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Rogers completes remarkable recovery
A WELSH snooker amateur has been crowned Cuestars South of England Champion ten weeks after a third operation to reconstruct his left knee.
Andy Rogers, who is based at Rileys in Newport, South Wales, completed his phenomenal recovery with a resounding victory at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
Speaking after the final, Rogers described the last ten weeks as a “dream”.
He said: “It’s like a stepping stone, to see how I was doing between having the operations, coming back, just playing for fun and then all of a sudden now it’s progressing.
“It’s unbelievable; it’s mad.”
The 28-year-old pocketed £100 and the Cuestars title after breaks of 45, 51 and 42 helped him beat Jonathan Charlton (Aldwick RBL, Bognor Regis) 3-0 in the final.
The former Challenge Tour player suffered a horrific football injury less than two years ago. Three operations in 18 months have left his left leg half an inch shorter.
But he insisted: “I’ve been playing better now than I was before.
“I had 18 months when I couldn’t practise for more than 20 minutes. I just thought that was it, really, with snooker.
“I was then told by a surgeon that if I’d left my knee as it was for another three or four months, I could have been in a wheelchair. So he reconstructed my leg and here we are now.
“It’s been one battle towards something I enjoy. And now I’m enjoying it again and everything is happening.”
Rogers thanked his close friend, coach and driver, Ray Dando, who was in his corner in Swindon.
“We do everything together,” explained Rogers, who will now target World Snooker’s Players Tour Championship. “It’s a good relationship because we have a laugh.”
Dando said: “He’s a good lad; he listens. Andrew probably wasn’t ready before; now he’s ready.”
Rogers, who reached the final of a Pro-Am in Brighton a couple of weeks ago, only competed in one leg of the Cuestars Championship Tour.
But the 25 points he picked up for victory in the seventh event saw him creep into the play-off spots in joint 13th place.
Rankings winner Ryan Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) was knocked out in the quarter-finals 3-1 by 15-year-old England international Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford SC).
BREAKS
Alex Dunkley: 61.
Andy Rogers: 51.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
LAST-16: Ryan Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) beat Chris Richards (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff) 3-1, Andy Rogers (Rileys, Newport, Wales) beat Billy Castle (Marchwood Cue T’s) 3-2, Mike Finn (Woolston Cons, Southampton) beat Will Meharg (Chandler’s Ford SC) 3-0, Mark McLean (Churchills, Eastleigh) beat Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh) 3-1, Jonathan Charlton (Aldwick RBL, Bognor Regis) beat David Beakhouse (Colours SC, Reading) 3-0, Alex Dunkley (Marchwood Cue T’s) beat Adam Nash (Woolston Cons, Southampton) 3-0. Byes: Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford SC), Martin Wallace (Colours SC, Reading).
QUARTER-FINALS (£10): Winbourne beat Mears 3-1, Rogers beat Wallace 3-0, Finn beat McLean 3-1, Charlton beat Dunkley 3-2.
SEMI-FINALS (£25): Charlton beat Finn 3-0, Rogers beat Winbourne 3-1.
FINAL (£100/£50): Rogers beat Charlton 3-0.
Richards strikes Gold
CARDIFF’S Chris Richards struck gold at the Cuestars South of England finals days at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
The 21-year-old declared his victory in the Under-21 Gold Championship final as “my best result of the season”.
Richards, who is based at Roath Labour Club, shaded the highly-rated Billy Castle 3-1 to secure the title.
“He was the favourite,” insisted the Welshman. “I had to give it all I’ve got. I took the first frame on the pink so that gave me a bit of confidence for the rest of the game.”
Castle, from Cue T’s in Marchwood, near Southampton, countered with a 44 break. Then, trailing 2-1, the 18-year-old England international missed a tricky pink to level.
He said: “I was a bit close to the cushion and digging down on the cue-ball. I don’t like those shots and I rattled it. He potted a good long pink and the black.”
A delighted Richards, who finished runner-up in the rankings, said: “It’s got to be my best result of the season.
