All England Bar Billiards' Association

Ladies County Championships

 

            The Ladies National Bar Billiards County Championships is believed to have started in around 1973. Each county selects their best 7 players to represent them each year at the County Championships. Details pre 1991 are a little incomplete, but Sussex dominated the early years and were winners in 1973, 1975, and 4 successive years from 1977-80. Kent and Hampshire were the only 2 counties to interrupt their success by winning in 1974 and 1976 respectively. The 1980’s saw a variety of winners, Kent added 4 more titles to their 1974 success with wins in 1981, 1983, 1986 & 1989. Sussex won their 7th and 8th titles in 1984 & 1988. Oxon had their first successes with 3 wins in 1982, 1985 & 1987. However, it was Berkshire who started the 1990’s with their first win.

 

            From 1991 the records are more detailed. In this year Kent saw off reigning champs Berkshire by 3 points. Jan Taylor led the way for Kent with 3 wins from 3 (8,620 average), backed up by 2 unbeaten team-mates Jill O’Brien and Helen Foster. 7 counties took part in the 1991 competition held in Harwell. The counties were split into 2 divisions, Kent, Berkshire, Surrey & Oxon were in Division 1, Sussex, Hampshire & Buckinghamshire were in Division 2. Promotion and relegation would take place at the end of each competition for the following year, the champions of Division 2 being promoted and the bottom team in Divisions 1 being relegated.  Sussex comfortably won division 2 and would replace Oxon in 1992. Four Sussex players won 2 out of 2 matches - Sandra Race, Bella Brackenridge, Sue Loughran & Kim Beeching. 

 

            Berkshire won an extremely close championship in 1992. Berkshire and Sussex were tied on 12 points and 2 match wins each. Aggregate scores counted and Berkshire won by 590 points, 66,040 – 65,450. This was also despite Sussex beating Berkshire 5-2. Kent were also close, outscoring both Berkshire and Sussex by over 13k but they had only taken 11 points, and had to settle for third. This consigned Surrey to bottom place and relegation and their place would be taken by Oxon next year. Sheila O’ Brien (Sussex) and Penny Burch (Berks) were the only two unbeaten players in division 1 who won 3 out of 3.

 

            Kent won their 7th title in 1993, and again Sussex were runners up. Again this was despite Sussex beating the champions 4-3. Oxon were a little unlucky to be relegated, finishing level on points with Surrey but losing out on aggregate scores. Viv Wright and Jan Taylor were unbeaten for Kent, and Jean Over and Sue Sumner were also unbeaten for Sussex. Surrey bounced straight back up from division 2 easily winning the division by 8 points. Six of their players went unbeaten as they won 19 of 21 legs, Sue Banting the pick of them with a 7k+ average. Northants were a welcome presence although they finished bottom with only 3 points.

 

            There was a big change to the format for the 1994 championship as only 6 teams were present, as we lost Hampshire and Northants. Each of the six teams played each other once, but there was still to be two separate divisions. Sussex won their first title for 6 years. They went unbeaten and reigning champs Kent had to settle for runners up. Despite magnificent efforts from Sue Banting (5 wins from 5, average 9,392) Surrey were to be relegated, 1 point behind Berkshire. Oxon won division 2, Pauline Withey starring with 5 wins from 5 (average 8,786), a very impressive record considering she played 4 division 1 players. Sheila O’Brien (Sussex) and Kim Beeching were unbeaten for champions Sussex.

 

            Despite Hampshire’s rentry in 1995, the same playing format was kept with each team playing each other once. Berkshire and Oxon finished level on points with 4 match wins each. Berkshire narrowly won on aggregate by just over 5k and took their 3rd title. However, extraordinarily, Surrey won division 2- and had they not been relegated last year would have been champions for the first time by a massive 8 points. Surrey scored an impressive 217,160 between them (5,170 per player) and beat all 6 teams they played.  Pauline Withey again impressed with 6 wins from 6, a feat also managed by Oxon team mate Jenny Abbott and Surrey’s Dani Voelke.

