POOL: Somerset are national champions (From Somerset County Gazette)

POOL: Somerset are national champions

5:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Sport

SOMERSET have won the national county pool championships for the first time.

And a key member of their squad was 24-year-old Ben Holley, a former Somerset singles champion, who plays for Trinity High Fliers in the Taunton Pool League.

The county tournament was held in Great Yarmouth where Somerset beat Staffordshire – the defending champions and six-time winners – 23-20 in the final.

Somerset opened their challenge with a 23-20 defeat of Surrey and followed up with a convincing 23-13 success over Lancashire.

Their semi-final with Cambridgeshire was a really tight affair which finished all square at 22 each. A best of three play-off was held with Somerset winning 2-0.

Somerset also had three other teams at the championships - the men’s B, the ladies and the youth.

The B team very nearly made it to the knockout cup final, reaching the last four before being edged out 23-21 by Staffordshire.

Their players included Taunton’s Andy Sheehan (White Hart Pink Panthers) and Mark Grant (Wagon Steamers) along with Wellington’s Andy Dart.

After losing to Nottingham B they had beaten Northampton 23-20 and Norfolk 23-14.

The ladies reached the semi-finals before losing 23-14 to eventual champions Lancashire.

Their other games saw victories over Worcestershire (23-12) and North Yorkshire (23-13).

Their team included Wellington’s Lisa Moore (capt) and Kate Yarde along with Taunton’s Michelle Grundy.

The youth team included Gareth Ford (Taunton) Ricky Marke (Wellington) and Tom Davies (Wellington).

Somerset lost to Warwickshire Juniors in the main competition who went on to be the overall champions.

They then played Hertfordshire in the knockout cup and were beaten 23-20.