In the second week of the Derwent Valley Asbestos Removals individual snooker league the leaders in both divisions applied pressure to their opponents.
In Division One Andrew Mitchelhill edged a hard-fought battle against Peter O’Hagan, emerging with a narrow 3–2 victory.
Mitchelhill made an excellent start to the evening, taking the opening frame to settle quickly into his rhythm before building on that advantage with a solid success in frame two. O’Hagan responded strongly in frame three, with a convincing victory to reduce the deficit.
However, Mitchelhill regained control in frame four with a composed display, to take an unassailable lead at 3-1.
O’Hagan refused to go quietly and in a tense finish edged the final frame to limit the overall score to 3–2.
Kevin Basnett delivered a ruthless display in a dominant 5–0 victory over Stephen Jackson, opening up a healthy lead over his rivals. From the opening frame, Basnett quickly found his rhythm, taking frame one and setting the tone early with a break of 36.
Basnett stepped up another gear in frame two, compiling a superb break of 81 to establish a 2-0 match lead. Frame three proved even more emphatic as Basnett produced a brilliant 93 break, the season’s highest to date, to ensure match victory.
Jackson showed some resilience in frame four and looked certain to open his scoring account with Basnett needing all the colours to edge victory.
However, Basnett applied pressure by coolly despatching yellow to blue. Shortly afterwards a brilliant long pink followed by a tricky black saw Basnett edge out the frame.
There was no let-up in the final frame as Basnett rounded off the evening with another impressive contribution of 67.
In Division Two Mark Cowen continued his impressive start in his debut season with a 5–0 victory over Andrew Carruthers maintaining his position as Divisional leader.
Cowen controlled the contest from the outset, edging a competitive opening frame.
The second frame followed a similar pattern and Cowen once again delivered to edge the frame and establish early momentum.
Cowen further tightened his grip on the match in frame three, with a more comfortable win thus ensuring overall victory. Carruthers battled hard to get himself on the scoreboard, but Cowen held firm in frame four edging another close frame.
The final frame completed the clean sweep, with Cowen closing out the evening to seal a comprehensive 5–0 triumph.
A closely contested encounter saw Adam Morilla claim a narrow 3–2 victory over Stephen Harrison and keep within touching distance of league leader Cowen.
Morilla made the stronger start, taking the opening frame convincingly to apply early pressure.
Harrison responded well in frame two, producing a composed display to level the contest.
Frame three proved pivotal in shaping the contest. Harrison battled hard but Morilla edged a tight encounter to regain the advantage.
Harrison refused to back down and forced a deciding frame after a solid success in frame four.
With everything resting on the final frame, Morilla held his nerve impressively to seal a 3–2 overall triumph.
Adam Sowden delivered a commanding performance on home baize, defeating Craig Wilkinson by four frames to one.
Sowden opened strongly, taking the first frame comfortably. Wilkinson fought back in the second edging the frame narrowly to level the match.
Sowden quickly reestablished control in the third with a clinical display, and followed that up with another confident performance to take the fourth and extend his lead to 3-1.
Wilkinson provided some resistance in the final frame of the evening, but Sowden calmy held the momentum in the final stages of a competitive frame to secure a narrow victory and complete an overall 4-1 victory, and establish a share of second place.