“I didn’t expect to get to the final. I knew I had the potential to get there. Whether I got there or not was a different story, but I did. I came up against the best player in the tournament and I got a good victory. It’s the best I’ve played for a while.
Castle added: “I’m a bit disappointed but I’ll get over it. That’s the problem sometimes, you go in as favourite and then you lose. But he deserved it; he played better than me. He potted more balls than me.”
As well as his Championship trophy, Richards collected a John Parris cue and case voucher.
BREAKS:
Billy Castle: 70.
Jordan Winbourne: 54, 50.
UNDER-21 GOLD RESULTS
LAST-16: Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood) beat Danny Tallentire (Player’s, Westbury) 3-0, Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 3-2, Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Liam Burnet (The Academy, Eastleigh) 3-1, Lee Carlton (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh) 3-0, Chris Richards (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff) beat Lee Warner (Stoke SC, Gosport) 3-0. Byes: Daniel Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC), James Facey (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff), Bouwe Bosma (Chandler’s Ford SC).
QUARTER-FINALS: Castle beat Woods 3-2, Winbourne beat Tanner 3-0, Facey beat Carlton 3-2, Richards beat Bosma 3-1.
SEMI-FINALS: Richards beat Facey 3-0, Castle beat Winbourne 3-1.
FINAL: Richards beat Castle 3-1.
Matthews edges Lloyd in Silver thriller
READING’S Dean Matthews pounced on the one chance he needed to become Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Champion at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
At 1-0 down in the final to Mark Lloyd and facing a pink-ball battle in the second, the 17-year-old thought he was out.
But his young opponent from Stoke SC, Gosport, attempted a long shot and left the frame ball hanging over the pocket.
Matthews, who did not drop a frame up to the final, snapped up the gift and compiled a 34 break in the decider.
Before the second frame, Matthews told himself to “step up” his game and “stop going for all the long pots and start playing safe”.
Speaking after the final, he said: “I cued quite well today.
“You just want one chance and I took it. It was close until I knocked in the 34 break in the last frame and that killed the game off. I’m just happy to win.”
Matthews, who is coached by ex-pro Dylan Leary, is based at the Ivy Leaf Club, Maidenhead.
He competed in five legs of this season’s Silver Tour and finished runner-up twice and losing semi-finalist twice.
Rankings winner Daniel Winfield (Player’s, Westbury) went out in the quarter-finals 2-1 to Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon).
BREAKS:
Oliver Parsons: 38.
Dean Matthews: 34.
James Inglis: 25.
UNDER-21 SILVER RESULTS
LAST-16: Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon) beat Jamie Perry (Jesters, Swindon) 2-1, Dean Matthews (Ivy Leaf Club, Maidenhead) beat Robert Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Thomas Lancastle (Keynsham SC) beat Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0, James Inglis (Rileys, Worcester) beat Paul Ives (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) 2-0. Byes: Daniel Winfield (Westbury), Oliver Parsons (Swindon), Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport), Gary Wilkins (Player’s, Westbury).
QUARTER-FINALS: Lee beat Winfield 2-1, Matthews beat Wilkins 2-0, Lancastle beat Parsons 2-0, Lloyd beat Inglis 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS: Matthews beat Lee 2-0, Lloyd beat Parsons 2-0.
FINAL: Matthews beat Lloyd 2-1.
Bronze champion Bodman edges ranking winner Browne
SWINDON teenager Troy Bodman edged past rankings winner Callum Browne to clinch the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Championship at his home club, Jesters Snooker Hall.
After the 2-0 victory, the 15-year-old paid tribute to his opponent from Player’s, Westbury.
He said: “He’s a great potter. I had to keep it tight.”
In the second frame, Bodman potted the brown to leave Browne chasing snookers. And when Browne went ‘in off’ the blue the contest was over.
Bodman dropped just one frame all day, in the semi-finals to Joshua Hughes (Rileys, Worcester).
Victory in the final leg of the eight-event Bronze Tour, also at Jesters, meant Bodman qualified as seventh seed for the play-off.
