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18th April 2025
Website downtime
Regular followers of the website will know that it's been off the air since Wednesday, the company providing the hosting service suddenly stopped trading.  We now have a new host and, hopefully, things will return to normal.

The downtime was outside our control, but I do apologise anyway. Blame this lot... UK Secure Web Hosting

17th April 2025
League match reports week 20 (16th Apr)
Not sure when these will appear on the web, as you will have realised, the website has been down since 16th April due to a hosting issue.   We are in the process of changing hosts...

Cross Foxes v Upton B
The Cross Foxes entertained Upton B and the visitors had the better of the opening exchanges, and led by 86 at the break HT scores 186-272.  The Cross Foxes rallied in the second half and closed the gap to just 18 points by the end, a great effort, but not quite enough FT scores 456-474.  The Cross Foxes had 6 and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 86, J. Ford 69, T. Davies 58
Upton B: D. Nuttall 83, T. Randles 81, B. Tipton 67

Upton A v St. Werburgh's
Upton A entertained St. Werburgh's and the visitors had built up a commanding lead of 88 points by the break HT scores 194-282.  St. Werburgh's added to their lead after the break to win comfortably FT scores 449-573.  Upton A had 7 players and St. Werburgh's had 6.
Top scorers:
Upton A: G. O'Connor 81 (2nd go), G. O'Connor 74 (1st go), N. Allen 70
St. Werburgh's: D. Jones 89, R. Lamb 82, J. B. Clarke 79 (1st go)

Bridgewater v Bawn Lodge
The Bridgewater entertained Bawn Lodge and took the lead early on but Bawn Lodge responded well and the visitors led by 54 at the break HT scores 207-261.  The second half was much closer, but the first half lead proved decisive FT scores 411-484.  The Bridgewater had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 6.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: A. Marriott 80, M. Hines 62, P. Ingram 61
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 82, J. Pritchard 79 (2nd go), J. Pritchard 74 (1st go)

Egerton v Greyhound
The Egerton entertained the Greyhound and the hosts shaded the first half and led by 27 points at the break HT scores 215-188.  The Greyhound had an excellent second half and the last man got their highest score of the night to put them 11 points ahead and record an excellent away win FT scores 441-452.  The Egerton had 8 players and the Greyhound had 5.
Top scorers:
Egerton: J. Fellows 78, L. Evans 65, J. Parkins 61
Greyhound: Y. Kouame 75 (2nd go), T. Harris 70, M. Smith 69 (1st go)

14th April 2025
Change of venue
Westminster Park CC have advised that their bagatelle room is booked for a function on 21st May and therefore the West Cheshire Shield Plate game between Upton A and the Greyhound will need a new venue.  There is a committee meeting planned for Monday 5th May and a new venue will be drawn then.

11th April 2025
Bridgewater re-arranged games...
The Bridgewater have been able to re-arrange their two cup games, and will now be playing them on Wednesday, 7th May and Monday, 12th May respectively, see Cup Fixtures.

10th April 2025
League match reports week 19 (9th Apr)
Upton British Legion B have won the league after last night's win.  They are now 9 points clear at the top, and the nearest team to them, St. Werburgh's Club, can only get a maximum of 8 points from their last 3 games.  Congratulations to all the players at Upton B!

Upton B v Cross Foxes
Upton B made it 15 wins out of 15 with a home win against the Cross Foxes.  After a high scoring first half which included a 99 and a 96, the home side were 46 points ahead HT scores 317-271.  The second half was much closer with Upton B adding just 2 points to their overall lead, but the two big first half scores proved decisive FT scores 562-514.  Upton B had 8 players and the Cross Foxes had 7.
Top scorers:
Upton B: B. Tipton 99, D. Nuttall 96, M. Coppock 73
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 86, S. Churms 84, J. Ford 77

St. Werburgh's v Upton A
St. Werburgh's entertained Upton A and a solid first half from the hosts saw them 97 points ahead at the break HT scores 275-178.  St. Werburgh's did even better in the second half, scoring 314 to record a huge home win FT scores 589-385.  St. Werburgh's had 8 players and Upton A had 6.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: N. Walker 85, R. Lamb 84, J. Kenyon 80
Upton A: B. Mesham 62 (2nd go), E. Wicks 56, P. Williams 54 (1st go)

Greyhound v Egerton
The Greyhound entertained the Egerton and, after a close first half in which the teams were dead level after 3 players, the Egerton managed to establish a lead of 26 points just before the break HT scores 159-185.  The Egerton edged further ahead after the break to eventually win by 54 points FT scores 333-387. The Greyhound had 5 players and the Egerton had 6.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: Y. Kouame 59, T. Harris 57 (2nd go), M. Smith 52 (1st go)
Egerton: P. Wallace 69 (2nd go), J. Fellows 65, S. Done 51

Bawn Lodge v Bridgewater
Bawn Lodge entertained the Bridgewater and the home side got off to a flying start with the highest score of the night and ended the half 35 points ahead HT scores 203-168.  The home side increased their lead to 60 just after the break, but then the Bridgewater came back, closing the gap to 46 FT scores 349-303.  Both teams had 6 players.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: N. Davies 70 (1st go), J. Pritchard 50, J. McClurg 48
Bridgewater: S. Murphy and J. Simpson both 49, P. Axworthy 48, M. Hines 41

8th April 2025
Cup Draws for Northgate Cup and West Cheshire Shield
Draws for the Semi-Finals and Plate for both competitions can be found on the Cup Fixtures page.

Bridgewater
The Bridgewater have advised that they will not have a team between 12th and 22nd May, and will be looking to re-arrange their cup games against the Greyhound and Upton B.

Next Committee Meeting
The date for the next meeting is Monday  5th May at St. Werburgh's Club.

3rd April 2025
Next Committee Meeting - 7th April
A reminder that the next committee meeting is on Monday 7th April at St. Werburgh's Club, ko 8pm.

League match reports week 18 (2nd Apr)
Three games this evening.

Cross Foxes v St. Werburgh's
The Cross Foxes entertained St. Werburgh's, and the home side recovered after falling behind to lead by 14 points at the break HT scores 269-255.  The second half was just as closely contested, and the home side managed to increase their overall lead by another 14 points to win by 28, FT scores 483-455.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: J. Ford 82, S. Churms 75, T. Davies 67
St. Werburgh's: M. Peacock 83, J. B. Clarke 67, R. Lamb 66

Bridgewater v Union Vaults
The Bridgewater entertained the Union Vaults and the home side fell behind early on, but rallied to lead by 32 at the break HT scores 208-176.  The Vaults second half performed much better with each player beating their home counterpart and the away side won by 15 points FT scores 418-433.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: J. Simpson 71, S. Murphy 65, P. Ingram 63
Union Vaults: P. Anstey 75, P. Dutton 73, T. Dowd 65

Greyhound v Westminster Park
The Greyhound entertained Westminster Park and the visitors took the lead early on before being pegged back and there were just 6 points in it at the break HT scores 172-166.  Westminster Park retook the lead just after the break, but then the Greyhound rallied and eventually won by 71 points FT scores 397-326.  The Greyhound had 6 players and Westminster Park had 8.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: Y. Kouame 79 (2nd go), T. Harris 72, Y. Kouame 64 (1st go)
Westminster Park: N. Sale 56, D. Carney 53, C. Gentile 50

27th March 2025
Pub Games on Radio 4 - Chester Bagatelle gets a plug!
The "You and Yours" show on Radio 4 yesterday had a 10 minute feature on Pub Games.  I've had contact with two of the contributors James Masters and Laura Hadland, so I found it interesting.  James manages to mention Chester Bagatelle, and they say All Publicity is Good Publicity, so good stuff!  The pub games item starts about 24 minutes in ...  BBC Sounds

Reminder - please submit your Singles and Doubles Entries
Neil Davies wishes to remind everyone that entries for Singles and Doubles must be submitted - with appropriate Entry Fees - by 31st March.  Thank you.

League match reports week 17 (26th Mar)
Just three games and all home wins.  Upton A and Upton B both had byes, and the game between Bawn Lodge and the Egerton was postponed.

