honeymoon on Arran scored 8 whilst the Knights had the nightmare guess, second question on the cloud formation of “Goats hair”, which nobody in the room new, 0-8 for a half time score of 31-20. The first half had flashed by and it had Neville waving the white flag. Will the second half reverse fortunes as normal, the Rose team were not a second half team this year.
Round five saw the Rose extend the lead with a full house and bonus James Last, with the Knights scoring all the others, 6-9 on the round for a total of 26-40. Round six two part round, both teams scoring 2 on the first two, then the Rose missed out on the king of Bavaria which wasn’t picked up for one, the knights had got there’s, the knights dropped the last for a bonus one to the Rose with Green Day, then the Rose missed the penguin names by a monkey, the knights p-p-p-picked up the bonus. The first round to the knights in the game with a score of 5-7, was this the start of a nightmare for the visitors and was it too late for the home side? The second individual round seven has been a problem all season for the Rose and it proved to be so on this night also, with the Rose team choosing all wrong and knowing each others, picking up just a bonus Common Disease, Glandular Fever with Kieran. The Knights Steve Henry scoring all on Sporting trophies, they then missed the diseases but picked up a bonus with T.B. and missed the Archbishops of Canterbury but Derek Lord scored all on pantomimes, round score 7-1 and the lead was rapidly disappearing for the worried Rose team, the total was now 40-46. The Rose were calculating how many questions were needed in the last round. Round Eight saw both teams score on the first two, the crucial third for the Rose saw the game safe and both teams finished the game with a full house for a total and a surprise match win for the Rose and Crown of 48-54. The Knights took the beer leg and wrapped up an entertaining evening.
In what on paper should have been match of the week, Match two, Stopes Tavern hosted the Swan and Railway b’s with the visitors giving the League Runners up, Evil Elves a start of three, not as reported last week, the other way round. The visitors have been quietly going about there business this season but the cup is a target they aim for when other honours seem out of reach, and the Swan’s started the game in full flight. Paul Gardner reported that the Swan B’s were impressive and dominated the match throughout after electing to go first they didn’t look back and hammered the Elves into submission. Final Score 39-54. Team of the week Swan and Railway B’s. Final game in the preliminary round Match Three, was at the Packhorse Affetside where the visitors were the league Champions Radcliffe Cricket Club. The Cricketers had to cede the home side a ten point start, but would it be enough?
In what was obviously a thriller the Packhorse fought ferociously to defend that lead and although the Cricketers managed to peg the Handicap lead back the Packhorse Highwaymen managed to keep a lead and took the match with a score of 51-47. The excitement proved too much for the Highwaymen when reporting the score and about ten texts were needed. Match of the week. All other teams were on a bye to the next round and were twiddling there thumbs.
Could the Cricket Club please return the Shield to the Rose and Crown Starling where the newly polished trophies are awaiting distribution elsewhere this season.

Presentation night Quiz and Raffle is at Heap Bridge Social club on Monday 26th April, suggestion for prizes are welcome.

