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Desperate Rice secures first win for two years
ANTHONY Rice admitted he’d been “desperate for a win” after collecting his first winner’s trophy for nearly two years on a regional snooker circuit.
The 19-year-old from Fordingbridge defeated Aidan Murphy 2-1 in the final of the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour.
It ended a drought stretching back to his first tournament win on the same table at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, on November 2, 2014.
Rice said: “Over the last year I have been getting desperate for a win. My game on the practice table has been better than ever but I just haven’t been taking it onto the match table.”
The trainee tax accountant at Fawcetts in Salisbury added: “I’ve told myself going into the last few events that I no longer expect to play to any sort of standard and that I should just enjoy it.
“This took all the pressure I have put on myself away. I didn't play that well all day but I did keep my composure - until the final at least.”
Rice, who collected £70 prize money and climbed to second place in the rankings, topped his group in the event sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers. He then defeated Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-0 and Callum Browne (Trowbridge) 2-1 before edging 12-year-old Murphy (Bristol) 2-1.
Reflecting on the final, Rice said: “I went 1-0 fairly quickly and, if I’m honest, expected to win at that point.
“(But) Aidan came back at me fantastically. He is an excellent young player, certainly one for the future. All credit to him.
“In the decider, all of the aforementioned about just enjoying it flew out the window. I got extremely nervous and bottled a few chances to take the match.
“Finally, I managed to pot a good long brown to leave me in a position where even I couldn’t fail! I’m delighted to get another Cuestars win under my belt.”
Murphy had earlier knocked out English Under-18 Champion Mark Lloyd, the winner of the first two legs, 2-0 in the quarter-finals and Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) 2-1in the last-four.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Mickey Joyce: 60, 49, 41.
Mark Lloyd: 52, 52, 50.
Anthony Rice: 47, 44.
Dan Sykes: 47.
Joshua Lee: 36.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Fishponds Cons, Bristol); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C); 1st, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, James Budd (Fareham SC); 4th, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Rice 2 Cowdroy 0, Browne 2 Joyce 1, Murphy 2 Lloyd 0, D Sykes 2 Hughes 0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Rice 2 Browne 1, Murphy 2 D Sykes 1.
FINAL (£70/£15 25/18 points): Rice 2 Murphy 1.
First “amazing” win for Pringle
A CHANDLER’S Ford teenager said it felt “amazing” to win his first regional tournament following two runners-up trophies in his previous three outings.
Charlie Pringle finally crossed the winning line in the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
The 15-year-old defeated David O’Callaghan (Bournemouth) 2-0 in the final of the event sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
“It felt amazing because I've been in three finals,” he said.
Pringle was runner-up in the final leg last season on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club to clubmate Connor Benzey and in the first leg this season in Woking when Ryan Hughes, another clubmate, needed snookers in the second frame to clinch victory.
Hughes, the winner of the first two legs in Woking and Salisbury, beat Pringle in the group stages but missed out on qualifying for the knockout by one frame.
The 14-year-old from Chandler’s Ford retains top spot in the rankings, four points ahead of Pringle. First-time finalist O’Callaghan is seven points further back.
Fourth-placed Keegan Reed (Salisbury) made a last-four exit for the second event in a row and sixth-placed Evan Plummer (Coulsdon), runner-up in the second leg in Salisbury, lost 2-0 to Pringle in the second semi.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Ryan Hughes: 35.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Harry Jones (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): O’Callaghan 2 Reed 1, Pringle 2 Plummer 0.
FINAL (25/18 points): Pringle 2 O’Callaghan 0.
Maiden tournament win for the only girl on the circuit
HAVANT teenager Chloe White won her first Cuestars tournament three weeks after facing 11-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans in the UK Championship.
The 15-year-old held her nerve to edge home player Riley Ellis 2-1 in the final at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
White won all four of her round-robin group matches in the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
The only girl currently competing on the junior circuit then defeated rankings leader Shane Kearns (Swindon) 2-1 in the last-four.
“I was very happy to finally win my first Cuestars event and I hope that there are many more to come,” she said.
“I played well all day, not losing a match and coming top of my group. The final was quite tight but I managed to keep my nerve and get over the finish line.”
Ellis, 12, who recorded his highest break of 38 in his group match against Chloe’s brother Callum, overcame Arnie Petty (Fordingbridge) 2-0 in his semi-final.
Three weeks previously, White made an impressive debut on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker circuit in the LITEtask UK Ladies Championship at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.
She lost 3-0 to Evans - the eventual tournament winner, beat Ronda Sheldreck (Ireland) 3-0 and lost 2-1 to Laura Evans (Wales).
The Swindon tournament was her 15th Cuestars outing. She made her debut in Bournemouth in December, 2014.
Kearns remains top of the rankings but Ellis is only seven points adrift. Two points further back are siblings Callum and Chloe White in joint third.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Riley Ellis: 38, 20.
Will Forster: 29, 22.
Chloe White: 26.
Shane Kearns: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Stefan Djakovic (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 2nd, Arnie Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Harry Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Oscar Livesey (Nailsea Social Club).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2 Petty 0, Chloe White 2 Kearns 1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Chloe White 2 Ellis 1.
All Chandler’s Ford Plate final
GOLD Tour player Connor Benzey beat his Chandler’s Ford clubmate Oliver Sykes in the Plate final during the third legs of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours.
The event at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, was sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport), Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC) beat Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC),
QUARTER-FINALS: Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Zhu, Benzey beat Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon), Pollard beat Oscar Livesey (Nailsea Social Club), Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Harry Jones (Frames, Coulsdon).
SEMI-FINALS: Benzey beat Hughes, Sykes beat Pollard.
