In the semi-final of this year’s HG Young competition for the Carlisle and District Snooker League , Bob Sewell (Buffs) beat Andy Foster (Southend) 108-58.
The first frame was of a high standard with both players scoring multiple 16+ breaks, Sewell ending 57-50 ahead after Foster potted the final black.
The second frame saw Sewell use all his experience, playing great safety and waiting for his chances, and two breaks of 18, meaning Foster needed five snookers with one red remaining, and duly conceded.
His opponent in the final will be Matt Lowrie who is in the form of his life at the moment, and produced an exhilarating display of match snooker in defeating last year’s champion Martin Goodhead.
Matt controlled the first frame completely, taking a commanding 107-10 lead. The second frame was over quickly as Goodhead needed snookers with ten reds on the table. He eventually conceded with Lowrie taking the tie 127-40.
The final will be at the Qzone on Wednesday June 7, 7.30pm
The semi-finals of the Earnest Jones Pairs competition (sponsored by Treewise Solutions) was also played this week.
The first saw Mally Lancaster and Paul Cowing defeat five-time champions Mike Griffiths and Rob Barbour in a long drawn-out affair that took over two hours.
Safety was definitely the order of the day, with all four players playing solid shots. Lancaster and Cowing took the first frame by 16 points after Cowing made a classy 25 clearance.
The second frame saw the leaders pull away, Griffiths and Barbour needing snookers with one red remaining. They got two snookers to have a chance on the colours, and indeed potted down to the pink. However, Lancaster sunk the pink to win the match 112-94.
In the second semi-final, the Cons A pairing of Rob Woods and Carl Davidson defeated Qzone’s Ian Pattinson and Martyn Gowing.
Woods and Davidson took control of the match in the first frame, taking a big 95-15 lead. The second frame saw the Cons A pair get over the line with a magnificent 143-35 victory. Woods knocked in a classy 52 break on the way to victory.
The final will be on Monday June 12 at Qzone.
In League snooker the featured match in Division One saw Inter Qzone beat Longtown 5-1.
Ryan Ridding won the first frame for Inter, beating Ian Steele 53-29. Longtown restored parity, with Andrew Story defeating Simon Towns 61-54.
Mike Griffiths restored Inter’s lead by defeating Tony Steele 91-28 before Michael Waring and Sten Muir finished the match off by defeating Dave Steele and Dave Murray 52-25 and 48-13 respectively.
Other scores – Annan 0, Rock 7; Buffs A 5, Cons A 1 and Rock A 1, Denton Holme 6.
In the featured match in Division Two, Ex B defeated Southend 4-2 in a close affair
Tim Ward won the battle of the number one’s, beating Mark Beattie 42-40 on the final black.
Danny Penrose defeated HG Young semi-finalist Andy Foster 48-41, again on the final black while Gary Hurst had a straight-forward 54-8 win to restore Ex B’s lead.
Billy Cruddace beat Stuart Telford 45-31 in another close frame and finally Mick Miller won by a margin of 62-50 over Sam Cowan.
Other scores – Southend D 1, Eastriggs 6; St Margaret Mary’s 5, Southend C 1.
