The Zarine & Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League 2016
Park Club stun Bombay Gym in three-point thriller
Rohan Jambusaria
Park Club ‘Beach Boys Also’ stunned Bombay Gymkhana ‘Phantoms’ 550-547 in a thrilling Group H home tie, in the second week of the BSAM-organised Zarine & Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League.
Playing with a combined handicap of +265, Park Club lost their first two ties when Vinay Kalro lost to world professional No. 6 Nalin Patel and skipper Pramod Mhatre went down to Malkeet Singh in the 200-up contests. But Satyen Chabria, playing with a handicap of +90, shocked formidable Chintan Jhaveri (+40) 251-237 in a nail-biting finish in the concluding third tie to give Beach Boys Also a surprise three-point win.
Taken aback by the reverse, Phantoms later avenged their defeat when they overcame Beach Boys Also 550-523 in their home match in another tight contest.
In other close encounters, Chembur Gymkhana ‘Gladiators’ beat Khar Gymkhana ‘Wizards of Hazards’ 492-485 in an away Group B tie, JVPG ‘Jugglers’ beat Park Club ‘Beach Boys’ 685-671 in a Group A at home, and Garware Club ‘Geniicians’ overcame Chembur Gymkhana ‘Titans’ 659-642, while Khar Gymkhana ‘Pocket Rockets’ beat DPCG ‘Bawajis’ 771-751 in Group C in home matches.
Rohan Jambusaria fired the week’s highest break of 99 and led MCF ‘Tough Men’ to home and away wins over PG ‘The Novices’ to top Group G with 10 points. Junior national champion and IBSF world under-21 runner-up Ishpreet Singh Chadha of Khar Gymkhana ‘Wizards of Hazards’ hit a break of 84 followed by Chembur Gymkhana Titans’ Shekhar Krishnan’s 78, Nalin Patel’s 72 and an unfinished 70, and SPG Gentlemen’s Shekhar Surve’s 71.