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ANTHONY Rice faces a taxing time over the next few months in his bid to mark his final season on a junior snooker circuit with a first title.
Back-to-back tournaments wins has taken the 20-year-old from Fordingbridge clear at the top of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour rankings.
He followed up his success on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club earlier this month with victory in the third leg in Swindon.
Rice, a tax assistant at Total Tax and Accounts in his home town, defeated Aidan Murphy 2-0 in the final of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings at Jesters Snooker Club.
Last season’s Gold Tour championship play-off winner reckons it’ll be tough to bow out with the title but he was pleased with his ability to pinch frames from under the noses of his opponents.
He said: “It would be nice to win the Gold Tour rankings given that it’s my last season. That said, it’s still very early on and there’s a lot of snooker to be played between now and then.
“The standard is solid throughout and I really can lose to anyone, especially given such a short format.
“I felt that I played quite solid throughout the day - and scored well occasionally.
“What was most pleasing for me was the number of frames that I won that I should have lost.
“In both frames of the semi-final I came from behind. And in both frames in the final, Aidan took an early lead.
“I find it just as satisfying to steal a frame that I have no right to win as I do winning a frame in one visit.”
Reflecting on work demands, he added: “Having start a new job with January (self-assessment tax deadline) coming so quickly, I have very little time to practise so confidence counts for a lot.
“I’ve had a decent spell and have won three of the last four Cuestars Under-21 events so I suppose it just gives me a little more confidence and belief on the day.”
Bristol-based Murphy, 13 - who is sponsored by Elite Mobility, Hanham Flooring Centre and NH Couriers - was also runner-up in the first leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar in September.
Leg-one winner Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) rattled the final pink on a personal best matchplay break of 87 in his first frame of the day against Adam Stacey (London).
Rice leads beaten semi-finalist Cowdroy by ten points. Murphy is four points further adrift in third.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
Bradley Cowdroy: 87, 74, 46.
Anthony Rice: 65, 60, 51.
Connor Benzey: 57.
Oliver Sykes: 47, 44, 42.
Jamie Wilson: 47.
Mickey Joyce: 40.
Charlie Pringle: 40.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Olly Gibbs (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Fishponds Cons Club, Bristol); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Charlie Pringle (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Rice 2-1 S Hughes, Cowdroy 2-1 D Sykes, Murphy 2-1 Joyce, Gibbs 2-0 Wilson.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Rice 2-0 Cowdroy, Murphy 2-0 Gibbs.
FINAL (£70/£35, 25/18 points): Rice 2-0 Murphy.
O’Callaghan races ahead in Silver
A DOREST teenage is in pole position to earn promotion after collecting a second winner’s trophy in three events on a regional snooker circuit.
David O’Callaghan has a 19-point lead at the top of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour rankings.
The 18-year-old from Wallisdown beat first-time finalist Riley Ellis 2-1 to clinch the third leg at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
He said: “In general, the day was scrappy. I had moments of really good play such as the 41 break at the start of the day which should have been more.
“But the final was more of the same. I dominated the first frame. Riley pinched the second on the black and the third was fairly comfortable.
“Riley did pot some nice balls but I felt I played the better.”
O’Callaghan, who won the first leg in Waterlooville and was runner-up in Salisbury, had lost 2-1 to 13-year-old Ellis (Clyffe Pypard, Wilts) in the group stages.
Winnings the rankings, in his third season on the Silver Tour, would earn him a place on the Gold Tour next season.
Fourth-placed Ellis, last season’s Bronze Tour rankings winner, overcame leg-two winner Brett Wallace (Gosport) 2-1 in the semi-finals of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings.
He said: “I had some tough games and I was really relieved to get through the group stages for the first time this season.”
O’Callaghan overcame third-placed Kaine Petty (Fordingbridge) 2-1 in the last-four.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
David O’Callaghan: 41.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Brett Wallace (Fareham SC); 2nd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC); 4th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2-1 Wallace, O’Callaghan 2-1 Petty.
FINAL (25/18 points): O’Callaghan 2-1 Ellis.
Third time lucky for Laxton
PORTSMOUTH potter Samuel Laxton has won his first regional snooker tournament at only his third attempt.
The 12-year-old battled past the top two ranked players on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour in the third leg at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
Following two successive semi-final defeats to Riccardo Drayton, Laxton again faced the 12-year-old from Chandler’s Ford in the last-four.
But this time he wrapped up a 2-1 victory over the leg-two winner with a 25 break.
And he then beat leg-one winner Ronnie Sullivan (London) 2-1 from 1-0 down and 24 points adrift with 25 on in the second frame.
“I’m proud to have won,” said the delighted youngster.
“The competition is very strong and I’m happy to be part of it.
“Beating Riccardo gave me confidence. I wasn’t nervous in the final.”
Dad Wayne said: "He played so well. I'm so proud of him."
It was the first winner’s trophy collected by this season’s Cuestars debutants from Waterlooville Sports Bar’s new junior leagues.
Laxton was unbeaten in the group stages and overcame his clubmate Zak Truscott 2-1 in the last-eight.
