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, February 27, 2019

Mano--Binakako Txapelketako/Campionato Parejas--2018-2019--Week 14

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

Final

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Week 14

Injury report:


February 24, 2019

Atano III, Donostia (San Sebastian) (1) (2)

Bengoetxea VI-Imaz (#7) (4-10 -55) 18 (EITB--match begins at 48:45)

Highlights (EITB)


3-0; 3-1; 6-1; 6-2 (B VI makes fantastic save) 6-4; 7-4; 7-5; 11-5; 11-6; 12-6; 14-7; 16-7; 16-15; 17-15; 17-16 (B VI makes another great save) 20-16; 20-18; 22-18

EITB scoring:

Altuna III +10 -7; Martija +3 -3
Bengoetxea VI +6 -6; Imaz +2 -3

Balls in play: 470. Time of match 56:09

By the time this last match of the League phase was played, A-M's equation was simple. Win and move on. Lose and go home. And with that in mind they did just what they needed to do. But it wasn't easy. B-I, playing for nothing but pride, gave A-M all they could handle late into the match. Trailing 7-16, B-I suddenly caught fire, scoring 8 consecutive points, but at that point, A-M held firm, never surrendering the lead, and finishing with a 5-1 flourish. Bengoetxea VI showed why he will be missed in the post season, making two almost impossible saves (see above), showing great hustle and desire even as this train wreck of a competition ends for his team. He made some errors on easy kill shots that might have changed the outcome, but then so did Altuna III (who made more errors than in his previous 3 matches combined). In fact almost half the points in the match were the result of errors. But in the cauldron of the last few points, A-M got the job done. An early 5 match losing streak left them at 2-5. On January 19, 2019 (Week 9), A-M were crushed by Oliazola II-Albisu at Bilbo (Bilbao) 22-9, in a match were Oliazola II was +15 -1. Their record was 3-6, their season seemingly over. They then won their last 5 consecutive matches, beginning with a 22-20 win over Irribarria-Zabaleta. Two weeks later they had their best performance of the competition, steamrolling League winners Elezkano-Rezusta 22-8. During the 5 matches Altuna III averaged (various sources) +9 -3. In the win over I-Z he was +11 -3. Against E-R he was +10 -2 (source for both: 21Iguales.com). A-M are a good team that is playing well at the right time. They know they can win against their semi-final opponents. It will be interesting to see how well they do. 

February 23, 2019

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

Artola-Mareizkurrena II (#5) (7-7 +5) 21 (EITB--match begins at 55:09)

No highlights available


Linescore (21Iguales Twitter) (winners always listed first)

1-01-12-12-23-23-33-44-44-66-66-77-79-79-810-810-913-913-1015-1015-1116-1116-12 (E-R eliminated due to point diffential even if they win)16-1517-1517-1718-1718-18 18-1919-1921-19; 21-2122-21

Scoring (EITB)

Ezkurdia +7 -6; L. Galardis +1 -2
Artolola +10 -10; Mariezkurrena +3 -4

Balls in Play: 525. Time of match: 65:33

In one of the most exciting and entertaining (if not artistic) matches of the competition, E-G outlasted A-M by the minimum. In the space of about 30 minutes, each team, as it tuned out, eliminated the other from contention for the last Semi-final League place. E-G were eliminated due to point differential when A-M scored their 12th point. At that point A-M had a 3 point run (16-12--16-15) and there was every reason to believe they would close out the match. But it didn't happen that way. E-G, with nothing left to play for, held on to their lead, and even increased it to 21-19. But then an Ezkurdia error and Artola service ace set up the final point, one of the best points of the entire competition. As the crowd roared the point consumed 66 balls in play. Finally Ezkurdia finished the match with a perfect cross court kill shot, a shot that ultimately ended the Semi-final League aspirations of A-M. In the over 2 minutes of that final point, everyone forgot about the 22 errors made in the match, over half the total points. What they will remember for a long time to come is the quality of that point. This was easily the best BP match of the week (see the Match of the Week on the right side of the blog). 

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Auzoeta, Ataun (1) (2)

Irribarria-Zabaleta (#2) (9-5 +64) 22 Victor (substituting for Oliazola II-Albisu (#3)(8-6 +10) 18. 

No full match video is available at this time.

No highlights available.

Selected linescore (baikupilota Twitter) (winners always listed first)

1-2; 4-4; 6-6; 9-12; 9-14; 11-17; 14-17; 16-17; 19-17; 21-18; 22-18


For a while Victor-Albisu's Semi-final League chances were in jeopardy after this loss. Wins by Artola-Mariezkurrena II and Altuna III-Martija would have V-A outside looking in just a week after a famous victory over Elezkano-Rezusta seemingly saved their season. As it worked out, V-A ended up with that playoff place when the dust settled. For I-Z, it was a tremendous confidence building win, built on the foundation of an 11-1 run at the very end. Statistically the match was exactly even, except for 4 more errors by Albisu than Zabaleta.  A win like this over a Semi-final League opponent is the best possible way for I-Z to end the League phase. 

February 22, 2019

Zubikoa, Onati (1) (2)


Fronton TV (Castilian)

No highlights available

Linescore (winners always listed first)

4-0; 4-6; 11-6; 11-8; 12-8; 12-10; 13-10; 13-12; 14-12; 14-14; 22-14 (21iguales Twitter)

EITB scoring:

Elezkano II +16 -0 Rezusta +0 -5
Urrutikoetxea +7 -2 Aretxabaleta +2 -4

Balls in play: 428; Time of match: 53:37


E-R regained some confidence going into the post season. They had lost their previous 2 matches and were actually behind Irribarria-Zabaleta's point differential. Their seemingly inevitable 1st place League finish was suddenly in doubt. But Danel Elezkano (one of this Players of the Week--see the right side of the blog) was having none of it. He had a phenomenal mach (+16 -0) and took over the match when it was tied at 14. E-R scored the last 8 points of the match to win easily and clinch the League phase. 

Interestingly, three of the four Semi-final League qualifiers are coming in with great confidence because of the way they won their final match. The Semi-final League, a 3 week, single round robin, will determine the finalists in the competition. It begins on March 10. 

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Final League phase table

(1) Elezkano II-Rezusta (10-4 +55)
(2) Irribarria-Zabaleta (9-5 +64)
(3) Oliazola II-Albisu (8-6 +10)
(4) Altuna III-Martija (8-6 +4)
5 Artola-Mariezkurrena (7-7 +5)
6 Ezkurdia-L. Galarza (7-7 -4)
7 Bengoetxea VI-Imaz (4-10 -55)
8 Urrutikoetxea-Aretxabaleta (3-11 -79)