2024 ECBA TRIPLES

This year's event was hosted by Cambridgeshire at Littleport.

There was no representation from the North, but there were entries from each of the six Eastern Counties.

In total 26 teams took part, and without being able to have groups with the same number of teams, as usual, all the teams were combined into a single group, with each team playing 4 games. At the end of that stage, the top 8 teams would qualify for the knockout rounds, with 1st playing 8th, 2nd playing 7th, etc.

Round Robin
Only one team managed to make it through their four games with a perfect record and that was Ellesmere (Cambridgeshire). Two other teams came through with just one dropped point, they were Sewards End (Essex) who, with 32 shots, took 2nd place ahead of Reepham Robins (Norfolk) who finished on 26 shots).

In total 7 teams finished on 6 points. Best of those was B.B.C (Suffolk) on 34 shots, followed by Stanstead Abbots (Hertfordshire) on 30 shots. Both of those teams lost their final games.

Sixth place went to Hundon (Suffolk) who were on 29 shots for and 15 against, just ahead of Hunters (Essex) who were 29 for and 20 against. And the final qualifying spot went to Barking (Suffolk), who were the only other team not to lose a game, having won 2 and drawn 2. They finished on 25 shots.

Just missing out were Claydon (Suffolk), 6 points and 23 shots, and Kenninghall (Norfolk) 6 points and 22 shots.

Knockout Rounds
Quarter Finals
Ellesmere (1) v Barking (8) - There was never much in it between the two teams, but it was Barking who took 5 of the end, mostly in ones, to win 6-2, and knock out the top seeds.

Sewards End (2) v Hunters (7) - The first 6 ends saw only singles scored with 2nd seeds Sewards End having chipped out a 4-2 lead, but they slipped up on the last as Hunters took 3 to come from behind and grab a 5-4 victory.

Reepham Robins (3) v Hundon (6) - This turned out to be a one-sided game as Reepham ran away with it in the middle 3 ends, to take a resounding 11-2 win.

B.B.C. (4) v Stanstead Abbots (5) - B.B.C. took control of the game early on. A 3 on the first end, followed quickly by a 2, meant that Stanstead were always chasing the game. It finished 8-4 to B.B.C.

Semi-Finals
Barking (Sue & Andy Gilder and Mick Watkins) v Hunters (Don Poulter, John Smith & Trevor Kidd)
This was a game which, in thruth, was over before it had barely begun. Barking picked up 3 on the first end, and followed that up with a 4. 7-0 up after 2 ends, and there was no coming back from that for Hunters. The game finished with an end still to play, 11-3 to Barking.

Reepham Robins (Matt, Stephen & Doris Frost) v B.B.C. (Same Runnacles, Neil Jolly, Paul Daniels)
While the start wasn't quite as dramatic as that of the first Semi, the end result was very similar. with 4 ends played, B.B.C. were 8-0 ahead, and, again, an end was called to the game with one end to spare, 11-2 to B.B.C.

Final
B.B.C. v Barking
The final was an all-Suffolk affair, and it was yet another game which was all but settled very early on.

It was B.B.C. who took it, with a 4 shot count, creating a very steep hill for Barking to climb. It went to 5-0 on the second, before Barking got one back on the 3rd. The 4th and 5th ends saw B.B.C. extend their lead, going 8-1 up, although Barking gave themselves the faintest glimmer of hope by taking one on the 5th end.

It was always going to be a huge ask to take the game to an extra end, and B.B.C. were able to play accordingly, taking 2 to win take the title with a 10-2 victory.

You can find a full set of the day's results here.

Winners - B(rockley) B(elstead) C(laydon)

Runners-Up - Barking

updated 02/09/24