Norfolk triples failed to make a big impact on the last day of the National Championships which saw the National Triples title competed for. After suffering the agony of semi-final defeats in both the National Pairs & National Fours AJ Brown and Jack Pye of Wymondham had every reason to hope it would be third time lucky for them at Melton Mowbray. Playing with them in their triple was Bob Carter’s Gary Best who had also suffered disappointment alongside them in the Fours semi-finals yesterday. The Group stage proved comfortable for them as they finished top of Group 16. Halvergate’s Ryan Fox, Keith Cooke & David Lamb also cruised unbeaten through Group 11 with their wins including a 16-6 victory against John Steers’ Devon triple. Norfolk’s third entry comprised of Expendables’ Simon Willies playing with Bob Carter’s Morgan Warnes & Jason Woods. Their games in Group 10 produced one win, one draw and one defeat but the three points gained left them in third place and eliminated. The Last 32 stage saw Jack Pye, AJ Brown & Gary Best playing Humberside’s Josh Burrow, Ian Bratton & Jamie Smith who failed to match the Norfolk triple on the day as Best’s triple raced to a 14-1 win. The draw had given Ryan Fox, Keith Cooke & David Lamb a tougher obstacle in the shape of Cheshire’s Adam Smith, Jay Finney & Andy Carr who defeated the Halvergate triple 12-6. So going into the Last 16 round Norfolk were left with just one triple, Jack Pye, AJ Brown & Gary Best, and their opponents came in the form of West Mids legends Adam Easthope, Craig Strong & Ross Dunkley. That proved to be the end of the road for Norfolk’s hopes as the West Midlands triple won by 12-5. Nothing could stop the West Mids triple after that as they continued on their merry way to the title. In the final they beat Peter Roberts, Damen Lloyd & Angharad Brideaux of Greater Manchester by 7-5 after defeating Steven Roberts, Mike Anderson & Charlie Cooper, also of Greater Manchester, by 13-3 in the semi-finals. The other semi-final had seen Peter Roberts, Damen Lloyd & Angharad Brideaux beat Cheshire’s Adam Smith, Jay Finney & Andy Carr by 9-3.
West Mids triple Adam Easthope, Craig Strong & Ross Dunkley