Tollemache Trial Sun 25 Jul and Sun 19 Sep 2010
Revised proposals following DBA committee meeting 30 Nov 2009 and further consultation.Please return comments to Hon Sec by 28 Feb 2010 for a final decision on the format to be taken at the March meeting

The invitation to players to take part in the trials should (i) make clear how many pairs are being selected as a result of the trial and if any other named pairs are pre-selected; (ii) ask for a declaration that they are available and willing to play in the Tollemache qualifier with whoever qualifies or is named as selected; (iii) clarify that the county pays the entry fee and £50 towards expenses but the rest of the hotel and travel bill is down to the players.

The actual team selection
The top 5 pairs after day two of the trials will be selected to represent Devon in the 2010 Tollemache qualifier. Provision will be made for splitting a tie for 5th place.

Day one Sun 25 July
Who plays? DBA would like an entry of 16 pairs. The DBA committee will invite many of the pairs on the basis of their National / County records. Pairs other than the original invitation may play at the discretion of the DBA committee. Any club may nominate further pairs. Any pair not invited may apply to be allowed to play. Table money will be £5.00 per player.

Possible format for day one based on 16 pairs
Each pair will play 4 boards against each other pair giving a total of 60 boards to play.
The first round will be a 8 table Mitchell followed by two 4 table Howell movements with duplimated boards.
Scoring by the Butler (IMP) system. The bottom 4 pairs will be eliminated from Day two.

Day two Sun 19 Sep
Who plays? No more than a quarter of the Day one field will be eliminated.
Scores from day one will be carried forward.

Possible format (1) for day two based on 12 pairs remaining
The remaining pairs will be placed in 3 teams of 8. Each team will play the other (possibly twice to allow more pairs to oppose each other) with cross-imp scoring (as in the Tollemache qualifier). Butler scoring will be used to determine the ranking of the pairs.

Possible format (2) for day one based on 12 pairs remaining
Each pair will play 5 boards against each other pair giving a total of 55 boards to play.
The first round will be a 6 table Mitchell followed by two 3 table Howell movements with duplimated boards.
Scoring by the Butler (IMP) system.

Other notes
Sympathetic consideration may be given to a pair not available for day one and a carry-forward score allocated.
A pair not available for day two should not enter.

Terence Treeby
DBA Hon Sec
4 January 2010

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