FINAL: Benzey beat Sykes.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
ANTHONY Rice admitted he’d been “desperate for a win” after collecting his first winner’s trophy for nearly two years on a regional snooker circuit.
The 19-year-old from Fordingbridge defeated Aidan Murphy 2-1 in the final of the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour.
It ended a drought stretching back to his first tournament win on the same table at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, on November 2, 2014.
Rice said: “Over the last year I have been getting desperate for a win. My game on the practice table has been better than ever but I just haven’t been taking it onto the match table.”
The trainee tax accountant at Fawcetts in Salisbury added: “I’ve told myself going into the last few events that I no longer expect to play to any sort of standard and that I should just enjoy it.
“This took all the pressure I have put on myself away. I didn't play that well all day but I did keep my composure - until the final at least.”
Rice, who collected £70 prize money and climbed to second place in the rankings, topped his group in the event sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers. He then defeated Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-0 and Callum Browne (Trowbridge) 2-1 before edging 12-year-old Murphy (Bristol) 2-1.
Reflecting on the final, Rice said: “I went 1-0 fairly quickly and, if I’m honest, expected to win at that point.
“(But) Aidan came back at me fantastically. He is an excellent young player, certainly one for the future. All credit to him.
“In the decider, all of the aforementioned about just enjoying it flew out the window. I got extremely nervous and bottled a few chances to take the match.
“Finally, I managed to pot a good long brown to leave me in a position where even I couldn’t fail! I’m delighted to get another Cuestars win under my belt.”
Murphy had earlier knocked out English Under-18 Champion Mark Lloyd, the winner of the first two legs, 2-0 in the quarter-finals and Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) 2-1in the last-four.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Mickey Joyce: 60, 49, 41.
Mark Lloyd: 52, 52, 50.
Anthony Rice: 47, 44.
Dan Sykes: 47.
Joshua Lee: 36.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Fishponds Cons, Bristol); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C); 1st, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, James Budd (Fareham SC); 4th, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Rice 2 Cowdroy 0, Browne 2 Joyce 1, Murphy 2 Lloyd 0, D Sykes 2 Hughes 0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Rice 2 Browne 1, Murphy 2 D Sykes 1.
FINAL (£70/£15 25/18 points): Rice 2 Murphy 1.
First “amazing” win for Pringle
A CHANDLER’S Ford teenager said it felt “amazing” to win his first regional tournament following two runners-up trophies in his previous three outings.
Charlie Pringle finally crossed the winning line in the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
The 15-year-old defeated David O’Callaghan (Bournemouth) 2-0 in the final of the event sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
“It felt amazing because I've been in three finals,” he said.
Pringle was runner-up in the final leg last season on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club to clubmate Connor Benzey and in the first leg this season in Woking when Ryan Hughes, another clubmate, needed snookers in the second frame to clinch victory.
Hughes, the winner of the first two legs in Woking and Salisbury, beat Pringle in the group stages but missed out on qualifying for the knockout by one frame.
The 14-year-old from Chandler’s Ford retains top spot in the rankings, four points ahead of Pringle. First-time finalist O’Callaghan is seven points further back.
Fourth-placed Keegan Reed (Salisbury) made a last-four exit for the second event in a row and sixth-placed Evan Plummer (Coulsdon), runner-up in the second leg in Salisbury, lost 2-0 to Pringle in the second semi.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Ryan Hughes: 35.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Harry Jones (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): O’Callaghan 2 Reed 1, Pringle 2 Plummer 0.
FINAL (25/18 points): Pringle 2 O’Callaghan 0.
Maiden tournament win for the only girl on the circuit
HAVANT teenager Chloe White won her first Cuestars tournament three weeks after facing 11-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans in the UK Championship.
The 15-year-old held her nerve to edge home player Riley Ellis 2-1 in the final at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
White won all four of her round-robin group matches in the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
The only girl currently competing on the junior circuit then defeated rankings leader Shane Kearns (Swindon) 2-1 in the last-four.
“I was very happy to finally win my first Cuestars event and I hope that there are many more to come,” she said.
“I played well all day, not losing a match and coming top of my group. The final was quite tight but I managed to keep my nerve and get over the finish line.”
Ellis, 12, who recorded his highest break of 38 in his group match against Chloe’s brother Callum, overcame Arnie Petty (Fordingbridge) 2-0 in his semi-final.
Three weeks previously, White made an impressive debut on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker circuit in the LITEtask UK Ladies Championship at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.
She lost 3-0 to Evans - the eventual tournament winner, beat Ronda Sheldreck (Ireland) 3-0 and lost 2-1 to Laura Evans (Wales).
The Swindon tournament was her 15th Cuestars outing. She made her debut in Bournemouth in December, 2014.
Kearns remains top of the rankings but Ellis is only seven points adrift. Two points further back are siblings Callum and Chloe White in joint third.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
BREAKS
Riley Ellis: 38, 20.
Will Forster: 29, 22.
Chloe White: 26.
Shane Kearns: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Stefan Djakovic (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 2nd, Arnie Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Harry Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Oscar Livesey (Nailsea Social Club).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2 Petty 0, Chloe White 2 Kearns 1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Chloe White 2 Ellis 1.
All Chandler’s Ford Plate final
GOLD Tour player Connor Benzey beat his Chandler’s Ford clubmate Oliver Sykes in the Plate final during the third legs of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours.
The event at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, was sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers.
For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport), Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC) beat Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC),
QUARTER-FINALS: Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Zhu, Benzey beat Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon), Pollard beat Oscar Livesey (Nailsea Social Club), Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Harry Jones (Frames, Coulsdon).
SEMI-FINALS: Benzey beat Hughes, Sykes beat Pollard.
FINAL: Benzey beat Sykes.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)