ENGLAND A v ROMANIA
Darren & Karl v Babken & Iaon (pron: eewun) [Big bald guy, looks like a TV Villian)
My prediction: 9-3 to England A
Lag: Darren barely wins the lag.
Frame 1: Karl breaks. Makes a ball, 1 is on. Undercut a bit, Karl with a tricky 2 now. Just makes it. Some work to do. Darren hooks Karl on the 6 after an unlucky extraction of the 6. Romainia now with a long 6. Babken knocks it in center pocket, a different player tonight. And Romania clears: 1-0 Romania.
Frame 2: Babken breaks, makes a ball and nicely on the 1. 3-5 cluster a challenge. Babken plays a great 2 railer to get onto the 3 ball, but it's not actually on, so Iaon locks the CB behind the 5 ball, hooking Eng A well. Darren raises his cue, goes 2 rails, cuts the 3 but is unlucky to scratch. Romania should clear the last 6 open balls with BIH. They clear and lead 2-0.
Frame 3: Iaon breaks dry but hooks Eng A on the 1. Eng push to a hard 1 pot. Rom sends Eng back. Darren hooks with a nice safe. Babken jumps, hits the 1, jags the 7 in. Iaon plays a safe and hooks Eng on the 1 ball. Karl swerves to hit the 1, but leaves a long shot on it. Babken not quite Hendry and misses and leaves a 1-4 combo. England should clear up. Karl fluffs the 5 to 8 position and hangs his head while Darren plays a snooker. Nice kick by Iaon but leaves Karl the 8. England gets on the board. 1-2
Frame 4: Darren breaks, makes a ball. A tricky 1 ball for Karl. He makes it, but leaves a very fine cut on the 2 ball. Darren hooks behind the 5 like a vice. Babken hits the 2 via 3 rails across and back. Karl plays safe. Iaon tries to but leaves Darren a long straight rail shot. Straight in, Karl on a tester 3 ball, makes it, a tester 4 for Darren but he should make it and Eng A should be out. Darren makes it but leaves Karl a hard angle from 5 to 6 and Karl does well to draw 10 feet diagonally to get on the 6, and they clear and even up the score 2-2.
Frame 5: Karl wet breaks, Darren plays 2 into the side and gets nicely on the 3 going up and down with the CB. They should clear. wow, Karl plays a safe... wasn't a gimme shot, needed some english, but they didn't want to risk it. Iabken leaves a bank, but Darren plays a nice hook instead. Iaon jumps, gets safe, but
leaves his cue butt under the rail and the 3 ball hits it. LOL.... FOUL, and Karl plays awful position from 3 to 4. Darren recovers it. England clear and lead 3-2 and Karl wondering what is going on with guys leaving their butt on the table to foul. OMG
Frame 6: Darren with a masterclass break, makes 1 ball in the side and perfect on the 2 ball. Should clear. They do, and lead 4-2.
Frame 7: Karl smashes them and it's dry, and leaves a nice shot on the 1. He looks to the sky and curses Mickey Frost. Babken makes the 1 and they call and extension on an easy shot for some reason, had to raise the butt off the rail was all. Need to dance around a few balls to clear. Babken looking like a different player tonight, I suspect because nothing to lose now. Romania manages the out, though not very precisely, and are now just 1 behind. 4-3.
Frame 8: Babken foot shuffles and then makes a wing ball and gets on the 1. Shape to 2 ball hard, and Iaon makes the 1 in the corner, and caroms the 8 and cue ball into the opposite side pocket. England should clear up now with BIH. They do, in style, and lead 5-3.
Frame 9: Darren breaks dry. 1 is safe. Babken leaves an edge. Karl almost hooks, a fine edge maybe available. Iaon kicks and CB finishes 1/2 inch from the 1 ball. Darren masse's but it's declared a push shot. Video not conclusive from what I saw. Anyway, Iaon misses an easy 2 ball and Eng A should clear now. They do and lead 6-3. My prediction stays alive.
Frame 10:... will continue this in a new post, to keep up to date with conversations on the thread.