St. Werburgh's v Cross Foxes
St. Werburgh's entertained the Cross Foxes and the home side dominated from the start and led by 62 at the break HT scores 273-212.  The lead increased throughout the second half to give St. Werburgh's a solid home win FT scores 533-399.   St. Werburgh's had 7 players and the Cross Foxes had 8.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: J. B. Clarke 89, N. Walker 75, J. Kenyon 70
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 85, J. Gahan 59, T. Davies 55

Union Vaults v Bridgewater
In the local derby the Union Vaults entertained the Bridgewater and the visitors came back from an early deficit to lead by 25 at the break HT scores 173-198.  There was just one point between the teams after 6 men, but then the Vaults had two of their highest sticks of the night to win the game FT scores 380-343.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: S. Nuttall 73, P. Anstey 66, P. Dutton 65
Bridgewater: S. Murphy 82, J. Simpson 60, A. Marriott 47

Westminster Park v Greyhound
Westminster Park entertained the Greyhound and the home side had much the better of the first half and led by 38 at the break HT scores 220-182.  In a competitive second half which ebbed and flowed, Westminster Park added to their lead by another 31 FT scores 404-335.  Westminster Park had 8 players and the Greyhound had 5.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: M. Darby 69, A. MacDonald 59, C. Gentile 58
Greyhound: T. Harris 55 (2nd go), M. Smith 54 (1st go), M. Challinor 46 (1st go)

25th March 2025
Next Committee Meeting
Pat Wallace has advised the next Committee Meeting will be held on Monday 7th April at St. Werburgh's Club at 8pm to draw the cups and plates and decide the other competition dates.

20th March 2025
Re-arranged league games
It's back to league action next week, and a reminder that, at the request of Bawn Lodge, the two games between Bawn Lodge and the Egerton have been re-arranged from 26th March and 2nd April to 23rd April and 30th April with the agreement of both captains.

West Cheshire Shield - Quarter Final Results
Played on Wednesday 19th March 2025

St. Theresa's v St. Werburgh's at the Greyhound
St. Werburgh's batted first and had much the better of the first half, leading by 82 at the break HT scores 224-142.  St. Werburgh's added to their lead after the break to qualify for the semi-finals comfortably FT scores 457-333.   St. Werburgh's win, St. Werburgh's had 6 players and St. Theresa's had 8.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: M. Jones 72, R. Lamb 64 (1st go), R. Lamb 60 (2nd go)
St. Theresa's: S. Ward 76, A. Thomas 53, P. Allman 43

Union Vaults v Bridgewater at the Cross Foxes
The Union Vaults went first and led by a few points early on, but the Bridgewater came back to lead by 9 at the break HT scores 182-191.  A couple of slips from the Vaults after the break enabled the Bridgewater to increase their lead and they won by 53 in the end FT scores 325-378.  Bridgewater win, both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: S. Anstey 66, P. Anstey 60, T. Dowd 49
Bridgewater: M. Hines 81, P. Axworthy 66, J. Simpson 54

Bawn Lodge v Westminster Park at St. Werburgh's
Westminster Park batted first, and led after two men before falling behind at the break HT scores 179-258.  The Bawn Lodge team realised after the game had started that they would only have 4 players with no reinforcements arriving, and so conceded the game to Westminster Park during the first half.  Westminster Park had 10 players available, so Bawn Lodge borrowed the two surplus players to make a game of it and 2 Bawn players went again. The final scores were 388-435, but the scores that counted were 388-258.  Westminster Park win, Westminster Park had 10 players and Bawn Lodge had 4.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: Mr C. Gentile 61, Mrs C. Gentile 61, R. O'Neill 54, M. Darby 51
Bawn Lodge: J. Pritchard 83, J. McClurg 70 (1st go), J. McClurg 69 (2nd go)

Upton B v Egerton at Westminster Park
Upton B batted first and took charge of the game from the off, eventually leading by 98 at the break HT scores 268-170.   The Egerton scored much better in the second half and reduced the overall lead by 5 but the first half proved decisive FT scores 504-411.  Upton B win, both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton B: T. Randles 75, B. Tipton 69, J. Lea 66
Egerton: P. McAleer 74, L. Evans 69, J. Parkins 67

St. Theresa's 333 v St. Werburgh's 457  at the Greyhound
Union Vaults 325 v Bridgewater  378 at the Cross Foxes
Bawn Lodge 258 v Westminster Park 388  at St. Werburgh's Club
Upton B 504 v Egerton 411   at Westminster Park

Plate scores: The eight plate scores for the West Cheshire Shield are... Cross Foxes 411, Egerton 411, Upton A 408, Greyhound 360, St. Theresa's 333, Union Vaults 325, Little Oak 307 and Bawn Lodge 258.

13th March 2025
Northgate Cup - Quarter Final Results
Played on Wednesday, 12th March 2025

Westminster Park v Union Vaults at the Little Oak
Westminster Park went first and, after falling behind early on, cam back and were just 7 points behind at the break HT scores 148-155.  The Union Vaults opened up a gap early in the second half then maintained it until the end FT scores 272-320. Union Vaults win, both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: M. Peers 49, D. Gentile 44, C. Gentile 41
Union Vaults: P. Anstey 57, S. Nuttall 56, C. Barlow 49

Egerton v St. Theresa's at the Union Vaults
Both teams apparently found the table hard to play, with good sticks and not so good sticks on both sides throughout the match. St. Theresa's took the lead early on and held it to lead by 38 at the break HT scores 154-192.  The Egerton came back after the break but St. Theresa's held on to win by 23 points FT scores 331-354. St. Theresa's win, both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Egerton: S. Done 64, F. Williams 48, J. Parkins 45
St. Theresa's: Jody 68, A. Thomas 59, L. Allman and P. Allman (both 51)

St. Werburgh's v Bridgewater at the Egerton
St. Werburgh's batted first but it was the Bridgewater who made the early running and led at the break by 19 points HT scores 196-215.  The Bridgewater increased their lead to 36 after 6 men but St. Werburgh's played more consistently and the Bridgewater just failed to cross the winning line right at the end and lost by 4 points FT scores 422-418. St. Werburgh's win, St. Werburgh's had 6 players and the Bridgewater had 8.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: D. Jones 78, N. Walker and D. Jones (2nd go) both 59. C. lamb 57 (2nd go)
Bridgewater: J. Maddrick 76, A. Marriott 64, M. Hines 62

Little Oak v Upton B at the Bridgewater
The Little Oak played first and after a competitive first half the Upton B team led by 52 points HT scores 222-274.  The second half was much closer, with Upton adding just 9 to their overall lead, FT scores 467-528. Upton B win, Little Oak had 5 players and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Little Oak: A. Pickett 77, A. Pickett 75 (2nd go), T. Hand 66 (2nd go)
Upton B: D. Nuttall 84, J. Lea and D. Cooper (both 79), T. Randles 69

Westminster Park 272 v  Union Vaults 320 at the Little Oak
Egerton 331 v  St. Theresa's 354 at the Union Vaults
St. Werburgh's 422 v  Bridgewater 418  at the Egerton
Little Oak 467 v  Upton B 528                  at the Bridgewater

Plate scores: The eight plate scores for the Northgate Cup are... Little Oak 467, Cross Foxes 452, Bridgewater 418, Greyhound 403, Bawn Lodge 388, Upton A 338, Egerton 331 and Westminster Park 272.

6th March 2025
League match reports week 16 (5th Mar)
All five games were home wins this week.