Week 24 Monday 29th Mar 2010 Handicap Cup 1rst Rnd
The predictions last week were not bad for two games and the first match prediction was for one side luckily completely wrong but this week is another matter, especially for them!4 Match 1 Rammy Cricket Club host Swan and Railway B, in what could be the match of the week. Swan and Railway have to give the hosts a start of four points but if last week was anything to go by, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. The Cricketers will have to get off to a good start to keep the advantage as the Swans will stalk them all night, close game will ensue but the Swans may just prevail by a point only…. Or the tie break question.
Match 2 Cup final hosts The Hare And Hounds Holcombe Brook have the Swan and Railway A’s gliding in, this could also be top match this week. The Swan’s recent form has made there handicap look a very generous, seven point start, but the Hairy Hounds just missed out on league runners up spot and will be up for chasing down the deficit, any slip ups by either side may prove the telling point at the end so this one is a prime candidate for the tie break. Hounds for the game but Swan for the match by a point.
Match 3 Is the battle of the Roses with the Rose and Crown Ramsbottom hosting Rose and Crown Starling, the favourites verses the rank outsiders. The nine point handicap those tormenting Taylor’s tigers have been working on all season will mean the Suffragettes of the Rose Starling have to climb a mountain from the start, even after parking; the visitors may win the game by a point if they are lucky but the handicap match will be the Rose Rammy Burglars.
Match 4 Another candidate for match of the week is the final game of the round between PackHorse Affetside and the SunDial Walmersly Rd. The Packhorse Highwaymen stole the game from the champions last week but this week they have to give seven points to Barney and the Harem and in recent weeks this has been made a mockery of, league form wise. The Packhorse may well find the handicap a bridge too far and could end up winning the game on the night but losing the match on handicap. The SunDial…. Just.
MONDAY 29TH MARCH
1ST ROUND HANDICAP CUP
match 1 Ramsbottom Cricket Club (+10) v Swan and Railway B (+6)
match 2 Hare and Hounds Holcombe Brook (+7) v Swan and Railway A (+14)
match 3 Rose and Crown Ramsbottom (+13) v Rose and Crown Starling (+4)
match 4 PackHorse Affetside (+10) v SunDial, Walmersly Rd (+17)

HANDICAP CUP SEMI- FINALS MONDAY 12TH APRIL

Match 1 v Match 4
Match 3 v Match 2

HANDICAP CUP FINAL MONDAY 19TH APRIL
The Hare and Hounds Holcombe Brook courtesy of Landlord and landlady Andy and Lynne Grant have agreed to hold the Cup final again this year on Monday April 19TH, many thanks go to Andy and Lynne and Ian Openshaw.
8-15 pm for 8-30 pm Start.
Cup final will start with a coin toss for choice of questions.

The anti post current form guide for cup winners is as follows:
Rose Rammy burglars are still favourites; joint second favourites are now the SunDial Harem, Swan A Bandits, with the PackHorse Highwaymen. A good each way bet are the Hairy Hounds hoodies, Rammy Cricket Touts and the Swan B Ram raiders, the Rank outsiders are still current Cup Holders Rose Starling Suffragettes.

A new challenge is always welcome from any pub, club, or society wanting to test their metal against a regular league side.

TEAM	P	W	D	L	PTS	FOR	AGAINST
RADCLIFFE CC	20	17	0	3	34	1006	828
STOPES TAVERN	20	13	2	5	28	856	790
ROSE & CROWN (STAR)	20	11	1	8	23	944	833
RAMSBOTTOM CC	20	11	1	8	23	836	804
HARE & HOUNDS	20	10	1	9	21	878	815
SWAN & RAILWAY (B)	20	9	2	9	20	873	836
ROSE & CROWN (RAM)	20	9	1	10	19	790	837
HEAP BRIDGE SC	20	9	0	11	18	820	857
PACK HORSE	20	7	0	13	14	824	879
SWAN & RAILWAY (A)	20	5	0	15	10	720	872
SUN DIAL	20	5	0	15	10	699	895

TEAM	HANDICAP
ROSE & CROWN (STAR)	4
RADCLIFFE CC	0
HARE & HOUNDS	7
SWAN & RAILWAY (B)	6
STOPES TAVERN	9
PACK HORSE	10
HEAP BRIDGE SC	10
ROSE & CROWN (RAM)	13
SUN DIAL	17
SWAN & RAILWAY (A)	14
RAMSBOTTOM CC	10


e-mail Phil	e-mail Margaret	Home Page	Team Information

HEAP BRIDGE SC (10)	48	v	ROSE & CROWN (STAR) (4)	54
STOPES TAVERN (9)	39	v	SWAN & RAILWAY (B) (6)	54
PACK HORSE (10)	51	v	RADCLIFFE CC (0)	47

		BURY & DISTRICT QUIZ LEAGUE 2009/2010