This is a current awareness blog that links to the latest sources of information on Basque Pelota matches and Tournaments. It covers all of both North and South Basque modalities: Pro and amateur. It links to match stories, statistics and video highlights and/or full match videos. NEW!!! JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WINTER SERIES--OCTOBER 2024--FEBRAURY 2025!!!

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Mano--Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas--Week 13

Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas, the premier doubles competition of the 2016-2017 Mano season, began December 2, 2016. 8 teams compete for the title. The first (league) phase is a double round robin (14 matches). The top 4 finishers will then face off in a single round robin (3 matches). The two winners will play in a final on April 9, 2017.

Asegarce Competition Page

Asegarce League phase table

ASPE League phase table

Wikipedia Competition Page (Castilian)

Full ongoing league phase table (with total points and differential):

Source for all match articles, unless otherwise specifically stated, is 21iguales.com  21iguales.com will also keep an ongoing phase table at its main Parejas site and with every match article.

Match linescores will be provided from match articles when available. Full match linescores can be found at 21iguales.com Twitter feed.  Track back to the date and match and follow from beginning to en The feed is also available at the Main site of 21iguales.com while the matches are in progress.

Source for all highlights and full match videos, unless otherwise specifically stated, is EITB.

Week 1;  Week 2;  Week 3;  Week 4;  Week 5;  Week 6;  Week 7Week 8 ; Week 9 ; Week 10;  Week 11; Week 12

Week 13

February 25, 2017

A.  Labrit, Iruna (Pamplona) (1) (2): Olaizola II-Untoria defeated Ezkurdia-Merino II 22-16

Match article with statistics and linescore

In a long (almost 80 minutes) battle of attrition (over 700 balls in play), O-U forged a small lead in the first half of the match and were able to increase it in the second half. They won a match that was vital to their chances to make the Semi-final League. Ezkurdia made 3 crucial attacking errors on what looked to be easy finishing shots from between the 2 and 3 line, each of which derailed his team's momentum. The error at 20-16 (1:24:15--1:24:45 on the EITB video) was especially damaging. The final point of the match (1:25:05--1:29:18) was a great illustration of  how ferocious the fight for points was. It consumed 69 balls in play and was marked by several incredible saves, before Oliazola II finished it with a brilliant 2 wall winner. Neither team can afford to lose their final match.

O-U 6-7- +4 (+1)  E-M 6-7 +21 (-1)

Match highlights

Full match video (EITB) (Basque)

Full match video (fronton.tv) (Castilian) Scroll to "Labrit-Pamplona - 25/02/2017"

February 26, 2017

B. Astelena, Eibar (1)(2): Irribarria-Rezusta defeated Artola-Albisu 22-19


Artola returned after a 9 week absence due to a dislocated shoulder. I-R were not at their best (7 errors between the two, according to 21iguales.com), but still had enough to win a match which was no more than a tuneup for the Semi-final League for them. A-A's 10 combined errors did not help their cause. They now face a do or die match against Olaizola II-Untoria next week.

I-R 11-2 +64 (+4)!   A-A 6-7- -21 (-3)

! guaranteed 1st place in the League phase

Match highlights

Full match video (EITB) (match begins at 29:02 on the video)

February 27, 2017

C. Beotibar, Tolosa (1)(2Urrutikoetxea-Imaz defeated Elezkano II-Zabaleta 22-19.

Match article with statistics and linescore

This was a match in 3 parts, one that U-I had to win to stay alive in the hunt for a Semi-final League place. They took a 9-3 lead, only to fall behind after an 8-0 run by E-Z. U-I then answered with a 5-0 run of their own. From 14-11, they were able to hold their lead to the end. Winners of 3 consecutive matches, U-I have now joined 4 other teams with 6 wins, but they have the worst point differential of the 4. There is almost no way into the Semi-finals for them. They need to defeat Irribarria-Rezusta by a big score and hope a lot of other matches fall their way. Even if, as seems likely, they do not make the Semi-finals, they have done very well for themselves after the team (Urrutikoetxea with Berioz and then Imaz) began the competition with 5 defeats in their first 6 matches.

U-I 6-7- -31 (+3) E-Z 6-7 +37 (-1 )

Match highlights (EITB)

Match highlights (21iguales Youtube) (11 selected points, including the final point.

There was no full match video for this match.

February 28, 2017

D.  Beotibar, Tolosa (1)(2): Bengoetxea VI-Larunbe defeated  Altuna III-Barriola 22-17

Match article with statistics and linescore

B-L recovered from their crushing defeat at the hands of Ezcurdia-Merino II last week to win this match and move into 2nd place in the League (7-6), the only team except for Irribarria-Resusta to have a winning record. 4 teams are right behind them at 6-7. B-L play one of those teams, Elezkano-Zabaleta, next week. A win guarantees B-L a place in the Semi-final League. A loss and it will be "get out the calculators" to figure out who moves on and who goes home. A 10-0 run gave the winners a 19-13 lead and they cruised home from there. 8 Altuna III errors did not help his team's cause. They have now lost 6 matches in a row, as Barriola prepares for his final Mundial Parejas match.

B-L 7-6- -8 (+1)  A-B 4-9 -66 (-6)

Match highlights (EITB)

Match highlights (21iguales.com) (11 selected points, including the final point).

There was no full match video for this match.