Upton B v Westminster Park
Top met bottom as Upton B entertained Westminster Park, and it was the league leaders who held a healthy lead at the break HT scores 270-184.   Westminster Park had their three highest scores after the break, but couldn't close the gap which opened up further FT scores 558-406.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton B: R. Evans 96, D. Nuttall 80, B. Tipton 77
Westminster Park: D. Gentile 68, C. Gentile 65, M. Darby 62

St. Werburgh's v Egerton Arms
Second met third as the Egerton made their way down Brook Street to play at St. Werburgh's, and it was the hosts who put in an excellent first half to lead by 57 at the break HT scores 302-245.   The second half was closer with St. Werburgh's adding another 31 to their overall lead FT scores 563-475.    Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: C. Lamb 81, N. Walker 76, R. Lamb 74
Egerton: L. Evans 72, P. McAleer 71, J. Fellows 68

Bawn Lodge v Upton A
Bawn Lodge entertained Upton A and both teams struggled to score on the table with the home side leading by just 23 at the break HT scores 179-156.  A huge score of 92 just after the break opened up the gap then the scores were pretty even until full time FT scores 350-282.   Both teams had 7 players.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 92, N. Davies 70, T. McClurg 44
Upton A: E. Wicks 54, P. Williams 44, G. O'Conno4 40

Union Vaults v Greyhound
The Union Vaults entertained the Greyhound and the home side came back well from an early deficit to lead by 38 at the break HT scores 199-161.  The Union Vaults increased their scoring rate after the break and won comfortably in the end FT scores 433-294.   The Union Vaults had 8 players and the Greyhound had 7.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: P. Dutton 75, T. Dowd 73, S. Anstey 63
Greyhound: S. Aylott 44, M. Smith 42 (1st go), Y. Kouame 42, M. White 41

Cross Foxes v Bridgewater
The Cross Foxes entertained the Bridgewater and both teams struggled early on but the Foxes still built up a lead of 57 by the break HT scores 191-134.  The Foxes increased their overall lead after the break to record a solid home win FT scores 415-306.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 70, T. Davies 66, J. Ford 57
Bridgewater: S. Murphy 69, P. Axworthy 54, J. Maddrick 51.

4th March 2025
Peter Ashford RIP
I am sorry to report that Peter Ashford passed away recently. Peter was widely regarded as a lovely man and was a very keen bagatelle player too.  I have been informed that his funeral is at Blacon Crematorium at 12 noon on Thursday, 27th March, and then afterwards at St. Werburgh's Club for the wake.  RIP Peter.

27th February 2025
Re-arranged games
At the request of Bawn Lodge, the two games between Bawn Lodge and the Egerton have been re-arranged from 26th March and 2nd April to 23rd April and 30th April with the agreement of both captains.

League match reports week 15 (26th Feb)
Five games to report on this week, as St. Theresa's had the bye.

Westminster Park v Upton B
Westminster Park entertained league leaders Upton B and there were only 8 points between the teams after three men but then Upton B forged ahead to lead at the break HT scores 175-216.  Upton B had their four highest scores after the break with their second half scoring 298 to give them a convincing win FT scores 345-514.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: S. Frost 55, A. McDonald & C. Gentile (both 52), D. Gentile 45
Upton B: D. Cooper 77, R. Evans 76, M. Coppock 74

Egerton v St. Werburgh's
Third entertained second as the teams either end of Brook Street met this evening, and it was the Egerton who had the better of the first half and they led by 34 at the break HT scores 248-214.  The Egerton's highest scores all came in the second half and they comfortably moved up to second place FT scores 512-388.  The Egerton had 8 players and St. Werburgh's had 6.
Top scorers:
Egerton: J. Parkins 81, P. Wallace & P. McAleer (both 72), J. Fellows & F. Williams (both 69)
St. Werburgh's: J, B, Clarke 67 (1st go), N. Walker 61, R. Lamb 60

Upton A v Bawn Lodge
Upton A entertained Bawn Lodge and after a good first half from both teams the visitors led by 42 HT scores 253-295.  Bawn Lodge opened up the gap after the break to eventually win by 76 FT scores 469-545.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton A: E. Wicks 78, B. Mesham 66, N. Allen & G. O'Connor (both 62)
Bawn Lodge: J. Pritchard 89, N. Davies 79, J. Rae 74

Greyhound v Union Vaults
The Greyhound entertained the Union Vaults and the home side built a lead of 42 by the break HT scores 212-170.  The Union Vaults cam back well, however, playing more consistently after the break, and saving their two highest scores until the end to win by 29 FT scores 365-392.  The Greyhound had 5 players and the Union Vaults had 8.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: M. White 66 (1st go), M. O'Brien 57 (1st go), M. Smith 53
Union Vaults: P. Dutton 71, P. Anstey 59, T. Wilson 56

Bridgewater v Cross Foxes
The Bridgewater entertained the Cross Foxes and the visitors led after three men before the home side came back to lead by 12 points at the break HT scores 226-214.  The Union Vaults came back after the break and were 17 up after six men, before the Bridgewater had their two highest scores to win the game FT scores 461-432.  The Bridgewater had 8 players and the Cross Foxes had 7.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: P. Axworthy 72, J. Simpson 70, A. Marriott 67
Cross Foxes: S. Churms 72, G. Cartwright 69 (1st go), P. McLaughlin 66

20th February 2025
League match reports week 14 (19th Feb)
Doesn't happen too often, all away wins this week!

Bawn Lodge v Upton B
Bawn Lodge entertained Upton B and led at the start of the match but got overtaken and found themselves 58 behind at the break HT scores 198-256.  The visitors increased their lead throughout the second half to win comfortably FT scores 408-515.  Bawn Lodge had 6 players and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 76, N. Davies 63 (2nd go), J. McClurg 55 (2nd go)
Upton B: B. Tipton 84, C. Jones 76, R. Evans 68

Greyhound v St. Werburgh's
The Greyhound entertained St. Werburgh's and the visitors had the better of the first half to lead by 85 at the break HT scores 145-230.  St. Werburgh's added to their lead after the break for an excellent away win FT scores 276-467.  The Greyhound had 8 players and St. Werburgh's had 7.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: Y. Kouame 52, M. Smith 48, M. Challinor 42
St. Werburgh's: R. Lamb 75 (1st go), N. Walker 66, J. B. Clarke 65

Westminster Park v Union Vaults
Westminster Park entertained the Union Vaults and after a close first half the hosts had edged ahead by 15 points HT scores 169-154.  Westminster Park retained the lead until midway through the second half when the Vaults overtook them and hung on to win FT scores 320-352.   Westminster Park had 8 players and the Union Vaults had 7.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: A, McDonald 59, K. Miller 46, D. Carney 45
Union Vaults: B. Walton 54 (2nd go), P. Anstey 52, S. Nuttall and B. Walton (1st go) both 47.

Upton A v Bridgewater
Upton A entertained the Bridgewater and after a close first half the visitors led by 21 at the break HT scores 232-253.  Upton A closed the gap slightly after the break, but the first half lead proved decisive, giving the Bridgewater a hard fought away win FT scores 432-450.   Upton A had 7 players and the Bridgewater had 8.
Top scorers:
Upton A: N. Moffatt 75, E. Wicks 73, G. O'Connor 67
Bridgewater: A. Marriott 84, S. Murphy 80, D. Johnson 66

12th February 2025
League match reports week 13 (12th Feb)
Upton B v Bawn Lodge
Upton B entertained Bawn Lodge and both sides had decent scores in the first half with Upton leading by 65 at the break HT scores 313-248.  Upton's second half was almost as good as the first, and they ran out easy winners FT scores 623-503.   Upton B had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 7.
Top scorers:
Upton B: D. Cooper 92, M. Turner 89, D. Nuttall 85
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 78, R. Bawn 74, T. McClurg 70

St. Werburgh's v Greyhound
St. Werburgh's entertained the Greyhound and an impressive first half saw the home side lead by 103 at the break HT scores 297-194.  St. Werburgh's did even better second half and won comfortably FT scores 615-394.  St. Werburgh's had 8 players and the Greyhound had 5.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: C. Lamb 88, J. B. Clarke 87, N. Walker & J. Kenyon (both 87)
Greyhound: Y. Kouame 65 (1st go), M. White 63 (2nd go), M. White 60 (1st go)

Union Vaults v Westminster Park
The Union Vaults entertained Westminster Park and got off to a flying start which they maintained to the break HT scores 250-165.   The second half was closer but there was no way back for the visitors FT scores 461-329.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: S. Nuttall 80, P. Dutton 69, T. Dowd 64
Westminster Park: C. Gentile 57, R. O'Neill 50, K. Miller 48.