He described his coach Paul Rose as “alright”.
BREAKS:
Joshua Hughes: 27.
UNDER-21 BRONZE RESULTS
LAST-16: Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury) beat Karl Eggar (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Sam Storey (Thatcham SC) 2-0, Robert Harding (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) beat Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC) 2-0, Cameron Holt (Liberal Club High Wycombe) beat Derrick Volante (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0, Joshua Hughes (Rileys, Worcester) beat Oliver Clark (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Troy Bodman (Jesters, Swindon) beat Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Connor Probets (Jesters, Swindon) beat Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 2-1. Bye: Andrew Dyer (Player’s, Westbury).
QUARTER-FINALS: Browne beat Dyer 2-0, Harding beat Cowdroy 2-1, Hughes beat Holt 2-0, Bodman beat Probets 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS: Browne beat Harding 2-1, Bodman beat Hughes 2-1.
FINAL: Bodman beat Browne 2-0.
Norton clinches Seniors championship with a £3.57p cue
PORTSMOUTH snooker star Colin Norton has claimed a major seniors title with a cue he bought for £3.57p.
The 45-year-old ground out a 3-1 victory over Nick Birney to clinch the Cuestars South of England Seniors (40+) Championship title at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
“It wasn’t pretty snooker but at the end of the day it’s all about winning,” insisted Norton, who also claimed top spot in the rankings after a four-leg tour.
Window cleaner Norton, based at Fareham Snooker Club, took the first frame in the final by cutting a tricky pink in with the cue-ball close to the side cushion.
Trailing by 30 points with three reds left in the second, Norton fashioned a 38 break. He later sunk the pink to double his advantage.
Birney, from the Liberal Club, High Wycombe, pulled one back after leaving his opponent chasing snookers on the last red.
And Birney led again in the fourth frame, this time by 16. But an attempted ‘cocked hat’ shot saw red and cue-ball disappear into opposite middle pockets.
After a catalogue of snookers, ‘in offs’ and safety shots, Norton cleared the last three colours to win on the black.
“It wasn’t the quickest of matches,” admitted Norton. “I know Nick’s a very good potter and I thought the best way to get the better of him would be to close him out. He’s a very good player; he had 120 break during the day.”
And he added: “I do love snooker; I always have done. I don’t think I could ever give it up.”
According to Norton’s travelling companion Danny O’Driscoll, Norton ground Birney down “with good matchplay and good safety play”.
And O’Driscoll said Birney performed a passable impression of world number one Mark Williams at one point when he swiped the air with his cue after missing an easy pot.
Last month, a broken cue in a working men’s club in Prestatyn, North Wales, took Norton’s fancy. He offered the owner all the change he had in his pocket as a donation. The £3.57p bid was accepted. And Norton repaired it himself.
Earlier, Ray Mears conceded more points in fouls in his third frame against Birney than he actually scored in the whole match.
Mears, based at the Sovereign Snooker Club, Farnborough, chalked up seven points in the first frame, none in the second - as Birney missed the final pink on a magnificent 120 - and 11 in the third. But he gave away 20.
“I didn’t play that bad,” he said.
BREAKS:
Nick Birney: 120, 89.
Colin Norton: 78, 64.
Steve Ashton: 46.
SENIORS RESULTS
LAST-16: Colin Norton (Fareham SC) beat Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon) 3-0, Gary Hart (Salisbury SC) beat Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) 3-0, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club) beat Danny O’Driscoll (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) 3-1, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC) beat Fred Pearce (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) 3-0, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) 3-0, Paul Rose (Jesters, Swindon) beat Neil Carroll (Salisbury SC) 3-0, Martin Wallace (Colours SC, Reading) beat Alan Grainger (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) 3-1. Bye: David Volante (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (£10): Norton beat Hart 3-0, Ashton beat Thorn 3-2, Birney beat Volante 3-0, Wallace beat Rose 3-2.
SEMI-FINALS (£25): Norton beat Ashton 3-1, Birney beat Wallace 3-2.
