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)!!!

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Mano--Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas--2018-2019--Week 8

Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas, the premier doubles competition of the 2018-2019 Mano season, began November 23, 2018. 8 teams will compete for the title. The first (league) phase is a double round robin (14 matches). The top 4 finishers will face off in a single round robin (3 matches). The two winners will play in a final on April 7, 2019.

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.

This table is the most up to date of any I've found.

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.

At present, EITB is providing all highlights, in chronological order:

We begin at Week 7 as that was when the 2019 calendar year began. Coverage of the first six weeks is available at 21Iguales.com, and the Baiko Pilota  (formerly Asegarce and ASPE websites. Full match video coverage of all available matches can be found at EITB.

For all available full match videos

"buscar" (search--top right side of page): "binakako" (without the quotes). Look for "2019 Binakako Txapelketa." Matches are usually the second or first match on the video.

Full match videos of earlier finals going back to 2000:

 "buscar" "Binakako Txapelketako finalak" (without the quotes)

Selected full match videos before 2000:

"buscar" "Gure bideoteka" (without the quotes) and scroll until you find them.

For complete print and video coverage of the 2016-17 competition 

Links to all matches available (by week).

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Week 7; Week 8Week 9Week 10; Week 11; Week 12; Week 13; Week 14; Semi-final Round 1; Semi-final Round 2; Semi-final Round 3

Final

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Week 8

January 11, 2019

Bizkaia, Bilbo (Bilbao) (1)(2)

1. Oliazola II-Albisu (6-2 +22) 22 Urrutikoetxea-Aretxabaleta (2-6 -39) 19 (EITB: Match begins at 1:16:30) (Basque)

2, Fronton TV Youtube (Castilian)

Highlights (EITB--first half of video)

Match article (including balls in play, linescore, and scoring (21Iguales)

In a match between two teams going in opposite directions, U-A put up very stiff resistance before O-A finally prevailed, moving them into a first place tie with Elezkano-Rezusta at 6 wins 2 losses. U-A opened with a 6-1 run but O-A equalized at 7. The match was equal at every point to 10. U-A took their last lead at 12-10. O-A finally took the lead at 13-12. From there they stretched it to 21-14. 5 consecutive U-A points made it close, but not close enough as they remained entrenched at the bottom of the table, tied with Ezkurdia-L. Galarza at 2-6. For O-A, Olaiazola II was the hero of the piece with +12 -4. Albisu  played air tight defense with only 1 error after making 8 (or 12 depending on the source) last week. The match was very hotly contested, consuming over 600 balls in play.

January 11

Sahatsaga, Getaria: (1)(2)

Artola-Mariezkurrena II (5-3 +10) 22 Bengoetxea VI-Imaz 11 (3-5 -21) 11 (at present there is no available full match video)

Highlights (EITB--second half of video)

Match article (including balls in play, linescore and scoring) (21Iguales)

At 7-8, B-I were in contention. Then a 6 point run silenced them. From that point A-M closed them out with an 8-3 run to move into a 3rd place tie (5-3) with Irribarria-Zabaleta. Artola was +14 -1 to lead the way. He more than made up for a poor day at the office for Mariezkurrena (+1 -6). Bengoetxea VI had a quiet day (+4 -4).

January 12

Labrit, Iruna (Pamplona) (1)(2)

Altuna III-Martija (3-5 -18) 22 Ezkurdia-L. Galarza (2-6 -17) 15 (EITB: Match begins at 0:00)

Highlights (EITB)

Match article (including balls in play, linescore, and scoring) (21Iguales)

A-M kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a victory that moved them into a tie for 5th place with Bengoetxea VI-Imaz. Their margin of victory moved them ahead on point differential. This was a tightly contested match with E-G slightly ahead at 11-8. But then A-M broke it wide open with a 10 point run. 13 E-G errors kept them at the foot of the table, tied with Urrutikoetxea-Arretxabaleta.

January 13

Atzuri, Zumaia (1)(2)

Elezkano-Rezusta (6-2, +39) 22 Irribaria-Zabaleta (5-3 +24) 19 (EITB--Match begins at 1:03:40)

Highlights (EITB)

Match story (including balls in plan, linescore, and scoring (21Iguales).

In the most important match of the competition so far, I-Z brought a 4 match winning streak that allowed them to tie for the lead into this confrontation. In the early going they had it all their own way at 5-1 and 9-3. E-R fought back to equality at 11 and finally took the lead at 13-12. From there, although I-Z never took the lead, the difference was never more than 3 points until E-R finally opened up a 21-16 lead.  A late rally by I-Z got them to within 3 but then, just as they had done to Oliazola II-Albisu in last week's most important match of the competition, E-R closed the match out to move into a tie for the lead with O-A. E-R have a +17 point differential lead.

E-R face Artola-Marriezkarrena at Iruna (Pamplona) on Saturday, January 19 in Week 9's pivotal game, when, for the third straight week, two teams will fight it out for top of the ladder honors. Technically, E-R will remain at the top no matter what happens, as they have a +29 point differential lead over A-M going into the match. A-M have won 3 of their last 4 (the 22-11 loss coming in a match against E-R in December that Artola missed due to injury). O-A have also won 3 of their last 4, after losing to Irrebarria-Zabeleta last week.