A TOUCH of classical music inspired Bournemouth snooker ace Bradley Chappell to deliver a virtuoso performance in a regional tour final.
Chappell revealed that after playing “absolutely rubbish” in the fifth leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour, an earful of Richard and Adam singing Bring Him Home lifted his game.
The 19-year-old, based at Greenbaize Snooker Club, “limped” through the round-robin group stages at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club and accounted for Connor McLean (Hailsham Memorial Institute, East Sussex) 2-0 in the last-four.
But he credited the Britain’s Got Talent finalists for his 2-0 victory over first-time finalist Dean Matthews (Crucible, Newbury) that delivered a first winner’s trophy.
“I just didn’t miss any balls at all,” he said. “I played my safety game absolutely perfect, put him on the top cushion every time.
“I found some form from somewhere. I was playing absolutely rubbish all day long. I just limped through the group stage. I went outside and listened to a bit of music.
“I approached the balls differently, my mind was different, I changed my cueing, I changed my stance. Just changed everything about my game. It seems to have worked.”
And Chappell is hoping to see Welsh brothers Richard and Adam when they appear in his home town on February 28.
The teenager made his Gold Tour debut in October, 2009, but missed the whole of last season. He was runner-up on his return to the circuit on home tables last month. The Chandler’s Ford event was his 11th outing.
Numbers were depleted as many were in action in Cambridge on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Cameron Holt: 49.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP: 1st, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Connor McLean (Hailsham Memorial Institute, East Sussex); 3rd, Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Dean Matthews (Crucible, Newbury); 5th, Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Matthews beat Budd 2-1, Chappell beat McLean 2-0.
FINAL (£15/£10, 25/18 points): Chappell beat Matthews 2-0.
Comeback kid claims first Silver trophy
AUSTEN Petty’s battling qualities were rewarded with a first winner’s trophy on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour.
Twice the 15-year-old from Boyatt Wood fought back from 1-0 down in the final stages of the fifth leg on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
He won the last two frames to account for Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-1 in the last-four and repeated the feat in the final against Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport).
“The pressure was off me,” said Petty. “I play a bit better when I’m behind.”
New rankings leader Farmer took the lead by fluking the frame-ball pink into the middle pocket when attempting a snooker.
Petty compiled a 30 break when already 34 points in front in the next and his opponent conceded with three reds left.
And it was all over when Farmer went ‘in-off’ the pink when chasing two snookers in the decider.
“He fouled a few times,” admitted Petty, the 2012 Bronze Tour Champion, who had never previously been past the Silver quarter-finals.
But he added: “After the first frame, I tightened my grip a little bit and it improved from there.”
Petty actually knocked out three Gosport lads as he beat Cameron Gillon 2-0 in the last-eight.
However, he had only scraped through as runner-up in his round-robin group on the head-to-head rule after finishing with an identical record as Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC).
Now in his second Silver season, Petty also leads the Eastleigh & District Under-18 Premier Division and competes on the EASB Regional Junior Tour.
Elsewhere, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) was knocked out in the semi-finals by Farmer for the second time this season.
And Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC) qualified for the knockout for the first time and saw off leg-one winner Callum Browne (Player’s Westbury) 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Deposed rankings leader Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford) crashed out in the group stages.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Bradley Cowdroy: 35.
Callum Browne: 32.
Austen Petty: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Cameron Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Karan Chadda (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 2nd, Canberk Benning (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC); 4th, Thomas Holton (Woking SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Petty beat C Gillon 2-0, Kitchen beat Browne 2-1, Sykes beat Benning 2-1, Farmer beat M Gillon 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Petty beat Kitchen 2-1, Farmer beat Sykes 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Petty beat Farmer 2-1.
Beebe edges ahead of Gibbs
EASTLEIGH potter Luke Beebe reckons one more win could secure the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour rankings title.
The 12-year-old is now favourite after collecting his second successive winner’s trophy in the fifth leg on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
“It went really well,” he said. “I was starting to get my potting ability back.”
Indeed. In the round-robin group stages against Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC), Beebe, on a run of 44, was robbed of a first half-century when a tricky pink rattled the jaws.
And he added a 39 in the first frame of a 2-0 final victory over Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).
Undefeated in his five-man group, Beebe survived a bit of a battle against Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC) in the last-eight and inflicted a second semi-final defeat of the season on fifth-placed Nat Kidner, the much improved lad from Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, it was a remarkable run from Tillison, who had never qualified for the knockout in his previous 12 outings.
He came second in a three-way play-off in his group and then accounted for Jordan Lee (Woking SC) 2-0 and newcomer Lee Fitzpatrick (Totton Recreation Club) 2-1.