FINAL (£85/£45): Norton beat Birney 3-1.
Eagle-eyed Grainger lands Super-60s
EXCELLENT long potting helped Alan Grainger overcome his 82-year-old opponent in the Cuestars Super Sixties final at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
The 66-year-old from the Liberal Club, High Wycombe, who also claimed last year’s Masters (50+) title, prevailed 2-0 against Ron Ellis.
He said: “I was quite amazed to do it again. Ron started off well.”
Indeed, Ellis, from Burgh Heath Comrades & Social Club, Tadworth, Surrey, flew into the lead but ran out of steam as eagle-eyed Grainger sunk long pot after long pot.
Ellis said: “I was 20-odd in front and then I started missed them. I had a good run but he played very well.
“I did well to get to the final. I just enjoy coming down. That’s what it’s all about.”
SUPER 60s RESULTS
PRELIM: Alan Grainger beat Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS: Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) beat Fred Pearce (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) 2-0, Grainger beat Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0.
FINAL: Grainger beat Ellis 2-0.
Wood you believe it?
FOR the second year running, a team from Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club collected the Cuestars South of England Family Doubles trophy.
Gold Tour rankings champion Daniel Woods, aided and abetted by his dad Steve, defeated Bradley Chappell and his dad Colin in the final.
Daniel, 20, did most of the damage with a 32 break.
Bradley Chappell’s dad Colin was appearing in his first ever snooker final.
Last year, Jordan Winbourne and dad Chris emerged victorious from the 18-team line-up. This year, the field increased to 20 pairs.
FAMILY DOUBLES RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Jamie & Keith Perry (Jesters, Swindon) beat Connor & Derrick Probets (Jesters, Swindon), Ray & Ryan Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) beat Troy & John Bodman (Jesters, Swindon), Bradley Chappell & dad Colin (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Jason & Joshua Hughes (Rileys, Worcester), Jim & Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Terry & Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh).
LAST-16: Ray & Ryan Mears beat Jamie & Keith Perry, Bradley Chappell & dad Colin beat Jim & Bradley Cowdroy, Scott & Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Duncan & Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), Colin & Robert Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Lee & Mick Carlton (Liberal Club, High Wycombe), Daniel & Steve Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Kyle & Mason Hollow (The Academy, Basingstoke), Malcolm Scuse & Danny Tallentire (Player’s Westbury) beat Kevin & Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh), David & Derrick Volante (Jesters, Swindon) beat Nathan & Alan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport), Josh Lee & Pete Davies (Jesters, Swindon) beat Nick & Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury).
QUARTER-FINALS: Scott & Daniel Compton beat Colin & Robert Henley, Daniel & Steve Woods beat Malcolm Scuse & Danny Tallentire, Josh Lee & Pete Davies beat David & Derrick Volante, Bradley Chappell & dad Colin beat Ray & Ryan Mears.
SEMI-FINALS: Daniel & Steve Woods beat Josh Lee & Pete Davies, Bradley Chappell & dad Colin beat Scott & Daniel Compton.
FINAL: Daniel & Steve Woods beat Bradley Chappell & dad Colin.
“Gutted” Tallentire claims Six-Reds title
CUESTARS Six-Reds champion Danny Tallentire ran the whole gamut of emotions during Finals Day at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
The 18-year-old from Player’s, Westbury, said he had “never been so gutted in my life” after letting guest professional Ryan Day off the hook by miscuing the final black with the rest.
Tallentire’s misery began with a 3-0 last-16 defeat by Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood) in the Gold Championship.
But it finished with a 2-1 victory over Lee Warner (Stoke SC, Gosport) in the final of the Cuestars South of England Six-Reds Challenge.
Tallentire said: “It was a nice finish to the snooker season. But I can’t say I enjoyed miscuing on a black-ball game against world number 28 Ryan Day.
“I’ve never been so gutted in my life. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never cued across the ball so far in my life - and at the worst time possible.”
No miscues were reported in the Six-Reds final.
