WELSH NATIONAL TRIPLES 2018

The WPA National Welsh Triples was held at held at Caerleon R.F.C. Petanque Club on Sunday 24 June in perfect sunny weather conditions.

The event was contested by very experienced players who have previously represented Wales at World and European and International events and a young promising junior team of Lewis Ellar, Harley Ellar and Mathew Clare

Their first game against Smith, Beresford & Tomczyk was closely contested with good play from both sides. Despite exceptional pointing of Mathew Clare and Harley Ellar and the accurate shooting by Lewis Ellar they found themselves trailing 10 – 12 in the later part of the game.

In the last end with the game on the floor and the opposition out of boules the captain of the junior side (Lewis Ellar) in consultation with his team took the decision and asked his younger brother Harley to shoot the holding boule of the opposing team, without hesitation Harley shot and with a spot carreau on the holding boule his team 2 points and with 1 boule to play. With the score now at 12-12 and with one boule left to play Harley showed great composure and pointed the last boule and snatched victory for the team.

They continued in this form throughout the day setting up a game against Westall, Clare and Field (favourites for the title who had also not lost a game. True to form the young side went in to a commanding lead against the favourites and despite a surge of points from their opposition they held their nerve and secured a win

1 game to go and a win would secure the title.

Unlike in their earlier games the young side found themselves 2-9 down, was it 1 game to far, the team of Bevan, Wheeler and Wilkinson were not for following in the same  way of the teams that the boys had faced in the earlier rounds. Although it seemed that they were heading towards defeat they stuck to the task in hand and again exceptional pointing by Clare and Ellar combined with the shooting of Lewis Ellar they fought their way back into the game and went on to win 13 -10, a clean sweep for the day securing the national title, the youngest team to do so in the history of Welsh Petanque

Thank you all participants for their support which made for a very exciting competition and congratulations to our 2018 National Triples Champions Mathew Clare, Harley Ellar and Lewis Ellar