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!) SEASON INTRO AND JAI ALAI WOMEN'S WINTER TOUR 2024 (2/22/24)!!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

NEW PAGE ON RIGHT SIDE OF BLOG: Main Nue: Cumulative records of Esku Pilota players

I have added a new recurring results page to the right side of the blog. Main Nue: Cumulative records of Esku Pilota players. The table began with the results from matches played on January 2, 2017.

Esku Pilota keeps a ranking table of its roster based on a weighted scale of their performance in tournaments of ranked difficulty (EP 500, 1000, 2000). A question that I have been interested in is the actual win-loss records of these players, which I have been unable to find compiled anywhere.

I will keep a cumulative record of players for the calendar year. This is,of course, an arbitrary time division. But since Main Nue is played throughout the year, this seems as good a place as any to start. The players will be broken into "A" and "B" categories as listed in the Championnat de France Elite Pro A and B tournaments. Again, this is an arbitrary division, but easier than to try to divide them by the tournaments they play in. If, however, a B player plays in an A tournament (EP 1000 or 2000), his record will be recorded with the A players. The same will be true for A players who play in B tournaments (EP 500 or less). So you may see players listed in both categories. Players will be divided by position (front and back). This table will hopefully entertain and perhaps enlighten a bit.

* not listed on the Esku Pilota player pages at this time.

For the purposes of this table, only matches that are played will be counted.

A Group

Antton Amulet, Philippe Bielle, Bixintxo Bilbao, Pascal de Ezcurra, Baptiste Ducassou, Peio Guichandut, Ximun Lambert, Peio Larralde, Matheiu Ospital, and Agusti Waltery.

B Group

Gregory Aguirre, Jean-Philippe Benesse*, Mickael Darmendrail, Vincent Elgart, Julien Etchegaray, Alexis Inchauspe, Laurent Lambert, Cedric Lucu, Alain Migueltorena, Antton Monce, Mattin Olcomendy*, and Mickael Palomes

Main Nue: FFPB Championnat de France Elite Pro Individuel "A" and "B" competitions begins

The Main Nue Individuel Elite Pro Championnat de France A and B competition is sponsored by the  Federation Francaise de Pelote Basque (FFPB). The competition began on December 23, 2016 and will end on February 20, 2017. You can follow its progress here. Note: the "progress here" link has been changed to a (hopefully) persistent URL that covers the entire tournament. That link is now present in every MNIEP CDF post.  (Added March 18, 2017).

Pelotelive.free.fr also provides A and B coverage. The tournament is a seeded ladder tournament.

* not listed on the Esku Pilota player pages at this time.

The A group consists of Antton Amulet, Philippe Bielle, Bixintxo Bilbao, Pascal de Ezcurra, Baptiste Ducassou, Peio Guichandut, Ximun Lambert, Peio Larralde, Matheiu Ospital, and Agusti Waltary. The seeds, from low to high are: Amulet and Ospital (1/8), Bilbao and Waltary (Quarter-finals), and Larralde and Ducassou ("Liguilla").

The B group consists of Gregory Aguirre, Jean-Philippe Benesse*, Mickael Darmendrail, Vincent Elgart, Julien Etchegaray, Alexis Inchauspe, Laurent Lambert, Cedric Lucu, Alain Migueltorena, Antton Monce, Mattin Olcomendy*, and Mickael Palomes. The seeds, from low to high are: Darmendrail and L. Lambert (1/8), Palomes and Inchauspe (Quarter-finals), and Elgart and Monce ("Liguilla").

The "Liguilla" phase is a round robin among the top 4 finishers (two who win their way in and two who are seeded in) which will determine the finalists.

Article describing the competition (Esku Pilota)

Barriage (non-seeded play-in):

December 23, 2016:

Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle (1) (2)

B1: Olcomendy defeated Lucu 40-18

December 30, 2016:

Arcangues (1) (2)

Background article (Pilota Ttiki)


B2: Aguirre defeated Olcomendy 40-35

A1: Guichandut defeated Bielle 40-25

Match article for both matches (Pilota Ttiki)

January 2, 2017

Le Garat, St. Jean-Pied-de-Port (1) (2)

B3: Benesse defeated Migueltorena via a forfeit.


In place of that match as a "lever de rideau" (curtain raiser) for the A2 match, Monce (seeded into the "liguilla" phase of the B tournament) played against Benesse instead.