Bridgewater v Upton A
The Bridgewater entertained Upton A and the home side just edged the first half and led by 12 at the break HT scores 203-191.  Upton A took the lead just after the break with the best score of the night, then continued to score well for an excellent away win FT scores 368-463.   The Bridgewater had 8 players and Upton A had 6.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: S. Johnson 66, A. Marriott 60, J. Maddrick 47
Upton A: G. O'Connor 87, N. Moffatt 79, E. Wicks 65

6th February 2025
League match reports week 12 (5th Feb)
Upton B v Union Vaults
Upton B entertained the Union Vaults, and after a good first half from both teams the visitors found themselves 37 behind at the break HT scores 284-247.  Upton B put in a magnificent second half of 347 to pull well clear and win easily FT scores 631-432.  Upton B had 7 players and the Union Vaults had 8.
Top scorers:
Upton B: D. Cooper 93 (2nd go), D. Cooper 88 (1st go), M. Coppock 86
Union Vaults: T. Dowd 74, P. Dutton 71, P. Anstey 70

Egerton v Bridgewater
The Egerton entertained the Bridgewater and after a solid first half the home side led by 96 at the break HT scores 255-159.  The second half was much closer, just 2 points in it, but the first half lead proved decisive FT scores 446-348.  The Egerton had 7 players and the Bridgewater had 8.
Top scorers:
Egerton: A. Hughes (Guzzler) 77, P. Wallace 70, P. McAleer 66
Bridgewater: J. Simpson 70, P. Ingram 58, S. Johnson 52

Bawn Lodge v St. Werburgh's
Bawn Lodge entertained St. Werburgh's and the visitors took an early lead then added to it before the break HT scores 163-282.   The second half was much closer but the result remained the same FT scores 353-469.  Bawn Lodge had 8 players and St. Werburgh's had 6.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: B. Brooks 63, S. Safina 57, J. Rae 57
St. Werburgh's: M. Peacock 76 (1st go), N. Walker 71, R. Lamb 71

Greyhound v Cross Foxes
The Greyhound entertained the Cross Foxes and the visitors had the better of the first half and led by 71 at the break HT scores 157-228.  The Foxes edged further ahead in the second half for a comfortable win FT scores 352-426.  The Greyhound had 8 and the Cross Foxes had 7.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: S. Aylott 70, M. Smith 61, T. Harris 50
Cross Foxes: S. Churms 76, P. McLaughlin 64, I. Davies 55

1st February 2025
Bagatelle Tables 1971-2025
Nigel Walker has compiled a list of Chester venues with bagatelle tables between 1971 and 2025.  Sadly, many have closed...   Thanks for the list Nigel!

30th January 2025
League match reports week 11 (29th Jan)
Union Vaults v Upton B
The Union Vaults entertained Upton B and the visitors had the better of the first half and led by 62 at the break  HT scores 156-218.   Upton B added another 20 to their overall lead after the break to win comfortably  FT scores 353-435.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: P. Dutton 69, S. Nuttall 61, R. Walton 56
Upton B: J. Lea 68, D. Nuttall 62, C. Jones 59

Bridgewater v Egerton
The Bridgewater entertained the Egerton and the visitors came from behind to lead by 20 points at the break HT scores 210-230.   In a very close second half the Egerton managed to add 3 points to their overall lead to win by 23  FT scores 394-417.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: P. Axworthy 62, A. Marriott 60, S. Johnson 56
Egerton: F. Williams 79, L. Evans 65, J. Fellows 60

St. Werburgh's v Bawn Lodge
St. Werburgh's entertained Bawn Lodge and in a close first half the visitors took an early lead before being pegged back just before the break HT scores 269-258.  The lead was still 11 points after 6 men had played, but then St. Werburgh's registered the two highest scores of the night to pull well clear  FT scores 573-492.  St. Werburgh's had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 7.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: J. B. Clarke 86, R. Lamb 80, D. Jones 73
Bawn Lodge: N. Davies 77, J. Rae 75, J. Pritchard 71

Cross Foxes v Greyhound
The Cross Foxes entertained the Greyhound and after a very close half the home side led by just 7 points at the break HT scores 221-214.   The home side retook the lead after the break but the visitors came back to record an excellent away win  FT scores 363-384.  The Cross Foxes had 8 players and the Greyhound had 6.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: J. Ford 79, S. Churms 70, P. McLaughlin 63
Greyhound: M. Challinor 79 (2nd go), Y. Kouame 70, L. White 58

29th January 2025
Bagatelle Nouvelle - an 1847 game!
The Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool have contacted me to ask if we know anything about an 1847 game called Bagatelle Nouvelle.  They have a design for the table and intend to recreate a version of it for visitors to play at an exhibition they are having in September.   They intend to build a prototype table by Easter, can we help them?

When built the table will be approx 3 feet six inches square. 

The table has no cups, it has four scoring areas in the corners, and the idea is to get the balls into the scoring areas to score points.  There are only three balls used, red, white and black.

I do have a full set of the rules, as written in 1847, if anyone is interested.

28th January 2025
Cup Draws for Northgate Cup and West Cheshire Shield
A committee meeting was held in St. Werburgh's last night to make cup draws and discuss arrangements for other forthcoming competitions.   The Cup Draws were as follows...

Northgate Cup - Quarter Finals
To be played on Wednesday, 12th March 2025
Westminster Park  v  Union Vaults at the Little Oak
Egerton  v  St. Theresa's at the Union Vaults
St. Werburgh's  v  Bridgewater at the Egerton
Little Oak  v  Upton B at the Bridgewater
____________________________________________________________
West Cheshire Shield - Quarter Finals
To be played on Wednesday, 19th March 2025
St. Theresa's  v  St. Werburgh's at the Greyhound
Union Vaults  v  Bridgewater at the Cross Foxes
Bawn Lodge  v  Westminster Park at St. Werburgh's Club
Upton B  v  Egerton at Westminster Park

Singles, Doubles, 351 Competition and 5-A-Side competitions
Invitation sheets to enter these competitions will be distributed shortly to each venue.  Entry to the Singles is £2 per person, entry to the Doubles is £4 per pair (2 x £2).  Entry to the 351 Competition and 5-A-Side is Free to all teams.

Notes for new players:
1. The 351 Competition is a 4 a side competition where the aim is to score exactly 351 points before your opponents do.  If your team busts (scores more than 351) you go back to your previous score and try again.  Four different players must play (there is no 3+1).   A team must not play more than 5 different players in total in the entire competition.  

The format is that there is a "normal" first half, ie. players have two sticks each before half time.  Then, after half time players from each team have one stick alternatively until one team has scored exactly 351.  If the first team to play gets out in (say) 5 balls, then the team going second has 4 balls to win etc etc.

2. The Five-A-Side is for teams of five players, but if a team only has four players, one may play again (4+1), the one going again to be decided by a random draw.  A team may not use more than 7 different players in total in the entire competition.  Highest team score wins.

Any more questions please ask a committee member.

23rd January 2025
League match reports week 10 (22nd Jan)
Bawn Lodge v Cross Foxes
Bawn Lodge entertained the Cross Foxes and the visitors took the lead early on and then gradually added to it to lead by 25 points at the break HT scores 158-183.  The gap opened up to 61 points just after the break and then the Foxes retained their lead to the end FT scores 368-428.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: R. Bawn 68, J. Rae 58, N. Davies and S. Safina (both 50)
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 86, T. Davies 65, S. Churms 59

Egerton Arms v Upton A
The Egerton entertained Upton A and the home side just edged the first half to lead at the break HT scores 175-167.  Three big scores in the second half saw the Egerton pull away from Upton A to record a solid home win FT scores 438-348. The Egerton had 8 players and Upton A had 6.
Top scorers:
Egerton: P. McAleer 76, S. Done 73, P. Wallace 67
Upton A: G. Mullen and E. Wicks (both 53), G. O'Connor 52, S. Williams 50 (2nd go)

Union Vaults v St. Werburgh's
The Union Vaults entertained St. Werburgh's and the visitors had the better of the first half to lead by 40 points at the break HT scores 156-196.   The second half was much closer with St. Werburgh's adding just 2 points to their overall lead FT scores 391-433.   The Union Vaults had 8 players and St. Werburgh's had 6.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: P. Dutton 72, T. Dowd 68, P. Anstey 63
St. Werburgh's: N. Walker 74, M. Jones 72, D. Jones 62 (2nd)

Westminster Park v Bridgewater
It's taken a few games, but Westminster Park recorded their second win tonight. They entertained the Bridgewater and after a very close first half it was the visitors who led by 4 points HT scores 186-190.  Westminster Park scored much better after the break as they took the lead with the highest score of the night and then added to it throughout the half FT scores 429-373.  Westminster Park had 8 players and the Bridgewater had 6.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: D. Carney 79, D. Gentile 64, C. Woodall 61
Bridgewater: D. Johnson 63, P. Ingram 62 (1st go), M. Hines 58

16th January 2025
Next Committee Meeting
Secretary Pat Wallace has announced the next committee meeting will be on Monday, 27th January 2025 at St. Werburgh's Club, ko at 8.00pm.

