Yorkshire finish sixth in Tolleamache qualifying group
Yorkshire finish sixth in Tolleamache qualifying group
Yorkshire’s bridge team did not succeed in their quest to qualify for the final of the EBU’s Toolemache Cup for the second successive year.
The qualifying competition was played over the weekend of 7th and 8th November, online using RealBridge. 32 counties took part divided into two sections with all-play-all matches of 7 boards each in each section. This meant a challenging programme of 105 boards over two days for anyone who played throughput. Four teams from each section would qualify for the eight team final, which will be played next January.
Yorkshire played in the Green section, and spent most of the competition in a pack of teams chasing fourth place. On a couple of occasions they did get to fourth in the table but could not sustain a consistent run of good results. In the end we finished sixth, 20 points behind fourth, but 15 points ahead of seventh. It was a very strong field and all the teams qualifying from the Green section were southern. In the Red section, Manchester was the only northern county to qualify, and last year’s winners, Warwickshire, didn’t make it.
Yorkshire’s team comprised five pairs – Dave Robinson (capt) & Tony Sowter, Alan Hayward & Steve Raine, Geooff Kenyon & Richard Winter, Oscar Selby & Daniel Winter, and Paul Brereton & Frank Dixon, In the cross-imps table all performed creditably. Four of the five were in the top 40 out of 116 pairings and the fifth was only just below average.
Yorkshire can now look forward to competing in the final of the National Inter-Counties League for which their A and C teams qualified as winners of their respective divisions in the Northern Bridge League.
Thanks to all the players and to the selectors.