Beebe leads Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport), a group-stage casualty, by 12 points. Edward James (Woking SC) is third, ahead of McDonald.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Luke Beebe: 44, 39.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Luke Beebe (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Lee Fitzpatrick (Totton Recreation Club); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 5th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Harry Cook (Woking SC); 5th, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Jordan Lee (Woking SC); 2nd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Sam Warren (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Edward James (Woking SC); 2nd, Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Ben Hatch (Southampton); 4th, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Beebe beat McDonald 2-1, Kidner beat Pollard 2-0, Tillison beat Lee 2-0, Fitzpatrick beat James 2-1.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Beebe beat Kidner 2-0, Tillison beat Fitzpatrick 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Beebe beat Tillison 2-0.
Consolation for Gibbs and first ever trophy for Ashman
BRONZE Tour title contender Ollie Gibbs may have lost the rankings lead but the ten-year-old from Gosport had the consolation of collecting the Plate trophy.
Gibbs, who is based at Stoke Snooker Club, failed to qualify for the knockout for the first time in his debut season in the fifth leg at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
Runner-up was Liam Ashman, son of coach Duncan Ashman, from Player’s, Westbury. It was the 12-year-old’s first ever snooker trophy.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
LAST-16: Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury) beat Ben Hatch (Southampton), Karan Chadda (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Sam Warren (Chandler’s Ford SC), Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth) beat Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat ‘Big’ Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC), David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport).
QUARTER-FINALS: Ashman beat Chadda, Holt beat A Cowdroy, O’Callaghan beat Benzey, Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
SEMI-FINALS: Ashman beat Holt, Gibbs beat O’Callaghan.
FINAL: Gibbs beat Ashman.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
About Cuestars
Founded 20 years ago by director John Hunter, Cuestars runs grass-root snooker tournaments across the South of England and South Wales.
Competitions take place on Sundays between October and June, and cater for players of all ages.
All Cuestars tournaments are played off scratch. There are no handicaps, except in the Under-21 Plate. Cuestars uses a round-robin format leading to a knockout.
Competitions for 2012/13 include: South of England Championship Tour; Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours; Weekend Junior Section Rankings and Seniors (40+) Tour.
Website: cuestars.co.uk E-mail John Hunter: john@cuestars.co.uk.
Chappell revealed that after playing “absolutely rubbish” in the fifth leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour, an earful of Richard and Adam singing Bring Him Home lifted his game.
The 19-year-old, based at Greenbaize Snooker Club, “limped” through the round-robin group stages at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club and accounted for Connor McLean (Hailsham Memorial Institute, East Sussex) 2-0 in the last-four.
But he credited the Britain’s Got Talent finalists for his 2-0 victory over first-time finalist Dean Matthews (Crucible, Newbury) that delivered a first winner’s trophy.
“I just didn’t miss any balls at all,” he said. “I played my safety game absolutely perfect, put him on the top cushion every time.
“I found some form from somewhere. I was playing absolutely rubbish all day long. I just limped through the group stage. I went outside and listened to a bit of music.
“I approached the balls differently, my mind was different, I changed my cueing, I changed my stance. Just changed everything about my game. It seems to have worked.”
And Chappell is hoping to see Welsh brothers Richard and Adam when they appear in his home town on February 28.
The teenager made his Gold Tour debut in October, 2009, but missed the whole of last season. He was runner-up on his return to the circuit on home tables last month. The Chandler’s Ford event was his 11th outing.
Numbers were depleted as many were in action in Cambridge on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Cameron Holt: 49.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP: 1st, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Connor McLean (Hailsham Memorial Institute, East Sussex); 3rd, Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Dean Matthews (Crucible, Newbury); 5th, Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Matthews beat Budd 2-1, Chappell beat McLean 2-0.
FINAL (£15/£10, 25/18 points): Chappell beat Matthews 2-0.
Comeback kid claims first Silver trophy
AUSTEN Petty’s battling qualities were rewarded with a first winner’s trophy on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour.
Twice the 15-year-old from Boyatt Wood fought back from 1-0 down in the final stages of the fifth leg on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
He won the last two frames to account for Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-1 in the last-four and repeated the feat in the final against Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport).
“The pressure was off me,” said Petty. “I play a bit better when I’m behind.”
New rankings leader Farmer took the lead by fluking the frame-ball pink into the middle pocket when attempting a snooker.
Petty compiled a 30 break when already 34 points in front in the next and his opponent conceded with three reds left.
And it was all over when Farmer went ‘in-off’ the pink when chasing two snookers in the decider.