Three way friendly at Little Oak
I learnt today that a three way friendly game was played at the Little Oak last night between the Little Oak, St. Theresa's and Upton B.  By all accounts the evening was enjoyed by everyone, excellent news!  

I mentioned the 'spirit of the game' in one of my reports last night, and here it is again, it is definitely something we need to nurture. Scores from the evening including dubious nicknames in picture >>>


15th January 2025
League match reports week 9 (15th Jan)
Four games to report on this week.

Cross Foxes v Bawn Lodge
The Cross Foxes welcomed Bawn Lodge for a match played in the best spirit of the game, ie a positive and respectful attitude towards both team mates and opponents which meant everyone enjoyed the evening.  In the first half the lead changed hands three times before the Foxes eventually took a lead of 22 points into the break HT scores 217-195.   Bawn Lodge retook the lead with the highest score of the night just after the break, then the Foxes came back with three scores in the 60's to Bawn Lodge's three scores in the 50's, but Bawn Lodge just hung on to win by 3 points FT scores 432-435.  Both teams had 7 players.
Top scores:
Cross Foxes: T. Davies 69, S, Churms 68, J. Gahan 67
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 80, N. Davies 66, J. Pritchard 58 (1st go)

Upton A v Egerton
Upton A entertained the Egerton and the visitors had built up a lead of 35 by the break HT scores 220-255.  The Egerton scored a magnificent 309 after the break to win the match comfortably. FT scores 472-564.  Both teams had 8 players.

Note: The sheet shows the away score as 541, please take more care when adding up, thank you. 

Top scores:
Upton A: GAZ 75, G. O'Connor 74, N. Moffatt and E. Wicks (both 73)
Egerton: J. Parkins 84, P. Wallace 81, J. Fellows 79

St. Werburgh's v Union Vaults
St. Werburgh's entertained local rivals the Union Vaults and some high scoring early on set the home side up for a good lead at the break HT scores 273-210.  St. Werburgh's added a mighty 317 after the break to record a comprehensive home win FT scores 590-416.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: J. B. Clarke 92, J. Kenyon and N. Walker (both 79), J. McNicholas 78
Union Vaults: B. Walton 72, C. Barlow 68, T. Dowd 67

Bridgewater v Westminster Park
The Bridgewater entertained Westminster Park and the home side had built up a good lead of 59 by the break HT scores 199-140.   The first half lead proved decisive, with the home side adding just 1 point to their overall lead as Westminster Park scored much better after the break FT scores 400-340.   The Bridgewater had 6 players and Westminster Park had 8.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: P. Axworthy 71, A. Marriott 56, M. Hines 51
Westminster Park: D. Gentile 67, A. MacDonald 65, M. Peers 47

The Greyhound have their scheduled byes this week and next.*

8th January 2025
Happy New Year Everyone!

West Cheshire Shield - Preliminary Round Results
Bridgewater 323 v 307 Little Oak at the Greyhound
Bagatelle welcomed the Little Oak this evening, making their debut in the West Cheshire Shield.   The Bridgewater batted first, and in a close game the teams were dead level after 3 men before the Bridgewater edged ahead to lead by 15 at the break HT scores 177-162.   The Little Oak came back and led after 6 men before the Bridgewater finished stronger to win by 16 points, there being just 1 point between the teams in the second half  FT scores 323-307.  Both teams had 6 players.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: P. Ingram 66 (2nd go), A. Marriott 58, P. Ingram 53 (1st go)
Little Oak: A. Pickett 61, O. Harris 58 (1st go), O. Harris 58 (2nd go), D. Williams 40

Greyhound 360 v 376 Union Vaults at Westminster Park
The Greyhound batted first and after a close first half they trailed by 14 to the Union Vaults HT scores 162-176.  The Greyhound came back and led after 6 men before the Vaults re-established their lead to win by 16 FT scores 360-376.  (note: sheet showed 350-376).   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: S. Aylett 67, Y. Kouame 60, M. White 50
Union Vaults: B. Walton 64, S. Nuttall 56, P. Dutton 56

Cross Foxes 411 v 445 St. Werburgh's at Upton RBL
The Cross Foxes batted first against St. Werburgh's and after an extremely tight first half the Foxes led by 1 point HT scores 257-256.   The Foxes increased their lead to 7 points after 6 men before St. Werburgh's finished stronger to win the game FT scores 411-445.   Both teams had 7 players.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: T. Davies 79, P. McLaughlin 69, S. Churms 66 (1st go)
St. Werburgh's: J. McNicholas 76, D. Jones 70 (1st go), C. Lamb & M. Jones both 66

Upton B 499 v 408 Upton A at the Cross Foxes
The B team batted first and were behind after 2 men before coming back to lead at the break HT scores 232-203.   A couple of big scores after the break stretched the B team's lead and they ran out comfortable winners FT scores 499-408.   Upton B had 7 players and Upton A had 5.
Top scorers:
Upton B: D. Cooper 85, M. Coppock 75, T. Randles 68
Upton A: G. O'Connor 70 (1st go), E. Wicks 60, N. Allen and G. O'Connor (2nd go) both 56

Plate scores: The four losing team scores tonight were Cross Foxes 411, Upton A 408, Greyhound 360 and Little Oak 307.

19th December 2024
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Bagatelle takes a break now until the 8th January 2025.   It just remains to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

18th December 2024
Northgate Cup - Preliminary Round results
Four games played tonight, all closely contested.
Upton A v St. Theresa's at St. Werburgh's
After initially falling behind, St. Theresa's came back to lead at the break, HT scores 169-188.  St. Theresa's edged further ahead to win through FT scores 338-385.   Upton A had 8 players and St. Theresa's had 7.
Top scorers:
Upton A: G. Mullen 69, G. O'Connor 59, S. Williams 48
St. Theresa's: P. Allman 63, M. Churchill 58, S. Ward 52

Upton B v Greyhound at Bawn Lodge
The Greyhound came from behind to lead by 1 point at the break HT scores 192-193.  Upton B came back and edged ahead after the break to win FT scores 438-403.   Upton B had 8 players and the Greyhound had 6.
Top scorers:
Upton B: R. Evans 73, D. Cooper 64, J. Lea 56
Greyhound: S. Aylott 65 (2nd go), S. Aylott 54 (1st go), Y. Kouame and M. White (both 52)

Cross Foxes v Bridgewater at Upton Legion
The Bridgewater led from the off and built a lead of 26 by the break HT scores 197-223.  The Foxes closed the gap after the break and took the lead before the Bridgewater rallied at the end FT scores 452-457.  Cross Foxes had 8 players and the Bridgewater had 7.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: I. Davies 78, P. Ashford 74, P. McLaughlin 68
Bridgewater: P. Ingram 87 (1st go), S. Murphy 68, P. Ingram 67 (2nd go)

Union Vaults v Bawn Lodge at the Egerton
Bawn Lodge took the lead early on but the Vaults came back and there was just 7 in it at the break HT scores 177-184.   In a tense second half the Vaults turned the game round after the break to win by 16 FT scores 404-388.  The Union Vaults had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 6.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: P. Anstey 72, T. Wilson 64, T. Down 57
Bawn Lodge: J. Pritchard 66 (2nd go), J. Pritchard 65 (1st go), N. Davies 59

Plate scores:  The four losing teams tonight have a chance of going into the Plate.  The four losing scores were Cross Foxes 452, Greyhound 403, Bawn Lodge 388 and Upton A 338.

12th December 2024
Plate competition for each cup
This season there will be a Plate Competition for the Northgate and West Cheshire competitions. The four losing teams that get the highest scores in the preliminary and quarter-finals of each will go through to the semi-final of the Plate. This will give the chance for teams who get knocked out to have another game and the chance to win something.

Latest christmas video
I hope you like the current video which is an advert for a Dutch supermarket, starring Harry the Whamster, their pun not mine, and also Andrew Ridgeley!

