Norwich Pair Take Runners-Up Spot at Anglia Fixed Coche Open

Norwich Pétanque Club was well represented at one of Anglia’s more unusual competitions on Sunday, as three club members took part in the annual Anglia Pétanque Association Fixed Coche Open.

Held at the Bob Carter Centre on Sunday 20th September, the competition attracted nine pairs, with players facing a format that offers a very different challenge from a traditional game of pétanque.

What is Fixed Coche?

The Fixed Coche competition does exactly what its name suggests!

Rather than the coche moving freely throughout an end, it is placed at a fixed distance, starting at 6 metres and gradually increasing up to 10 metres before working its way back down again.

If the coche is moved during an end, it is returned to its marked position. This also means the coche cannot be knocked dead, forcing players to adapt their tactics and putting an extra emphasis on accurate pointing and shooting at a variety of distances.

Three Norwich Players Take on the Challenge

Norwich had three members competing, with Mark Bell and Matt Hayter forming one pair, while junior player Bradley Hayter teamed up with Dave Marsh of Diss Pétanque Club.

Unfortunately, the draw wasn't particularly kind to Bradley and Dave, who found themselves facing some very strong opposition from across the Anglia region.

Although disappointed with the results, Bradley came away with something equally valuable — more competitive experience against experienced regional players, adding another competition to his rapidly growing pétanque journey.

Five From Five for Mark & Matt

For Mark and Matt, the day took a very different path. The pair made their way through the snake-format competition with an impressive five wins from five games, earning themselves a place in the final.

Waiting for them were the only other unbeaten pair after five games: Jallal of St Faiths Pétanque Club and Josh of Hethersett Pétanque Club.

That set up an intriguing final:

Mark Bell & Matt Hayter (Norwich PC) vs. Jallal (St Faiths PC) & Josh (Hethersett PC)

After an excellent run throughout the day, Mark and Matt were finally stopped in the final, with Jallal and Josh taking the title with a 13–4 victory.

Despite the defeat, second place was a fantastic result for the Norwich pair, particularly for Matt.

The Fixed Coche Open was Matt's first Anglia competition, and he is still within his first year of playing pétanque. To go unbeaten through five games and reach a regional open final is a brilliant indication of just how far he has progressed in such a short space of time.

Congratulations to Mark and Matt on their runners-up finish, and to Bradley for continuing to gain valuable competitive experience.

Another strong day of representation for Norwich Pétanque Club across the Anglia region!