Carlisle’s leading cueists, Mike Griffiths and Peter Stanyer, tested themselves against world-class opposition at the recent Irish Open and World Matchplay Billiards Championships in Carlow.
Players were competing from across the globe including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Austria, France, Australia, India and Singapore.
The events marked a historic milestone for the city, with both players now ranked inside the world’s top 100 — believed to be the first time two Carlisle cueists have achieved this.
Griffiths climbed from 41st to 37th in the world rankings, while Stanyer made a significant jump from 126th to 88th.
Griffiths delivered a composed and effective performance in the Irish Open group stages, securing qualification for the knockout rounds.
He edged a tight opening match against Patrick Stegmeier, an Austrian national champion, 185–175 before recording an impressive 223–144 victory over Ireland’s Paul Sammin.
A heavy defeat to Robert Hall, the world number three and multiple English Amateur champion, followed, but earlier results ensured progression as group runner-up.
In the last 24, Griffiths faced Robert Marshall, a world class player from Preston, where his run came to an end in a 412–116 defeat.
Stanyer faced a challenging group in the main Irish Open event, finishing fourth despite a standout 206–114 victory over world number 14 Terry Azor.
He also encountered tough opposition in losses to Christian Kirk, a multiple Northern Ireland champion, Mike Russell, a multiple former world champion, and Subrat Das, a world class Indian player.
However, Stanyer responded strongly in the Challenge Cup, a competitive knockout event offering further high-level matchplay for those narrowly missing out on the main stages, edging past world number 26 Paul McGowan 142–136 before dominating Stegmeier 200–57 to reach the quarter-finals, where he was ultimately outplayed by the exceptional quality of Das.
In the fast-paced 100-up World Matchplay Championship, both players were drawn against elite opposition.
Griffiths recorded a notable 4–1 victory over Ross Doyle, compiling a break of 66, but suffered defeats to Wayne Doyle, the Ireland champion, Mike Russell and Martin Goodwill, the world number six, to finish fourth in his group.
Stanyer experienced a similar outcome, securing a dominant 4–1 win over Scotland’s Callum Hossack but losing to Hall, Rishabh Thakkar, a world class Indian player, and Phil Johnson.
While neither player progressed to the latter stages, the tournaments underline the continued rise of billiards in Carlisle.
Griffiths’ consistency saw him successfully navigate the Irish Open group stages, while Stanyer demonstrated his potential with victories over higher-ranked opponents and a strong recovery run in the Challenge Cup.