League match reports week 8 (11th Dec)
All home wins this week, and just four games to report on.
Upton B v Bridgewater
Upton B made it 8 wins out of 8 with a solid home win against the Bridgewater.  By the break the home side were 98 points up HT scores 272-174.  Upton pulled further ahead after the break FT scores 584-409.  Upton B had 8 players and the Bridgewater had 7.
Top scorers:
Upton B: D. Cooper 94, M. Coppock 85, M. Turner 82
Bridgewater: J. Simpson 77, S. Murphy 63, A. Marriott 57

Egerton v Westminster Park
The Egerton entertained Westminster Park and the home side had built up a big lead by the break HT scores 246-154.   The second half was closer but the Egerton still added another 31 to their overall lead FT scores 440-317.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Egerton: A. Hughes 79, F. Williams, L. Evans, P. McAleer (all 73), J. Parkins 43
Westminster Park: M. Woodall 57, M. Darby 51, M. Peers 45

Union Vaults v Cross Foxes
After a very close first half in which both teams held the lead at some point, there was just 4 points between the teams at the break HT scores 219-215.  The Foxes took the lead just after the break, but then the Vaults had their three biggest scores of the night to turn the game in their favour FT scores 494-418.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: B. Walton 84, P. Dutton 67, P. Anstey 64
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 68, J. Gahan 65, J. Ford 62

Greyhound v Upton A
The Greyhound recorded their highest home score of the season on their new table, and they needed to in a closely contested game.  At the break the home side were just 4 points ahead HT scores 186-182.  Upton A drew level after 5 men, then took the lead after 6 men, but were pegged back by the two players drawn to play again for the Greyhound FT scores 346-327.   Both teams had 6 players.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: M. Challinor 73, T. Harris 55 (2nd go), M. White 49 (2nd go)
Upton A: N. Allen 63, P. Williams 42, S. Williams 41 (1st go) and S. Williams 41 again (2nd go)

Bawn Lodge and St. Werburgh's both had byes tonight.

10th December 2024
Committee meeting held on 9th Dec
At last night's meeting it was confirmed that St. Theresa's will be dropping out of the league this season, and their league record has therefore been expunged.   They will continue to compete in cup competitions.  This means one venue is lost from the Away Averages calculations, and the away averages will now be based on a players best 7 scores from a maximum of 9 available away games.  Teams yet to play St. Theresa's now have extra byes in their fixtures.

The venue for the Northgate Cup game between Upton B and the Greyhound on 18th December was redrawn, and it will now be played at Bawn Lodge.

7th December 2024
St. Theresa's forced to drop out of league
It is with regret that the St. Theresa's team have been forced to resign from this seasons league due to no fault of their own.  However, the team will continue to play in all cup competitions, singles, doubles etc.

During renovations taking place at the club, the table has been rather crudely moved, and is now unplayable.  The team feel they have no choice but to drop out of the league this season.  A committee meeting has been arranged for Monday, 9th December at 8pm in St. Werburgh's to discuss.  Amongst other things, the Northgate Cup match between Upton B and the Greyhound will be allocated a new venue.

The following is subject to ratification at Monday's meeting >>> St. Theresa's record has been expunged from the league table. The result of this is that The Greyhound and Bridgewater both lose 2 points and have played 2 games less. The Cross Foxes lose 5 points and have played 2 games less, and St. Werburgh's lose 2 points and have played 1 game less.

Teams will now have an extra bye in their fixtures.  There is no point re-writing the fixtures. 

5th December 2024
League match reports week 7 (4th Dec)
This week saw more away wins than home, and one unusual situation at the Cross Foxes!

Bridgewater v Upton B
The Bridgewater entertained Upton B and a solid first half saw Upton B build up a big lead by the break HT scores 180-284.  Upton went further ahead in the second half to record a comfortable away win FT scores 407-569.  The Bridgewater had 7 players and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: S. Murphy 62 (2nd go), S. Murphy 59 (1st go), D. Johnson 57
Upton B: T. Randles 84, D. Nuttall 79, B. Tipton 75

Upton A v Greyhound
The Greyhound took an early 41 point lead at Upton A and managed to retain most of it by the break HT scores 170-207.  The visitors had their three biggest scores after the break to open up the gap for an excellent away win FT scores 371-483.  Upton A had 6 players and the Greyhound had 7.
Top scorers:
Upton A: N. Allen 62 (2nd go), E. Wicks 58 (1st go), S. Williams 54
Bridgewater: M. White 83 (2nd go), T, Harris 74, Y. Kouame 64

Cross Foxes v Union Vaults
The Cross Foxes entertained the Union Vaults and the home side edged ahead to lead by just 16 points at the break HT scores 221-205.  The Foxes managed to increase their lead in the second half, despite Ian Davies being denied 7 points by a rare occurrence (see pic). FT scores 382-347. The Cross Foxes had 6 players and the Union Vaults had 8.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: John Ford 81, P. Ashford 62 (1st go), J. Gaham 43 (1st go)
Union Vaults: S. Nuttall 74, T. Wilson 57, B. Walton 42

Westminster Park v Egerton
The two teams agreed to swap this fixture and played at Westminster Park first, and by the break the visitors had built up a lead of 48 points HT scores 166-214.  The visitors were able to add to their lead after the break for a good away win FT scores 313-408.  Westminster Park had 6 players and the Egerton had 8.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: D. Gentile 60 (1st go), R. O'Neill 48, N. Sale 46
Egerton: J. Fellows 68, F. Williams 67, A. Hughes 61

St. Werburgh's v St. Theresa's
Venue also swapped for this game.  St. Werburgh's are starting to return to form and put in a solid first half against St. Theresa's to lead by 102 at the break HT scores 308-206.  More high scoring after the break saw them finish just short of 600 FT scores 594-436.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: J. B. Clarke 93, N. Walker 88, R. Lamb 87
St. Theresa's: L. Allman 86, J. Jones 69, M. Churchill 58

28th November 2024
League match reports week 6 (27th Nov)
The highlight from tonight's games is that Pat Wallace from the Egerton scored 102 away from home at Upton Legion. Congratulations Pat!

Upton B v Egerton
Upton B entertained the Egerton and the hosts put in an excellent first half to lead by 104 at the break HT scores 301-197. The home side more than doubled their score in the second half, but the highlight from the game is that the Egerton's Pat Wallace scored 102 in the second half, FT scores 638-502.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton B: M. Coppock 96, J. Lea & D. Cooper (both 89), D. Nuttall 82
Egerton: P. Wallace 102, J. Parkin 75, L. Evans 73

St. Werburgh's v Bridgewater
St. Werburgh's fell behind at the start of the game but rallied to take the lead before being pegged back to just 7 points before the break HT scores 260-253.  The home side pulled away with two big scores in the middle of the second half to win comfortably in the end FT scores 565-482.  St. Werburgh's had 8 players and the Bridgewater had 7.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: M. Jones 92, N. Walker 89, J. B. Clarke 85
Bridgewater: S. Murphy 88, P. Axworthy 67, P. Ingram 66

Westminster Park v Upton A
Westminster Park entertained Upton A, and after a close first half the visitors had edged ahead by 11 points HT scores 153-164.   The half time lead proved vital as both teams scored 178 in the second half to give Upton A an excellent away win FT scores 331-342.  Both teams had 7 players.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: N. Salle 66 (2nd go), R. O'Neill 47, N. Salle 44 (1st go)
Upton A: A. Williams 67, N. Allen 53 (1st go), G. O'Connor 51

St. Theresa's v Cross Foxes
St. Theresa's entertained the Cross Foxes and the home side found themselves behind by 25 points at the break HT scores 204-229.  In a close second half the home side closed the gap, but not quite enough, and the Foxes won the game with the last stick of the match FT scores 409-421.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Theresa's: L. Allman 70, F. Chord 60, A. Sandbach 55
Cross Foxes: S. Churms 73, P. Ashford 67, P. McLaughlin 64

Bawn Lodge v Greyhound
Bawn Lodge entertained the Greyhound and the hosts had the better of the first half to lead by 76 at the break HT scores 219-143.  The gap got bigger throughout most of the second half with the home side running out the winners FT scores 412-270.  Bawn Lodge had 8 players and the Greyhound had 7.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: N. Davies 65, S. Safina 63, J. Pritchard 59
Greyhound: M. White 44, L. Smith 41, M. Smith 35

