The 2026 Derwent Valley Asbestos Removals Individual Snooker League have started and the opening matches saw a mix of strong performances and competitive encounters.
In Division One, Kevin Basnett produced a dominant display to whitewash Andrew Mitchelhill 5–0, with a series of superb breaks to deliver a strong opening statement in pursuit of his title defence.
Basnett wasted little time asserting control, compiling an excellent break of 31 on his way to a comfortable victory in the opening frame.
He raised the standard even further in frame two, knocking in a classy 49 break while cruising to a 2-0 lead.
The third frame proved to be the highlight of the evening, with Basnett in devastating scoring form compiling consecutive breaks of 45 and 40 to sweep to an emphatic win.
Mitchelhill battled hard in frame four and kept the contest tighter, but Basnett’s experience and composure around the colours helped him edge the frame.
Any hopes of a consolation frame for Mitchelhill were quickly extinguished in the fifth, as Basnett signed off in style with a superb 60, the highest break of the night.
Ryan Ismay produced an excellent display to secure a convincing 4–1 victory over newly promoted Stephen Jackson after making a strong start.
He took the opening frame with composed scoring and tight safety play that immediately put his opponent under pressure. He continued that momentum, compiling a well-crafted 37, to take the second frame.
Frame three followed a similar pattern, with Ismay controlling the table superbly to open an unassailable lead.
Jackson responded admirably in frame four with his best snooker of the night. An excellent break of 33 helped him dominate the frame, to reduce his arrears. However, Ismay quickly regained control in the fifth frame.
After a tense opening exchange, he gradually pulled clear with steady potting and disciplined tactical play before sealing the frame to wrap up a deserved 4–1 triumph.
Mark Tunstall came through a hard-fought match to defeat Peter O’Hagan 3–2 after an evening of fluctuating fortunes.
Tunstall made the brighter start to the match, taking the opening frame with confident scoring, including a break of 32.
However, O’Hagan responded superbly in frame two, producing a composed display to level the match. O’Hagan carried that momentum into the third frame, where a break of 30 helped him secure another impressive win to move 2–1 ahead.
With the match slipping away, Tunstall showed great determination in frame four, to dominate the scoring and force the match into a deciding frame, in decisive fashion.
The final frame proved to be the most dramatic of the evening. Both players had opportunities to take control, but Tunstall held his nerve in the closing stages, producing the key pots when it mattered most to seal victory and complete an excellent comeback.
In Division Two, league debutant Adam Morilla made an ideal start to defeat Adam Sowden 3–2.
The match opened with a tense first frame that could have gone either way, but Sowden edged it after a nervy finish on the colours. Morilla responded immediately in frame two, settling into his rhythm with some composed scoring and tactical play to level the contest.
Frame three proved to be another close affair, with Sowden battling hard to regain the advantage. Careful safety exchanges dominated much of the frame before Sowden eventually secured another narrow win to move 2–1 ahead.
However, Morilla showed excellent resilience from that point onwards. In frame four he produced arguably the performance of the evening, controlling the table superbly to convincingly force a deciding frame.
The final frame provided a dramatic finish to an already competitive encounter. Both players traded chances throughout, but Morilla kept his composure, putting together a determined break of 34 to seal the win.
In another closely contested match, Mark Cowen edged out Stephen Harrison 3-2 to also make the perfect start to his league debut.
Cowen made the stronger start to the contest, taking the opening frame with composed potting and solid tactical play. He followed that with win in frame two, after capitalising on a number of missed opportunities from Harrison.
The third frame proved to be another hard-fought battle, but Cowen again held his nerve at the crucial moments to secure a narrow victory and clinch the overall match.
Despite trailing 3–0, Harrison showed great determination to fight back producing his best snooker of the night in frame four, to craft a narrow victory. The final frame saw Harrison continue his comeback after building an early advantage, to restrict Cowen to a 3–2 overall result.
The final Division Two match was contested by a pair also making league debuts, but it was Andrew Carruthers who produced a composed and consistent display to defeat Craig Wilkinson 4–1.
Wilkinson made the brighter start to the contest and claimed frame one after a tight tactical battle. Carruthers responded impressively in frame two, quickly finding his rhythm with some confident potting and controlled safety play to level the match in decisive fashion.
That momentum continued into frame three, where Carruthers dominated throughout to ease into a match lead. Frame four proved closer, with both players involved in a tense exchange of safety shots and missed opportunities.
Carruthers kept his composure in the closing stages to edge the frame, securing overall match victory. The fifth frame followed a similar pattern. Wilkinson showed his battling qualities, but once again Carruthers proved to be steadier, completing the key pots at crucial moments to close out a 4–1 triumph.
