Ritch pickings for Beckham in Open final

WHITLEY Bay Snooker Centre staged the first semi-final of the 2017 Green Baize.Com North East Handicapped Open.

It brought together Teesside’s experienced Ritchie Beckham and Hartlepool’s 16-year-old Sean McAlister - both competing at the venue for the first time.

Beckham ran out a emphatic 5-1 winner.

He settled the quickest and made the most of his chances to clinch the first two scrappy frames 58-36, 76-26.

With only the colours on the table and trailing 45-67, McAlister showed his real potential by clearing up with a break of 27 to win the third frame 72-67 and make the score 2-1.

From then on the match became a one-sided affair with Beckham showing his superior class.

He took the fourth 83-22 with a break of 83, the fifth 74-45 (22) with smaller runs of 30 and 23 and the sixth 103-26 with further breaks of 57, 24 and 19 to seal the match 5-1. ■■AT the same venue, Tyneside professionals Elliot Slessor and Sam Craigie contested the latest of the club’s regular Saturday night handicapped pro-ams.

Wallsend-based Craigie (pictured) started his campaign with a 3-0 preliminaryround win over local player Davey Mole, who was off a 49 start.

Conceding a 35 start in his first round proper match, Craigie crashed out 3-1 to Boldon Collery’s Adam Parker.

Parker went on to reach the final with further victories over Sunderland’s Anthony Longstaff (3-1) and North Shields’ Craig Sexton (3-1).

In the top half of the draw, Slessor opened his account with runs of 77 and 87 on his way to beating Whitley’s John Wear 3-0.

He continued to the semis with a 3-1 defeat of fellow Gateshead player Brian Hall which included further breaks of 62 and 80.

A run of 61 in the last four against Gateshead’s Adam Lennox followed by the only century of the day - a stunning 112 - were enough to clinch Slessor a 3-1 victory and a place in the final.

In the deciding shootout, Parker took full advantage of his 35-point start to knock in further breaks of 64 and 57 and claim the first prize with a comfortable 3-0 success.

In the all-Whitley Bay final of the plate event, John Wear - despite conceding seven points - was a 2-0 winner against Wayne McDonald.