21st November 2024
League match reports week 5 (20th Nov)
Upton A v Westminster Park
Upton A entertained Westminster Park and the visitors played consistently well in the first half to lead by 29 at the break HT scores 173-202.  Upton came back strongly just after the break with the evenings highest score then managed to retain the lead to the end FT scores 391-351.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton A: G. O'Connor 77, J. Joinson & A. Williams (both 57), S. Williams 49
Westminster Park: R. O'Neill 57, D. Carney 54, A. MacDonald 49

Bridgewater v St. Werburgh's
The visitors put in a strong first half to lead by 102 at the break HT scores 173-275.  A couple of huge scores after the break stretched the lead even further, giving St. Werburgh's a solid away win FT scores 393-575.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: P. Axworthy & J. Simpson (both 56), P. Ingram, P. Challoner & S. Murphy (all 54), A. Marriott 50
St. Werburgh's: M. Jones 85, D. Jones 83, N. Walker 75

Egerton v Upton B
Upton B took control with their first two men, then things evened out until the break with the visitors ahead by 37 HT scores 169-206.   The visitors continued to edge further ahead after the break to win by 45  FT scores 350-395.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Egerton: P. McAleer 55, F. Williams 53, S. Done 52
Upton B: T. Randles 66, D. Nuttall 64, J. Lea 61

Greyhound v Bawn Lodge
In a close first half the lead changed hands three times before the visitors edged ahead to lead by 20 at the break HT scores 123-143.  The gap had reduced to just 9 points after 6 men before the visitors pulled away at the end  FT scores 253-298.  The Greyhound had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 6.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: M. O'Brien 45, M. White 43, M. Smith 38
Bawn Lodge: N. Davies 49, J. Pritchard 44 (2nd go), J. McClurg 43 (2nd go)

Cross Foxes v St. Theresa's
I have not seen the sheet as yet, and have no details, other than being told the Cross Foxes won.

18th November 2024
Cup Draws
The following cup draws were made at the committee meeting this evening...

18th December 2024
Northgate Cup - Preliminary Round
Upton A  v  St. Theresa's  at St. Werburgh's Club
Union Vaults  v  Bawn Lodge  at the Egerton
Upton B  v The Greyhound  at St. Theresa's
Cross Foxes  v  Bridgewater  at Upton Legion

Byes:- Egerton, St. Werburgh's, Westminster Park, Little Oak

8th January 2025
West Cheshire Shield - Preliminary Round
Union Vaults  v  Greyhound  at Westminster Park CC
Upton A  v  Upton B  at the Cross Foxes
Cross Foxes  v  St. Werburgh's  at Upton Legion
Bridgewater  v  Little Oak  at the Greyhound, Saughall

Byes:- Bawn Lodge, Egerton, St. Theresa's, Westminster Park

14th November 2024
Committee Meeting
Secretary Pat Wallace has advised there is a committee meeting on Monday, 18th November 2024 at St. Werburgh's Club, kick-off at 8.00pm.

Little Oak has a new table
The Little Oak in Boughton now has a bagatelle table set up and ready to play! >>>>>>

League match reports week 4 (13th Nov)
Westminster Park v Bawn Lodge
Westminster Park entertained Bawn Lodge and the visitors managed to gain a small lead at the start which they kept until the break HT scores 148-165.  The gap closed to just 6 points after the break but then opened up again, and the visitors hung on until the end FT scores 350-374.  Westminster Park had 8 players and Bawn Lodge had 7.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: M. Woodall 58, D, Gentile 55, A. MacDonald 52
Bawn Lodge: B. Brooks 60, J. Pritchard 57 (2nd go), R. Bawn 51

Greyhound v Upton B
The Greyhound entertained Upton B and in the first half the lead changed hands four times before Upton eventually led by 6 at the break HT scores 152-158.   The pattern in Upton B games so far has been for them to pull away after the break, and tonight was no exception, they opened up the gap throughout the second half to win comfortably FT scores 277-363.  The Greyhound had 7 players and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: M. O'Brien 53, M. Smith 45, A. Price 42 (2nd go)
Upton B: D. Cooper & R. Evans (both 58), J. Lea 56, D. Nuttall 50

Egerton v Union Vaults 
The Union Vaults made the short trek down Egerton Street to play at the Egerton tonight, and after being behind initially the visitors managed to get in front by the break, HT scores 182-205.  The Egerton closed the gap to 11 after the break, then the gap was 16, then 19, before the Egerton's last man Jon Parkin pulled 19 back, a draw!! FT scores 393-393.   The Egerton get 1 point and the Union Vaults get 2 points.  Also, the Egerton had 8 players and the Vaults had 7.
Top scorers:
Egerton: J. Fellows 77, P. Wallace 74, J. Parkins 58
Union Vaults: C. Barlow 62 (1st go), S. Nuttall 60, B. Walton 57

Upton A v Cross Foxes
Upton A entertained the Cross Foxes and an excellent half from the visitors saw them lead by 78 at the break HT scores 182-260.  The game was much closer after the break, with the visitors adding another 15 to their overall lead for a comfortable win FT scores 418-521.  Upton A had 7 players and the Cross Foxes had 8.
Top scorers:
Upton A: E. Wicks 81 (2nd go), G. O'Connor 57, J. Evans 53
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 76, J. Ford 72, S. Churms 70

Bridgewater v St. Theresa's
The Bridgewater entertained St. Theresa's in their first home game of the season and put in a good performance to lead by 67 at the break HT scores 225-158.  The second half was much closer with the home side adding just 3 points to their overall lead FT scores 414-344.  The Bridgewater had 7 players and St. Theresa's had 8.
Top scorers:
Bridgewater: S. Murphy 76, P. Ingram 64 (2nd go), P. Ingram 55 (1st go)
St. Theresa's: M. Churchill 66, J. Jones 59, S. Ward 52

7th November 2024
League match reports week 3 (6th Nov)
All home wins this week, and all solid ones at that.
Bawn Lodge v Westminster Park
Bawn Lodge entertained Westminster Park and both teams struggled on a table which proved to be difficult to play on the night.   The home side led from the off and by half time had built up a commanding lead of 81 HT scores 182-101.   Both sides continued to struggle after the break with the hosts eventually winning by 147, FT scores 334-187.  Bawn Lodge had 8 players and Westminster Park had 5.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: N. Davies 73, J. Rae 54, J. McClurg 49
Westminster Park: D. Gentile 38 (2nd go), A. MacDonald 36, D. Gentile 26 (1st go) 

Upton B v Greyhound
Upton B entertained the Greyhound and a couple of outstanding individual scores gave them a massive lead at the break HT scores 292-159.  The hosts increased their scoring rate after the break and became the first team this season to score over 600 points FT scores 605-342.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton B: B. Tipton 95, M. Turner 91, D. Cooper 86
Greyhound: T. Harris 66, M. White 52, S. Aylott 48

Union Vaults v Egerton
The Union Vaults entertained the Egerton, and in a very close first half the visitors came from behind to lead by just 1 point at the break HT scores 190-191.  Some solid scoring after the break saw the Vaults regain the lead and then open up the gap right through the second half to win comfortably in the end FT scores 429-318.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: S. Nuttall 70, C. Barlow 65, P. Dutton 64
Egerton: L. Evans 70, P. McAleer 61, J. Fellows 47

St. Theresa's v Bridgewater
St. Theresa's were hosts as the Bridgewater got their season under way, and the home side had built up a decent lead of 33 by the break HT scores 225-192.  St. Theresa's pulled away after the break to eventually win by 99 points FT scores 464-365.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Theresa's: J. Jones 75, L. Allman 71, A. Thomas 64
Bridgewater: S. Johnson 65, S. Murphy 61, P. Axworthy 52

Cross Foxes v Upton A
The Cross Foxes entertained Upton A and the hosts had the better of the first half to lead by 67 at the break HT scores 244-177.  Upton A came back at the start of the second half but then the Foxes had two good scores to increase their lead and the hosts ran out winners by 91 points FT scores 462-371.   The Cross Foxes had 8 players and Upton A had 7.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: T. Davies 78, P. Ashford & J. Ford (both 71), I. Davies 65
Upton A: G. O'Connor 65 (1st go), G. O'Conner 64 (2nd go), J. Johnson 60

31st October 2024
Halloween hits Bagatelle!
Some match sheet shockers from last night, the ones submitted on WhatsApp left a lot to be desired...