Monce defeated Benesse 40-33

Note that Benesse was scheduled to play Darmendrail in the 1/8 level on January 9, 2017 at the Garat. Darmendrail has dropped out of the tournament due to a cyst operation. Benesse has been scheduled for another "lever de rideau" v Elgart (also seeded into the "liguilla phase of the B tournament) subject to confirmation. Benesse's next match in the tournament will be the Quarter-final v  Palomes at the Garat on January 16. If all of this falls into place, Benesse could be playing a quarter final having already played both players seeded in at the "liguilla" level. See the above link to the FFPB results page to see how the liguilla works.

A2: de Ezcurra defeated X. Lambert 40-35

Match article for both matches (Pilota Ttiki)

Match statistics for A2 (Source: H. Ocafrain via Goizeko Izarra's "lundi" page). Note these statistics will only be available until the next "lundi" match. They were

Decade linescores and equalities (Ocafrain) interspersed with selected line scores provided by Pilota Ttiki (winner always listed 1st):

7-3; 13-7; 14-7; 14-14, 15-15, 17-17; 19-21; 20-22; 22-22 26-22; 26-24 26-26; 27-27; 32-28; 37-33; 40-35

Time of the match: 1 hour, 8 minutes. Actual playing time: 29 minutes

Scoring:

de Ezcurra +32 (8 service aces, 4 egindakoak, 1 xareat, 8 pumpa xare, 1 ziloat, 3 buruzgain, 2 motz, 5 izkin motz) -5
X. Lambert +30 (7 service aces, 10 egindakoak, 1 xareat, 2 pumpa xare, 3 dejadez, 1 motz, 6 izkin motz) -8

de Ezcurra had the initiative for most of the match, but Lambert kept fighting back. The last decade consisted of de Ezcurra protecting the small lead he had built earlier. 

Mano--Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas--Week 5

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 end. 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 1Week 2Week 3; Week 4;

Week 5

December 30, 2016

A. Etxeberri Municipal (1)(2): Bengoetxea VI-Larunbe defeated Elezkano II-Zabaleta 22-18

Match article with statistics and linescore

With Bengoetxea VI leading the way with +13 -2 B-L built leads of  8-3 and 19-13. Then they held off an E-Z rally to win. B-L were hampered by 8 Larunbe errors.  B-L 2-3 (+1) E-Z 2-3 (-1)..

Match highlights (EITB)

Full match video (match begins at 55 minutes, 45 seconds on the video)

December 31, 2016

B. Bizkaia, Bilbo (Bilbao) (1)(2): Irribaria-Rezusta defeated  Urrutikoetxea-Imaz 22-21.

Match article with statistics and linescore

In a great match with 3 lead changes, I-R came back the last time, from almost certain defeat (19-21) to win by the mininum. U-I are now 1-2 as a team after U-Berioz began at 0-2. Imaz is a powerful striker of the ball who can return it with ease from the far reaches of the court. U-I are in  a very deep hole in this competition, but they are by no means out of it. I-R are playing fabulous Mano at the moment.  I-R 5-0 (+5) U-I 1-4 (-2)

Match highlights

Full Match video (match begins at 1:23:37 on the video)

January 1, 2017

C. Astelena, Eibar (1)(2): Altuna III-Barriola defeated Ezkurdia-Merino II 22-18.

Match article with statistics and linescore

Altuna III returned after 4 weeks out with a knee injury and immediately made his presence felt. E-M were ahead 10-4 when the match was delayed by Barriola becoming sick to his stomach. When he returned, A-B kicked their game into high gear, outscoring E-M 18-8. Altuna III led all scorers with +13 in an a battle of attrition that consumed 675 balls in play and lasted a little short of an hour and a half. A-B 2-3 (+1) E-M 2-3 (-1)


Match highlights

Full match video (match begins at 55:22 on the video).

 January 2, 2017

D. Beotibar, Tolosa (1)(2): Oliazola II-Untoria defeated Victor (substituting for Artola)-Albisu 22-9

Match article with statistics and linescore (Deia)

A 9-0 run took the score from 8-6 to 17-6 and O-U cruised home from there. 12 V-A errors, including several errors in attack by Victor made O-U's day easier. O-U 3-2 (+1)A-A 3-2 (-1).

Match highlights

Match highlights (21iguales.com) (5 selected points)