Hurricanes need big win next week to snatch top spot
Report by Mike Crook:
Just one week remains in the Mac’s Builders Merchants snooker league and only a 5-0 win next week for The Hurricanes can deny Cue Zone Blinders a first league title after they completed their campaign with the positive result they wanted.
Nick Stephens 72-26 Geoff Hall - Stephens has played good stuff the last few weeks and although this wasn’t the quickest of kills, there was only going to be one winner. Brandon Forrester 74-37 Tom Randall - Randall opened with a nice red and black with the long rest but fouled the yellow whilst removing the rest and his cue from the table. Forrester replied confidently with four reds and blacks for a 32 break and was never threatened. Conor Mahon 38-69 Don Humphries - Humphries gradually edged away and with the final brown left snookers required. Calum Gardner 126-33 John Kelly - a top quality performance from Gardner and even more special as he was clearly feeling unwell. After a red from Kelly, Gardner replied with an excellent 76 break and then cleared the colours for good measure. This was the second-highest break of the season, just failing to top Tom Miller’s 78. Scott Campion 55-40 Mike Crook - Crook had already donated 20 points to Campion with some dubious cueball control. Then needing pink and black his shot selection went awol too and Campion was left a straight but missable pink to centre which he pocketed at speed and gave big fist pump in celebration! The champagne is on ice for the Blinders.
The Hurricanes 3-2 Malew
This would’ve been a good result for Hurricanes had Blinders not won so convincingly. They were two up before Malew took frames three and five. Shaun Roberts’ win did keep him top of the individual league. Frame scores: Ste MacDonald 66-44 Tony Cubbon, Shaun Roberts 65-32 Alec Oates, Jamie Wilson (25 break) 80-105 James Goodwin, Gary Conwell 57-33 Mark Quinn and Steve Munk 41-67 Tony Pring. Hurricanes will need to win all 5 frames in their final match to force a play-off with Blinders.
Dave Welsh 13-60 Jason Campbell - Campbell ran away with this very quickly, a very dangerous player off his handicap when he’s got his eye in. Richard Hillier 29-55 Dave Corris - Corris too was showing good form from the off. Hillier just managed to hang in but a blue/pink finish put Wannabes two up. Lee Gale 77-73 Steve Cowin - the pressure was on Gale, needing to win to keep Jackson’s title hopes alive, and also to stay in the race for the individual league. Slowly but surely he dragged the 70 start back. Cowin rattled the final black twice before Gale put it away whilst cueing from tight on the cushion. Kam Virk 72-67 Paul McKinstry - A similar result here, McKinstry ahead all the way until Virk doubled the winning black to bring the match level. The decider between Alex Sinclair and Harry Minor was a must-win for Jacksons with the way the Blinders match was shaping up. Minor opened with a couple of blacks for a healthy lead. Sinclair could win with the last 4 balls but went in-off the brown and left in hanging, 32-59 to Minor. The result leaves Jacksons just playing for runners up spot next week.
Marek Kenny 62-89 Peter Kirkham - Kirkham finally made some breaks starting 49 adrift, 35 and 22 and this felt fairly comfortable. Sean Murphy 75-53 Steve Finnegan - luck not on Finn’s side apparently. Graham Ashton 41-50 Lee Hunt - Ashton was in control against Blade until the latter potted yellow to pink in two visits. Marc Bolton 96-106 Tom Miller - despite a break of 25, Miller never looked like winning needing three snookers with a red left. He showed his class though, got them and made a 40 clearance with pinpoint control to snatch it. The break surely secures him the high break league crown. Doug Kinrade 82-97 Peter Crellin - Crellin played very well with a 62 break even though he was never in position. He missed the pink to be one point ahead on the colours, then had a bit of run to get over the line. The Mob could still take second place with a big win in their final match.
A defeat that leaves Reprobates with only a mathematical chance of runners-up spot. The highlight was a tough snooker laid by Paul ‘Master of the Dark Arts’ Tangeman on the last red, the white tucked behind brown and green mid table and the red near a corner covered by blue and black. Frame scores: Andy Taubman 54-32 Tommy Clague, Rob Callister 42-83 Brendan Clague, Chris Brown (22) 59-33 Ivan McMaw, Paul Tangeman 59-68 Martin Rigg and Rhys Moore 39-55 Jez Hill.
St Olaves 2-3 Finch Hill Musicians
Report by Paul Smyth/Matt Dodd
Darrell Thacker 48-75 Pat Maher - Darrell was slowly catching up the 49 handicap but Pat got stronger as the frame went cueing some lovely pots, extending the lead each time Darrell made up some ground. Darrell looked like clearing up to take the frame until he went in-off the brown, then Pat took it well. Paul Smyth 85-47 Mike Doherty - Mike potted well and extended his lead to over 40 at one point, then Paul turned his game on with some excellent potting including 2 x 24 breaks. Mike missed a few he would normally smash in and a few more pots plus a snooker saw Mike offer the handshake. Dave Kelly 46-61 Dave Hanlon - getting a 21 start, Kelly started well with a few pots, but solid match play from Hanlon and a few great long balls put Kelly out of his rhythm, missing some he should have made. Hanlon kept up the pressure and took a good pink for frame. James Kerr 105-59 Vic Rigby - giving away 42 James started like a train, potting everything in sight with a nice 33 where Vic put up a good battle trying to slow James down. James even missed three other colours which would've registered another 20 plus breaks for a strong win. Dan Crawley 65-85 Matthew Dodd - what else can we say about Doddsy. Frame of the night and certainly the longest. Dan was playing great but Dodsy outshone him potting worldie after worldie. Last red, and Dan was 40 behind and an elongated safety battle ensued. Dan did very well to claw a lot of the lead back with snookers and pots, then with the winning line in sight he was clearing but went in-off the pink. The pink continued all around the table and went into the same pocket as the white. Dan now needed a snooker with black welded to the bottom cushion. Another ten minutes passed before Dan could move the black, but as soon as Dan moved the black out, Doddsy smashed in another worldie, full length pink to the yellow pocket for frame and match. What a spectacular and dramatic frame of snooker to watch, both teams applauding at the end, but unfortunately Dan got Doddsyed! Well done both players.
2.) The Hurricanes - 66 Points
3.) Jacksons - 64 points
4.) Finch Hill Mob - 64 points
5.) Finch Hill Reprobates - 61 points
Individual League Standings
2.) Lee Gale - 15 wins
High Break League Standings
2.) Peter Crellin - 45.5 points
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