The South London & Kent Pool Alliance summer 2017 season started this week and last summers season's Elite League champions, Hotshots started where they left off with a win against newly promoted, Royal Oak.

It was a great game played In the right atmosphere, with Hotshots taking the first set, 3-2.

Royal Oak pulled It back and took the lead overall by winning the first two frames of the second set but Hotshots dug deep and won the next three frames to take the set by the same score as the first, to open up a 6-4 lead In frames.

The Oak brought It back to, 6-5 with the first frame of the final set, however Hotshots finished the set stronger, yet again, taking the last four frames for a, 3-0 In sets & 10-5 In frames victory.

Neil Hall and Connor Hewson were the main reason that Hotshots started this season where they finished the last, at the top, with three frame wins each and they were supported by Steve Krishnan, who won two of his three frames.

Despite the loss, Royal Oak still had two unbeaten players, Steve Heather and Phil Tworek, with Tworek's including a spectacular six ball clearance, when his opponent's black was sitting over a pocket and some of his balls were sitting tight on the cushion.

The two sides that were promoted from Tier Two West, Eltham Terrace Rovers and Bellegrove Social Club faced each other In the first Elite League fixture this season and It was the division champions, Rovers who took the early bragging rights.

Ryan Francis' hat-trick and Lee Osborn's unbeaten brace helped Rovers to a, 2-1 & 9-6 triumph.

Also finishing, 2-1 & 9-6 was the match between anotherTerrace team, last winter season's champions, Eltham Terrace Club A and new to the SLKPA, Falcons, who started the better, taking a, 3-2 lead In the first set.

However, Terrace replied with a, 4-1 victory In the second set and a, 3-2 one In the third to continue their great form from the winter Into the summer season.

The final match In the Elite League was an Incredibly close affair between two teams from the same venue, as Falconwood Club played hosts to Falconwood.

I would say It was a game of two halves but as we play over three sets that would be difficult however, the home side got out of the blocks quicker, taking the first set, 4-1.

Falconwood fought hard though and matched that score In the second set, to tie the match at one all In sets and five all In frames.

The home side regathered and won the first three frames of the final set to clinch the match, before Falconwood took the last two frames for an overall score of, 2-1 In sets & 8-7 In frames to Falconwood Club.

Even though the match was so close, Stacy Redman managed an unbeaten three out of three and Barry Barham two out of three for the victors.

With no Tier Three this season, all of the remaining teams were placed In SLKPA's Tier Two East and West and last season's Tier Three champions, Sharks got off to a great start In Tier Two West.

They won the first four frames of the first set, with Happy Hustlers, Matt Prince preventing the whitewash.

Sharks went on to take the second set by the same score to have the match won by the end of the set, with Hustlers Captain, Angie Hobbs preventing the whitewash this time, although no one could do this In the final set, with Sharks winning all five frames to win the match, 3-0 & 13-2.

Sharks finished the match with four unbeaten players, Jeff Laporte and Arif Salih, winning all three of their frames and Kevin Dempsey and Alex Dobbins, scoring two out of two, with Dobbins on his debut for them.

Hustlers B were much happier than the Happy Hustlers, as they stormed to their own big win against, Academicals.

The first set was quite close, with Hustlers taking It, by three frames to two but the damage was done In the second set, as Hustlers whitewashed It to take an unassailable, 8-2 lead In frames.

The final set went the same way as the first, giving Hustlers the, 3-0 & 11-4 victory.

Gary Mason was the only one to come out with any credit for Academicals, winning half of their four frames.

It was a good night for the Biggs family, as Alex won both of his frames and dad Trevor scored a hat-trick with Joe Kane joining him.

Also running out, 3-0 & 11-4 winners were Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, beating Fox & Hounds.

A, 3-2 victory In the second set was sandwiched by, 4-1 triumphs In the first and last set, with Glen Ward preventing the whitewash in the first set and Neil Shelton In the third.

Nuthouse Captain, Craig Jones was on form, with three out of three, as was Jon Syta and they were supported by Shane O'Reilly and Louis Wilbourne, both winning two of their three frames.

Even though each set was won by the same, 4-1 score line, the match between Bellegrove A and Crayford Social Club Rugrats was much closer than the score suggests Bellegrove rode their luck In the first set but each of their four players won a frame to take It, 4-1.

Rugrats levelled the match by reversing the first set score, with Bellegrove's only winner being Terry Mitchell, on his way to an unbeaten hat-trick.

The four man Bellegrove team kicked on again In the final set, taking all the frames they could to win the match, 2-1 & 9-6.

New Captain, Steve Hughes was really pleased with the team's performance and he was joined by Steve Redout and John Skuza In winning two of their three frames, backing up Mitchell's perfect performance.

Following their first ever relegation, Pickwick started their first ever season outside the top division, in SLKPA Tier Two East, with a bang, after a, 3-0 and 11-4 triumph over Foots Cray Social Club.

The score didn't reflect how close the match was, as Pickwick only had a slender, 6-4 lead after the second set but they whitewashed the final set, 5-0 to make It look more emphatic.

Paul Gafa and Billy Levingbird both finished the night on three out of three and Ash Hall was also unbeaten, winning both of his frames.

Bellegrove Flyers also got off to a flying start, with a 3-0 & 9-6 victory over CSC Mr's & Miss Q's.

Paul Dawson and Richard Marsh got their individual season's off to a flyer by winning all three of their frames and they were backed up by Keith Mitchell, who won two of his three.

Rose Inn have started the season on a high after beating SLKPA stalwarts, Eltham Terrace Rack Pack by 2 sets to 1 and 10 frames to 5.

Neil Mundy was the player of the night, after he held his nerve to win a set decider, on his way to a three out of three performance and he was joined by Dean Taylor on the same score.

North Heath Social Club put In a great performance against Falconwood Club A, taking the first two sets, 4-1 to have the match won by the end of the second set.

North Heath took their chances In the first two sets but Falconwood fought back In the final set, taking it by 3 frames to 2, giving North Heath an overall, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph.

Brett Crawley was the star of the show for the victors, winning all three of his frames.

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 with any queries.

The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.