Can I please stress to all Captains the importance of completing AND submitting match day sheets correctly.

Copied below are three examples from last night with errors / omissions highlighted.  No sheets were posted from Upton or St. Werburgh's, just photos of the scoreboard, so officially there were no points claimed and no captains signatures to confirm the results from either of those games.

Submitting sheets accurately is important for everyone as they are used to maintain the league table and calculate Away Averages.

Nothing personal if I have selected your picture below, it's just to highlight the problems encountered.  All three sheets below have omissions or errors highlighted, and the picture on the right cuts off the home team names so it's impossible to see who scored what.

If everyone could take a bit more care it would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

     

30th October 2024
League match reports week 2 (30th Oct)
Upton B v Upton A
We will start with the Upton derby, and there was very little in it after the first half with the B team ahead by just 8 points, HT scores 247-239.   As with last week, the B team had two tremendous scores just after the break  to open up the gap, and those two high scores clinched a home win for the B side, FT scores 540-469. Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Upton B: D. Cooper 90, D. Nuttall 86, B. Tipton 69.
Upton A: E. Wicks 79, P. Williams 66, N. Allen 64.

St. Theresa's v Greyhound
Where last weeks game was very close, this will be one to forget for the Greyhound.  After a one-sided first half St. Theresa's had a commanding lead of 131, HT scores 254-123.  St. Theresa's continued to dominate after the break to record a huge win FT scores 482-272.  St. Theresa's had 8 players, and the Greyhound had 7 or 8 (see Halloween pic above!).
Top scorers:
St. Theresa's: L. Allman 81, R. Waters 72, M. Millington 71.
Greyhound: M. White 48, M. O'Brien 39, M. Challinor and S. Challinor (both 35).

St. Werburgh's v Westminster Park
Westminster Park led briefly at the start but some solid scoring saw the hosts holding a good lead at the break HT scores 224-172.  St. Werburgh's pulled away throughout the second half to record a solid win FT scores 501-292.   Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
St. Werburgh's: J. Kenyon 84, N. Walker 77, R. Lamb 71.
Westminster Park: C. Gentile 61, M. Woodall 50, R. O'Neill 48.

Cross Foxes v Egerton
The Cross Foxes entertained the Egerton and the hosts led by just 1 point at the break HT scores 222-223.  The Egerton led briefly just after the break, but the Foxes came back to lead before falling at the final hurdle with a green field right at the end. The Egerton's Paul McAleer steered them over the line with his teams highest score of the night FT scores 447-468.  The Cross Foxes had 7 players and the Egerton had 8.
Top scorers:
Cross Foxes: S. Churms 78, P. McLaughlin 75, J. Ford 66
Egerton: P. McAleer 75, L. Evans and P. Wallace (both 66), J. Valentine 57.

Union Vaults v Bawn Lodge
The Union Vaults entertained Bawn Lodge and after a closely contested first half the visitors led by just 3 points HT scores 194-197.  In an exciting second half the overall lead changed hands 4 times before Bawn Lodge managed to secure the points with just a couple of balls to spare FT scores 387-406.  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Union Vaults: P. Anstey 71, B. Walton 65, D. Williams 55.
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 65, T. McClurg 61, R. Bawn 57

The Bridgewater had their second bye last night, their season starts next week when they visit St. Theresa's.  With so many new bagatelle shirts on show, I wonder if someone could get a pic of both teams together for the website? It would be greatly appreciated!

24th October 2024
Folding table available for free



The league has been offered a Victorian, mahogany folding bagatelle table free of charge.  I understand the cups are ok but it does require the baize to be completely replaced. 

The owner describes the table as "charming" and would like it to go to a good home, hence, has contacted us.    The table is "collection only" and is located in South Bucks, which I think is around the Reading area.

If anyone is interested in having it as a restoration project, please let me know.

Update 31st October: No interest as yet....



League match reports 23rd October 2024 (week 1)
The 24/25 season started last night with ten teams in action and the Bridgewater using their bye to test out their new shirts in a practice session.

Westminster Park v St. Werburgh's Club
We start with the newest members of the league, Westminster Park, who welcomed St. Werburgh's Club in their first ever game.   The hosts had much the better of the first half to lead by 52 points at the break HT scores 221-169.  The first half lead proved decisive as the second half was dead level with the overall lead remaining at 52 points FT scores 373-321, a tremendous start by Westminster Park.   To put it into context, St. Werburgh's have been the champions for the last 3 years, and in those 3 years have only lost 4 league games.  Westminster Park had 8 players and St. Werburgh's had 7.
Top scorers:
Westminster Park: D. Gentile 81, R. O'Neill 69, A. MacDonald 52
St. Werburgh's Club: M. Peacock 73, J. B. Clarke 53, N. Walker & M. Jones (both 43)

Upton A v Upton B
In the Heath Road derby, Upton A took on Upton B, and despite taking the lead briefly through Nick Allen's 80, the A team found themselves behind at the break HT scores 237-277.   Upton B had two tremendous scores just after the break to increase their lead and they ran out comfortable winners FT scores 418-588.  Upton A had 7 players and Upton B had 8.
Top scorers:
Upton A: N. Allen 80, A. Williams 78, G. O'Connor 72
Upton B: D. Nuttall 92, D. Cooper 87, B. Tipton 77

Greyhound v St. Theresa's
The Greyhound kicked off their season against St. Theresa's in what turned out to be a very exciting game.  After initially falling behind, the Greyhound managed to just sneak into the lead by 4 points at the break HT scores 163-159.  The second half was even closer, with St. Theresa's reclaiming the lead, then losing it again at the end FT scores 343-340.  It's the sort of game where I imagine every player thinks "If I'd just got that 2, or not missed that 6...".  Will it be as close next week?   The Greyhound had 7 players and St. Theresa's had 8.
Top scorers:
Greyhound: Tony Harris 54, Matt O'Brien & Mike Challinor (both 52), Steve Aylott 50.
St. Theresa's: M. Churchill 64, J. Jones 59, F. Chard 52

Egerton v Cross Foxes
The Egerton Arms entertained the Cross Foxes and after a close first half the hosts came from behind to hold a slight advantage of 12 points at the break HT scores 223-211.   The Cross Foxes took the lead again after the break, but in another incredibly close game the Egerton recovered to win by just 9 points FT scores 454-445.  Again, will it be as close next week?  Both teams had 8 players.
Top scorers:
Egerton Arms: L. Evans 75, P. Wallace 70, P. McAleer 57
Cross Foxes: P. McLaughlin 73, T. Davies 65, J. Gahan 59

Bawn Lodge v Union Vaults
Bawn Lodge entertained the Union Vaults, and after initially falling behind Bawn Lodge came back to lead by 38 at the break HT scores 211-173.  The hosts increased their lead through the second half to run out comfortable winners in the end FT scores 460-329.  Bawn Lodge had 5 players and the Union Vaults had 7.
Top scorers:
Bawn Lodge: S. Safina 87, J. Pritchard 72, B. Brooks 60
Union Vaults: B. Walton 65, T. Dowd 62 (2nd go), P. Dutton 53.

The Bridgewater have their byes this week and next, but did look very smart at their practice session.  The picture also shows the new light over their table!


22nd October 2024
Live Bagatelle on YouTube/Twitch
Earlier this year the BBC suggested to me that we needed more media content online.  As well as a "How to play Bagatelle" video (which we really need to look at), I have discovered there is, for example, live Skittles on YouTube.  Surely we could do this with Bagatelle?       Live skittles

18th October 2024
League starts 23rd October 2024
Fixture lists are being distributed by Neil Davies, first two fixtures are as follows...

23rd & 30th October 2024
UPTON 'A' v UPTON 'B'
BAWN LODGE v UNION VAULTS
WESTMINSTER PARK v ST. WERBURGH'S
GREYHOUND v ST. THERESA'S
EGERTON v CROSS FOXES
BRIDGEWATER     BYE

15th October 2024
Annual clean up of News page
In order to speed up the loading of the current News page, items prior to today have been moved into the News Archive.   There are now four News archives on this website, and if you're having trouble sleeping, it is possible to read old content back as far as March 2001.  To start your journey, click News Archive below...

Chester & District Bagatelle League