“He fouled a few times,” admitted Petty, the 2012 Bronze Tour Champion, who had never previously been past the Silver quarter-finals.
But he added: “After the first frame, I tightened my grip a little bit and it improved from there.”
Petty actually knocked out three Gosport lads as he beat Cameron Gillon 2-0 in the last-eight.
However, he had only scraped through as runner-up in his round-robin group on the head-to-head rule after finishing with an identical record as Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC).
Now in his second Silver season, Petty also leads the Eastleigh & District Under-18 Premier Division and competes on the EASB Regional Junior Tour.
Elsewhere, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) was knocked out in the semi-finals by Farmer for the second time this season.
And Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC) qualified for the knockout for the first time and saw off leg-one winner Callum Browne (Player’s Westbury) 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Deposed rankings leader Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford) crashed out in the group stages.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Bradley Cowdroy: 35.
Callum Browne: 32.
Austen Petty: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Cameron Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Karan Chadda (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 2nd, Canberk Benning (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC); 4th, Thomas Holton (Woking SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Petty beat C Gillon 2-0, Kitchen beat Browne 2-1, Sykes beat Benning 2-1, Farmer beat M Gillon 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Petty beat Kitchen 2-1, Farmer beat Sykes 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Petty beat Farmer 2-1.
Beebe edges ahead of Gibbs
EASTLEIGH potter Luke Beebe reckons one more win could secure the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour rankings title.
The 12-year-old is now favourite after collecting his second successive winner’s trophy in the fifth leg on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
“It went really well,” he said. “I was starting to get my potting ability back.”
Indeed. In the round-robin group stages against Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC), Beebe, on a run of 44, was robbed of a first half-century when a tricky pink rattled the jaws.
And he added a 39 in the first frame of a 2-0 final victory over Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).
Undefeated in his five-man group, Beebe survived a bit of a battle against Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC) in the last-eight and inflicted a second semi-final defeat of the season on fifth-placed Nat Kidner, the much improved lad from Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, it was a remarkable run from Tillison, who had never qualified for the knockout in his previous 12 outings.
He came second in a three-way play-off in his group and then accounted for Jordan Lee (Woking SC) 2-0 and newcomer Lee Fitzpatrick (Totton Recreation Club) 2-1.
Beebe leads Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport), a group-stage casualty, by 12 points. Edward James (Woking SC) is third, ahead of McDonald.
The sixth leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, March 2.
BREAKS
Luke Beebe: 44, 39.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Luke Beebe (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Lee Fitzpatrick (Totton Recreation Club); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 5th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Harry Cook (Woking SC); 5th, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Jordan Lee (Woking SC); 2nd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Sam Warren (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Edward James (Woking SC); 2nd, Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Ben Hatch (Southampton); 4th, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Beebe beat McDonald 2-1, Kidner beat Pollard 2-0, Tillison beat Lee 2-0, Fitzpatrick beat James 2-1.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Beebe beat Kidner 2-0, Tillison beat Fitzpatrick 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Beebe beat Tillison 2-0.
Consolation for Gibbs and first ever trophy for Ashman
BRONZE Tour title contender Ollie Gibbs may have lost the rankings lead but the ten-year-old from Gosport had the consolation of collecting the Plate trophy.
Gibbs, who is based at Stoke Snooker Club, failed to qualify for the knockout for the first time in his debut season in the fifth leg at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
Runner-up was Liam Ashman, son of coach Duncan Ashman, from Player’s, Westbury. It was the 12-year-old’s first ever snooker trophy.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
LAST-16: Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury) beat Ben Hatch (Southampton), Karan Chadda (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Sam Warren (Chandler’s Ford SC), Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth) beat Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat ‘Big’ Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC), David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport).
QUARTER-FINALS: Ashman beat Chadda, Holt beat A Cowdroy, O’Callaghan beat Benzey, Ollie Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
SEMI-FINALS: Ashman beat Holt, Gibbs beat O’Callaghan.
FINAL: Gibbs beat Ashman.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
About Cuestars
Founded 20 years ago by director John Hunter, Cuestars runs grass-root snooker tournaments across the South of England and South Wales.
Competitions take place on Sundays between October and June, and cater for players of all ages.
All Cuestars tournaments are played off scratch. There are no handicaps, except in the Under-21 Plate. Cuestars uses a round-robin format leading to a knockout.
Competitions for 2012/13 include: South of England Championship Tour; Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours; Weekend Junior Section Rankings and Seniors (40+) Tour.
Website: cuestars.co.uk E-mail John Hunter: john@cuestars.co.uk.