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Ray Evans won the Division 2 Individual title for the second
consecutive season last week with an enthralling 2-0 victory
over Shifnal youngster Arron Sparkes in the final played at
Shifnal War Memorial Club.
Although trailing by 25 points on the colours, the Wellington
Billiard Hall E player rallied to pot the pink and black to
take the opening frame of the final by 48 points to 42.
The second game was also a close affair as both players traded
safety shots in a nip and tuck encounter before Ray eventually
took control to run out the winner on the very last pink to
retain the title he won last year and leave Arron, one of
the league's most promising youngsters, with the consolation
of having reached the final in some style.
Arron and Ray had spent the earlier rounds sat next to each
other and had joked every time they moved a step closer to
the final that they might eventually meet there - and so it
proved as Arron got the better of his father Jeff in the semi-finals
after earlier accounting for John Bethell Trophy runner up
Jim Lewis in the last eight.
Ray meanwhile had to overcome some stern resistance from
Pot Black's Tony Hall before a marathon of a match saw him
come out on top against Hadley's Ali Jones to book his place
in the final.
My thanks to Jeff Sparkes for his report on the above matches.
DIVISION 1
In Division 1 Paul Harper came from behind to defeat Dave
France by two frames to one to retain the title he won last
year and complete a clean sweep of the League's major honours.
Having already won the League's Individual for the second
year running, Paul added the division 1 version, which is
open only to players in the top flight, to the doubles and
trebles titles already safely in his grasp.
Both Paul and Maddocks A captain Dave France had battled
their way through the starting field of 16 players to reach
the final which, due to time constraints, had been held over
from the previous week.
And it as Dave who started the better of the two as he opened
up a slender four point lead before steadily putting together
a run of 31 to leave him 35 points in front with just the
last red remaining.
And when his opponent left the red hanging over a corner
pocket Dave stepped up to secure a one frame lead in the best
of three final by 72 points to 25.
Paul responded with a 34 break to put him in the driving
seat in the next although it was by no means decisive as Dave
kept in touch all the way and could still have snatched victory
by taking the last three balls.
However an excellent long cut on the final blue paved the
way for a 58-31 victory as Paul forced the decider.
As expected the last frame proved a tense affair but Paul
eventually sank the yellow before completing a 59-17 win to
put the icing on the cake on what has been another fine season
for the Billiard Hall captain.
MATTHEW DAVIES WINS THE WEST MID INDIVIDUAL TITLE
Shifnal A's Matthew Davies achieved something of a milestone
in the West Midland League last week when he became the first
player ever to win that League's Individual title for three
years in a row when he defeated Sedgley youngster David Hall
by four frames to one in the final played at Bloxwich Excelsior
Club.
Although his opponent was first off the mark with a 22 break,
Matthew replied with a very well constructed 63 break of his
own to take the opening frame 79-46.
After an earlier foul and a miss had been called against
him, Matthew continued in real style to construct a magnificent
115 break only to run out of position on the final pink.
A tactical third frame also went Matthew's way by 55 points
to 31 before, after trailing by some 30 points, a 37 break
hauled him back into contention in the next frame.
David replied by potting yellow and green to leave himself
requiring just the brown and blue to pull a frame back but
a missed brown gave Matthew the chance he required to sink
the last four balls for an unprecedented third successive
title.
My thanks to Rob Wright, who was marker for the above match,
for his report.
STEVE FLETCHER
Steve.Fletcher@telfordsnooker.com
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