Young guns are right on cue for knockout glory
... AS WORLD CHAMPS PAY VISIT TO BAY
TWO new competitors came through to win at the latest one-day handicapped event at the Whitley Bay Snooker Centre.
There was a smaller than usual field of 13 in the best-of-five-frame Main event, and the preliminary and first-round losers’ best of threeframe Plate competition.
In an attacking final that had every thing but big breaks, it was promising Walkergate youngster Craig Wanless, receiving seven points a frame start, who opened the scoring by taking the first frame 59-38 off experienced Gosforth cueist John Best.
A break of 34 plus two high runs in the teens by Best were enough to take the advantage away from Wanless and level the scores at 1-1.
With both players knocking in 20s and 30s it was Wanless’s more consistent scoring, plus a little run of the balls, that won him the next two close-fought frames and the match 3-1. Wanless’s financial reward was £60, leaving Best to pick up the beaten finalist’s £30.
In the semi-final shootouts, Wanless came through with a comfortable 3-1 win after getting seven points start off local player Adam Parker.
Best also registered the same winning scoreline against Whitley Bay’s Mark Faichen despite having to give the seasider 21 points start per frame.
In the final of the best of threeframe Plate event the winner’s £12 went to North Shields 13-year-old TJ Rendles. The John Spence pupil rattled off three runs of 16 on his way to beating fellow North Shields potter Carl Sexton 2-1.
The £10 for the highest break of the day award went to Whitley Bay’s Dale Allen for his nice 78 in the last eight against Mark Faichen.
There was a nice surprise in store on Saturday morning for the youngsters attending the regular coaching school session.
Current world champion Mark Selby and 1980 champion Cliff Thorburn paid a visit to the club, wandering around the tables giving out tips and words of wisdom on the game along with coach Stan Chambers. “With competitions going on along with the coaching the club’s doing a great job for the local snooker players,” said Thorburn.
With only this week’s matches to be played in the Ashington Veterans League, Veterans B (41) have a threepoint advantage at the top of the snooker section.
They look the strong favourites to take the title from Lynemouth and Vets C, who are both in contention for the runners-up position.
In the Billiards, S/Hirst C’s (37) 3-0 defeat of Vets D last week takes them two points clear of joint secondplaced Choppington B and Vets D, with Choppington B (34) a further point away in third.
The Ashington Chisholm & LWC League with only two fixtures to be played is every bit as close with only two points separating the top four.
Seaton Terrace B (86) moved back to the top with a 6-0 away win last week against Guidepost A.
Whitley Bay A and Newbiggin GC (85), who are joint second, play each other this week, while Stakeford A are in third and only a further one point adrift.