 

            Surrey took advantage of promotion and finally won their first title, 5 points clear of Berkshire, in 1996. Gail Woods won all 5 of her games with an impressive 7,624 average. Sussex won Division 2 and would have finished runners up in division 1, only 1 point behind Surrey had they not been relegated the previous year. Their improved performance could be put down to Sue Mariner (previously Sue Banting) who had moved to Sussex from Surrey, and she won 6 out of 6 (averaging 9k), and she had back up from Bella Stoner who was also unbeaten with 6 wins.

 

            With Sussex and Surrey now in the same division, a close championship was expected in 1997, and it went right to the wire. It actually became a 3 way fight as Berkshire also threatened to win their 4th championship. Into the final series of matches Sussex had won all 5 games but were on 23 points, Berkshire were on 24 points and Surrey on 26 points. Berkshire beat Surrey in the final series 4-3, and Sussex took the 6 legs against Oxon required to make them champions for the 10th time. Kim Beching and Jan Bithell were unbeaten for the champions with 5 wins from 5. Gail Woods was unbeaten again for Surrey, and Jan Taylor won all 5 of her games to help Kent to the Division 2 title.

 

            B sides were introduced in 1998, and we reverted back to 2 separate divisions. Kent sent two sides, and a year after promotion the A side took the division 1 title for the first time since 1993. Surrey finished level on points with Kent A but lost out because they had lost 4-3 to Kent A. Reigning champs Sussex were to be relegated, losing all 3 of their matches. Gail Woods was unbeaten for the third year running and had an amazing average of 12,057! Jill O’Brien and Di Welburn were unbeaten for the champions. Oxon won Division 2, Pauline Withey was superb with a 10k average and 3 wins from 3.

 

            We lost Bucks in 1999, and the round robin format was again used for the championship. Surrey easily won their 2nd title even though they lost 4-3 to Berkshire, who were unbeaten and finished runners up. Josie Hogan was unbeaten for the champions and was joined by Kent’s Jan Taylor. Gail Woods finally dropped a leg for the first time in four years, losing to Jane Carless (Berks) after a magnificent run of 20 straight victories. Sussex gained back promotion by winning division 2 and would replace Oxon despite finishing five points behind them on the day.

 

            We were back to two separate divisions again in 2000 as Sussex and Oxon entered B sides for the first time caused by a big change from 7 players a side to 5 a side. Surrey won their second successive title, they had no players unbeaten but Gail Woods and Josie Hogan starred again winning 5 matches out of 6. Jan Taylor (Kent) and Jean Over (Sussex) also won 5 from 6, helping their teams to 2nd and 3rd respectively, leaving Berkshire to be relegated for the first time in many years. Oxon A won division 2 again and were followed home by their own B side. Pauline Withey, Jane Wood & Sue Atkins were unbeaten for the A side, and Sandra Tebby for the B side.

 

            Sussex started a period of domination in 2001, which has lasted until the present day. They won the 2001 championship easily, by 7 points, ahead of newly promoted Oxon A. Michelle Baden was unbeaten for the champions with 6 wins out of 6. Berkshire made sure their stay in division 2 was short lived and gained promotion at the expense of Kent A. Bucks made a welcome return after a 2 year absence and were runners up to Berkshire. Berkshire stalwarts Jackie Watson, Jill Josey and Jane Carless were unbeaten for Berkshire. Marion Sewell (Hants), Clair Shaw (Bucks) also did well stay unbeaten in division 2.

 

            It was Sussex again in 2002, this time by 6 points. Oxon A were again proving to be their biggest threat and were runners up for the 2nd successive year, and they did manage to outscore Sussex. Bella Stoner and Kim Beeching were unbeaten for the champions winning all 6 of their games, Pauline Withey also again managed this feat for Oxon A. Berkshire and Kent A would again swap places Kent won division 2 to replace Berkshire in division 1 for 2003.