BREAKS:
Lee Bell: 36.
SIX-REDS CHALLENGE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME UP TO THE FINAL)
LAST-32: Daniel Winfield (Player’s, Westbury) beat Paul Ives (Liberal Club, High Wycombe), Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Rob Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh), Will Meharg (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Thomas Lancastle (Keynsham SC), Liam Burnet (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Oliver Clark (Stoke SC, Gosport), Lee Warner (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport), Derrick Volante (Jesters, Swindon) beat Mark McLean (Churchills, Eastleigh), Karl Eggar (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat David Volante (Jesters, Swindon), Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough), Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon), Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Ashley Smith (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Danny Tallentire (Player’s, Westbury) beat Ryan Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Lee Carlton (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat Andy Dyer (Player’s, Westbury), Adam Nash (Woolston Conservative Club, Southampton) beat Mick Carlton (Liberal Club, High Wycombe). Byes: Gary Wilkins (Player’s, Westbury), Danny O’Driscoll (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe).
LAST-16: Tallentire beat Carlton, O’Driscoll beat Holt, Chappell beat Winfield, Meharg beat Burnet, Warner beat Derrick Volante, Bell beat Eggar, Ball beat D Compton, Wilkins beat Nash.
QUARTER-FINALS: Chappell beat Meharg, O’Driscoll beat Wilkins, Tallentire beat Ball, Warner beat Bell.
SEMI-FINALS: Warner beat Chappell, Tallentire beat O’Driscoll.
FINAL: Tallentire beat Warner 2-1.
Ryan’s Day
GUEST-of-honour Ryan Day hot-footed it across from Gloucester to fulfill his pledge to play exhibition frames against Cuestars champions and present the trophies.
That morning, the world number 28 has been competing in the Pink Ribbon Tournament at the South West Snooker Academy.
He lost 4-0 to Michael Holt in the last-16 and reached Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, soon after dinner.
Welsh professional Day explained: “I went for everything and got beaten in about 20 minutes and rushed to get here on time.”
Day played 17 exhibition frames and was only beaten by Daniel Winfield (Player’s, Westbury). The 16-year-old triumphed 53-50.
Gold Tour rankings champion Daniel Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC) compiled a 43 break against the world number 28 – but lost on the pink. Alex Dunkley (Cue T’s, Marchwood) also took Day to the last two balls.
Day, 31, notched up three centuries: 109 against Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh), 122 against James Inglis (Rileys, Worcester) and 100 against Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).
“I played OK, actually,” he said. “Considering I haven’t played a lot of snooker after the World Championship.
“It’s nice to see a full club with lots of enthusiastic players all competing in different events. There’s certainly some good players in amongst the ones I played.
“It’s encouraging, also, to see the youngsters all dressed up very smartly and keen as mustard to play and get better.”
Day said he arrived at Jesters to find the club was “absolutely choc-a-block”.
After hearing about all the different competitions taking place, he said: “It sounds as though it’s pretty much a logistical nightmare for whoever is running it.”
And he added: “It was obvious (Cuestars) has been quite successful for a number of years.”
Weekend Section champions who received awards from Day were: Kyle Hollow (The Academy, Basingstoke), Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh), Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) and Danny Tallentire (Player’s, Westbury).
Thanks...
CUESTARS would like to thank:
Tournament director Paul Rose (Jesters, Swindon).
Referees and organisers Roy Danyluk (Liberal Club, High Wycombe), Colin Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) and Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon).
Ryan Day for providing moments of magic that the youngsters will be able to tell their grandchildren about.
Jesters Snooker Hall for handing over their entire club to Cuestars for the day and serving up mountains of sausage, egg, beans and chips and an endless stream of coffee and tea.
Kevin Smithers (top snooker photographer from thesnookerforum.com) for the presentation pictures.
And John Hunter (Cuestars founder and director) who managed to squeeze 17 exhibition frames with Ryan Day and eight separate competitions into seven-and-a-half hours. OK, the Seniors over-ran. But we’ll forgive him that. Take the summer off, John.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)