“The English team captained by Jason Hackett has won the 2015 NEC Cup in Yokohama (Japan). Hackett played with Brian Senior, John Holland and Gunnar Hallberg. They defeated in the final match England/Netherlands (David Bakhashi, David Gold, Ricco van Prooijen, Louk Verhees) by 124-115.”
The account of the thrilling finals by Rich Colker and Barry Rigal from the Bridge Bulletin of the NEC Bridge Festival:
“Team Hackett (Jason Hackett, Brian Senior, John Holland, Gunnar Hallberg) had been running through the field here for four days straight. They qualified first in the Swiss more than 14VP ahead of the second, they won their quarter-final match by a score of 94-17, and as if that wasn’t enough they beat up on their semi-final opponents to the tune of 78-5. Could anyone have thought that the final would be any different? Especially since they were playing the team that had qualified last for the KOs (less than 1VP ahead of the next team), that had won their quarter-final match by 89-45 but their semi-final match only by 67-54. Who would have thought the final would be so close? Who? The Junior Editor, that’s who! He predicted a close match and indeed the event hung on the final deal, where Justin Hackett had to find a critical shift at trick two give his partner a ruff or those last place qualifiers, England/Netherlands (David Bakhshi, David Gold, Ricco van Prooijen Louk Vehees), would have been the champions. Well, Jason found the right shift and the rest is history, but the runners-up were no slouches and they thrilled the VuGraph audience—and both of your Editors—and treated us all to a final to remember. Congratulations to the champs and the runners-up, and thanks for a thrilling ride.”
This is the last deal where Jason found the right shift bringing the victory to the Hackett Team:
North
D. Gold
♠AKQJ
♥Q97532
♦53
♣
West East
J. Hackett B. Senior.
♠8 ♠96432
♥8 ♥A64
♦AQJ109742 ♦
♣A105 ♣Q9832
South
D. Bakhshi
♠1073
♥KJ10
♦K86
♣KJ64
West North East South
1♦ 1♥ 1♠ 2♦
3♦ 4♥ PASS PASS
Results of the Manila Pen winners for February 18, 2015
Winston Arpon-Aiko Taylor
Justo Manlongat-Susan Kwee
For the Cambridge Club on February 19, 2015
Hiranthi Samarasingha-Nalin Samarasingha
Bernie Conroy-John McPhedran
Paul Potassy-Gemma Tan
sylvia.alejandro@yahoo.com/sylgen717@gmail.com