Local snooker professional Adrian Gunnell made it a night to remember at the Bayley Club last Saturday when the former County Champion took on local players in a 10 frame exhibition match and treated the crowd to some excellent snooker including a highest break of 132.

Indeed, the occasion will live long in the memory of one young player in particular as sixteen year-old Ross Wigley-Smith succeeded where so many of the more experienced players failed and actually took a frame off the world number 70.

Ross, who lives in Herbert Avenue, Wellington, was thrust into the spotlight when he won the chance to play Adrian as one of the prizes in a raffle. And he certainly made the most of his opportunity by potting some excellent balls on the way to opening up an eight-point lead on the brown.

Adrian, who made his television debut against Ronnie O'Sullivan in last year's UK Championships, hit back by sinking the brown and blue but crucially went in off the pink to give Ross the chance he needed to clinch a memorable victory by slotting the pink into the middle pocket.

Ross wasn't the only winner on the night as Anstice A's Shaun Harris was the first to stem the tide as he kept his illustrious opponent at bay with some excellent safety play before finally clinching the eighth frame by 43 points to 14.

Shaun, who last played Adrian in the final of the Shropshire Star sponsored county championship some eleven years ago, was no doubt buoyed by the performance in the previous frame of his Madeley team-mate Ian Duffy.

Ian, who was recently on the receiving end when Adrian made three maximum 147 breaks in four practice frames, looked odds-on to be the first player to succeed against the local star when a run of 42 gave him a 34 point lead with just one red remaining.

But Adrian had other ideas as he potted a brilliant black off the final red before completing the most unlikely of clearances to snatch the frame by a single point.

Adrian started proceedings against Bayley protégé Tom Maxfield who last season became the youngest player ever to compete in the Telford League when he represented the Bayley's F team aged just ten.

Tom showed few nerves as he took centre stage and looked at home playing in front of a good crowd but it was Adrian who took the frame with a timely run of 53

Martin Watkins was next to challenge but again Adrian came out on top and a run of 40 secured the next frame too against Bayley B's Danny Olliver.

Darren Rhoades was the next to fall as Adrian took frame four 92-32 from the D team captain before Adrian brought the house down with a brilliant display against Craig Johnson.

The crowd had been hoping to see a century break and they weren't to be disappointed as Adrian swerved around the pink to pot the final red before potting the black and all the colours to finish the first half of the evening in style with a clearance of 132.

Referee Rob Wright was certainly being kept busy taking the balls out of the pockets and so it continued after the mid-session interval as Adrian knocked in a run of 70 on the way to defeating Bayley A captain Steve Fletcher 99-19.

He then denied Ian Duffy by just one point before losing out in the next two against Shaun Harris and Ross Wigley-Smith (pictured above with Adrian and Rob Wright) before normal service was resumed.

A 76 break secured the final frame of the evening against Chris Morgan-Adams to leave the crowd well pleased with a fine evening's entertainment.

STEVE FLETCHER 

Steve.Fletcher@telfordsnooker.com

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