The 2006 Britannia Top 16 invitation tournament took place at the Dome on Saturday 25th.February 2006.

Following report courtesy of Andy Dosher.

Two late inclusions to this years top 16 event, Norfolk’s Ian Mclean and Essex's Peter Hayden made the event stronger, both players featuring prominently in the days procedings.

The first half of the days play was based around a round robin event with four groups of four players.

In group one the matches were fairly routine as Ian Mclean the number one seed and Fred Dove seeded five came first and second respectively to qualify for the championship section. Cambridgeshire’s Martin Freeland had caused Mclean a few problems taking the second leg in their game, while Jon Hill had taken the third leg against Dove in their encounter.

In group two Mark Lewis pushed Andrew Dosher all the way coming from 2 games down to lead 3-0 in the decider before going down, while in the battle for first and second Dosher took the first leg off number two seed Andy Wignall before going down 3-1.

Group three was thrown into turmoil as it finished with three players each winning one game and losing two games with number three seed Dave Cole winning all his matches as group winner. After beating Gary Young 3-1 Andrew Warner had gone down 3-2 to Norfolk’s Rod Hamilton. Fortunately for Warner, Young beat Hamilton 3-2 and after count-back Warner went through.

In the fourth group there were two outstanding matches, Hayden went 0-2 down to Brown in convincing style but started to play the defensive style better to win the next two sets just as easily, and in a tight finish it was Hayden that won 11-9. In the final match Hayden completed three wins in his group beating former champion Martin Gray in a seeding upset by 3-1.

In the first quarter final Mclean was a convincing 3-0 winner over Warner where the class of the former Scottish international really showed.

In the second quarter it swung both ways as Hayden got off to a good start over Dosher, but Dosher reeled off a number of points at the end of the second to take it 7, and in the third set Dosher ran away with it. Hayden however eventually steamed the tide with some deft touches to win 3-2.

The third quarter also went to five sets as big hitters Gray & Cole both went for their big shots as this game also twisted like an eel. Cole saved games points in the third set, but then had to settle for second best, Gray forcing a number of errors winning 11-8 in the fifth.

In the fourth quarter Wignall played the pimpled bat of Dove comfortable to win 3-0.

In the semi's Mclean proved too consistent for Hayden winning 3-0, though Hayden pushed him all the way in the first set, while in the other semi Wignal came through againt Gray 3-1.

Before the final Gray got revenge for his group defeat by Hayden, in the play off's for third & fourth, played in a good atmosphere. Hayden again showed his coolness of blocking to force a fifth end but Gray ran out a comfortable winner in the decider.

In the final Mclean was looking to go one better than he did seven years ago when in the first top 16 final he went down to Chinese player Brook Zhen Shea, while Wignall was looking to make it three wins in this event.

Mclean started off positively looping consistently and powerfully from difficult angles to take the first set at 4. Wignall got closer in the next set but such was Mclean’s quality that the feeling was that even when he went behind he was always able to come back reeling of a number of points which proved to be the case. This was the pattern in the third set with Mclean’s pace and quality in rallying a constant threat and he won the final 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 to become this seasons Top16 champion.

Scores from the dome :

QUARTER FINALS:

Mclean beat Warner 11-2, 11-4, 11-8.

Hayden beat Dosher 11-4, 7-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-4.

Gray beat Cole 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8.

Wignall beat Dove 11-5, 11-3, 11-8.

SEMI FINALS:

Mclean beat Hayden 13-11, 11-4, 11-6.

Wignall beat Gray 11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6.

FINAL:

Ian Mclean beat Andy Wignall 11-4, 11-9, 11-9.

3rd & 4th Martin Gray beat Peter Hayden 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3.

5th & 6th Dave Cole beat Andrew Warner 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.

7th & 8th Andrew Dosher beat Fred Dove 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.

9th &10th Ian Brown beat Ken Lewis 11-5, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9.

11th & 12th Andrew Holmes beat Rob Hamilton 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-13, 11-7.

13th & 14th Jon Hill beat Gary Young 5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8.

15th & 16th Martin Freeland beat Mark Lewis 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10.