 

            Sussex’s victory in 2003 was perhaps even more comprehensive as they won by 7 points, but with Surrey’s surprise absence, Sussex only had Kent and Oxon to play. Bella Stoner and Kim Beeching, repeated last years feat and were both unbeaten for the champions winning all 4 of their games. Surrey would be immediately relegated and would unsurprisingly replaced by Berkshire, who, beat 3 B-sides on the way to winning division 2. Myra Hawkins played great for Berkshire winning 6 out of 6.

 

            In their only blip since 2001 Sussex lost out to Oxon in 2004, which ended their 17 year wait to add to their 3 titles. It was not without controversy, as Sussex gave away 2 legs to Berkshire due to late arrival, and a later 3-2 loss to Oxon sealed their fate, losing out on matches won after winning 3 legs each. Jane Wood was unbeaten for the champions, and Kim Beeching gained some consolation completing 3 unbeaten successive years at the championships. Surrey returned with two teams, their A side easily winning promotion, to swap places with Berkshire who could not avoid bottom place despite having 2 points awarded to them earlier. Sheila King and Sue Oakley completed unbeaten records for the division 2 champions.

 

          

  Sussex gained revenge for 2004, but it was a very close battle with Oxon for the 2005 championship. The teams were level before they played each other in the final match and it seemed that Oxon were destined for the title as Jane Wood and Jenny Abbott were both on winning breaks in the final series to take the two legs required for victory. Jane kept her break, but Jenny amazingly pegged hers to allow Sue Mariner to take the crucial leg and the title by 1 point. Michelle Baden had an unbeaten day with a 7k+ average. Di Welburn was also unbeaten for Kent but it could not prevent relegation. For the first time a B-side won division 2 and therefore promotion to the top flight, and it was Sussex B who showed their strength in depth doubling up on titles. Caroline Retfalvi, on debut, won all 4 of her games to help her side to victory.

 

            Sussex’s record 15th title came in 2006 and it was also their 5th in 6 years. They actually lost one match to their B side, but it was their only loss and they won the title from perennial runners up Oxon, by 2 points- who faltered after a promising start. Jean Over and Sue Mariner managed perfect records for Sussex A. Sussex B amazingly stayed up relegating a strong Surrey A into division 2 to join their own B side. Kent won division 2 from Berkshire, winning all 6 of their matches on the day. Kent regulars Jackie Pecham and Ann Keen won all 6 of their games. Only 7 teams from 5 counties participated in the 2006 championship – Sussex, Surrey providing two teams, Kent, Oxon, Berkshire providing one.

 

Looking back at the comprehensive records of the last 16 years of the championship, 2 players have amassed over 50 wins, they are Kim Beeching (Sussex, 53 wins 15 losses) & Pauline Withey (Oxon, 52 wins 17 losses). Pauline is also the only player to have played in every championship since 1991. Gail Woods (Surrey) and Jan Taylor (Kent) boast the only averages of 6k+. Gail has averaged 6,655 (in 45 matches) and Jan 6,020 (50 matches). These 2 players plus Sue Mariner boast the best win rates for players who have played more than 30 games. Jan is slightly ahead on 82%, Gail and Sue both are on 80%. With Jan and Gail retired, Sue Mariner may challenge Jan’s win rate, and also Jean Over could who is very close on 79% (43 matches). However, it is Gail Wood’s run of 20 successive wins in the 1990’s that is arguably the most impressive feat, it is unlikely to be betteerd, although Kim Beeching recorded 18 successive victories from 2001-2005 before losing to Jenny Parsons

 

The 2007 championship will be held again in September in Reading, Sussex are the holders, but Oxon will be looking to avenge close defeats in 2005 & 2006. Also could Sussex B cause another upset to their A side?

 

If anybody can help with records pre 1991, can they please contact Nigel Senior. Email address is on this site under contacts.