The Cockermouth and District Snooker League is finally back after a near-20 month break.
It has new sponsors in the Workington-based L&L Property Contractors and Dearham’s Gray’s Luxury Ices and as a result the league will now be known as the L&L Property Contractors Snooker League with Gray’s Luxury Ices being the primary sponsors of all cup competitions.
The local firms come with a wealth of experience in their relevant fields and the league is absolutely delighted to be forming these new and exciting partnerships.
On the playing front the unfinished 2019/20 season had to be unfortunately scrapped but it wasn’t all bad news as the addition of Whitehaven’s Rack Shack sees the league expand its coverage back into Copeland.
Now with 10 teams each, playing on a home and away basis in the new five frame format, but still split into two divisions, the league has a more balanced feel.
The first week started with some intriguing fixtures and with Maryport Social facing Division One’s Station Road B it was the Division Two side’s chance to catch the multiple title winners cold.
It didn’t happen though, as showing no signs of any rustiness, it was Station B who ran away with the game, claiming all the points in a thumping 5-0 away win.
Victories for Shaun Ayre, Simon Frazer and Kevin Kirkham put the Workington side 3-0 up but the story of the night, and indeed the round, was that of Peter O’Hagan’s masterclass in frame four as with breaks of 66 and 44 the Station B cueist looked like he’d never been away.
It was a difficult performsance to follow but not to be put off in any way Station B captain, Stephen O’Hagan, completed the whitewash in the final frame of the evening for a superb start to the 2021/22 campaign for the title chasing side.
Newcomers the Rack Shack faced fellow Division Two opposition in the United Club and even though competitive snooker was a first for the Whitehaven outfit they took their experienced Workington based rivals down to the very last ball, going down 3-2.
Dave Chapman and captain Andrew Mitchelhill won frames one and three for the United Club with Peter McAvoy and Wayne Sinclair winning frames two and four to tie-up the proceedings. Frame five proved to be a twitchy affair but it was United’s Brian Kendall who stood firm to seal the match win.
The all-Division One clash between home side Workington Golf Club and Workington Conservative Club was a lot closer than the 4-1 scoreline suggested but with solid work on the colours it was the Cons side who ran out winners.
Dave Holland, Richard McCarthy, Alan Moore and Julian Plaza did the damage for the Cons outfit with Bryan Walker being the sole resistor in what was a frustrating evening for the golf club side.
Flimby Social made a brilliant start to their Division Two campaign as a 5-0 away victory against fellow second tier opponents, Workington Legion, saw them set-out their stall early. Wins for Michael ‘Sid’ Walker, Richard Kirkham, Paul Vickers, David Teasdale and Geoff Banton saw the Flimby team take all five points in an early table-topping performance.
Finally, Workington’s Veterans Club made the short journey to face fellow townies Station Road A and from 2-1 down they won the last two to run out 3-2 winners.
Frames one and three went to Station A with wins from Mark Robertson and Darren Lawson but with a victory from captain Kevin Basnett in frame two and another Vets victory in frame four the match went to a decider.
Holding his nerve in the last it was Vets stalwart Steve Garroway who carried his side over the line with a typically stylish victory.