Another clubmate, Dean Russell, made his first semi-final appearance and went out 2-0 to Sullivan.
The top-three ranked players are starting to pull away. Sullivan leads Drayton by three points. Laxton is three points further back.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
Ronnie Sullivan: 43, 31, 24, 20.
Samuel Laxton: 25, 20.
Jack Ratcliffe: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jack Ratcliffe (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Lewis Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 4th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Viktor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Drayton 2-0 M Wilson, Laxton 2-1 Truscott, Sullivan 2-0 Scott, Russell 2-0 Ratcliffe.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Laxton 2-1 Drayton, Sullivan 2-0 Russell.
FINAL (25/18 points): Laxton 2-1 Sullivan.
Kidner claims consolation in Swindon
NAT Kidner missed out on a place in the Silver knockout on frames difference during the third legs at Jesters SC, Swindon, but he bounced back to claim the plate trophy.
The Ferndown teenager (pictured, right) defeated 11-year-old Oliver Sykes (left) in the final of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings.
Sykes had beaten the eventual Gold tournament winner Anthony Rice in the group stages but missed out on qualifying to his brother Dan on the head-to-head rule.
The fourth legs of ten are at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Charlie Pringle (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Viktor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon), Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC), Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC) beat Lewis Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS: Pringle beat White, Sykes beat Reed, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC), Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS: Sykes beat Pringle, Kidner beat Hughes.
FINAL: Kidner beat Sykes.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
Back-to-back tournaments wins has taken the 20-year-old from Fordingbridge clear at the top of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour rankings.
He followed up his success on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club earlier this month with victory in the third leg in Swindon.
Rice, a tax assistant at Total Tax and Accounts in his home town, defeated Aidan Murphy 2-0 in the final of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings at Jesters Snooker Club.
Last season’s Gold Tour championship play-off winner reckons it’ll be tough to bow out with the title but he was pleased with his ability to pinch frames from under the noses of his opponents.
He said: “It would be nice to win the Gold Tour rankings given that it’s my last season. That said, it’s still very early on and there’s a lot of snooker to be played between now and then.
“The standard is solid throughout and I really can lose to anyone, especially given such a short format.
“I felt that I played quite solid throughout the day - and scored well occasionally.
“What was most pleasing for me was the number of frames that I won that I should have lost.
“In both frames of the semi-final I came from behind. And in both frames in the final, Aidan took an early lead.
“I find it just as satisfying to steal a frame that I have no right to win as I do winning a frame in one visit.”
Reflecting on work demands, he added: “Having start a new job with January (self-assessment tax deadline) coming so quickly, I have very little time to practise so confidence counts for a lot.
“I’ve had a decent spell and have won three of the last four Cuestars Under-21 events so I suppose it just gives me a little more confidence and belief on the day.”
Bristol-based Murphy, 13 - who is sponsored by Elite Mobility, Hanham Flooring Centre and NH Couriers - was also runner-up in the first leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar in September.
Leg-one winner Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) rattled the final pink on a personal best matchplay break of 87 in his first frame of the day against Adam Stacey (London).
Rice leads beaten semi-finalist Cowdroy by ten points. Murphy is four points further adrift in third.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
Bradley Cowdroy: 87, 74, 46.
Anthony Rice: 65, 60, 51.
Connor Benzey: 57.
Oliver Sykes: 47, 44, 42.
Jamie Wilson: 47.
Mickey Joyce: 40.
Charlie Pringle: 40.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Olly Gibbs (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Fishponds Cons Club, Bristol); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Charlie Pringle (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Rice 2-1 S Hughes, Cowdroy 2-1 D Sykes, Murphy 2-1 Joyce, Gibbs 2-0 Wilson.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Rice 2-0 Cowdroy, Murphy 2-0 Gibbs.
FINAL (£70/£35, 25/18 points): Rice 2-0 Murphy.
O’Callaghan races ahead in Silver
A DOREST teenage is in pole position to earn promotion after collecting a second winner’s trophy in three events on a regional snooker circuit.
David O’Callaghan has a 19-point lead at the top of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour rankings.
The 18-year-old from Wallisdown beat first-time finalist Riley Ellis 2-1 to clinch the third leg at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
He said: “In general, the day was scrappy. I had moments of really good play such as the 41 break at the start of the day which should have been more.
“But the final was more of the same. I dominated the first frame. Riley pinched the second on the black and the third was fairly comfortable.
“Riley did pot some nice balls but I felt I played the better.”
O’Callaghan, who won the first leg in Waterlooville and was runner-up in Salisbury, had lost 2-1 to 13-year-old Ellis (Clyffe Pypard, Wilts) in the group stages.
Winnings the rankings, in his third season on the Silver Tour, would earn him a place on the Gold Tour next season.
Fourth-placed Ellis, last season’s Bronze Tour rankings winner, overcame leg-two winner Brett Wallace (Gosport) 2-1 in the semi-finals of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings.
He said: “I had some tough games and I was really relieved to get through the group stages for the first time this season.”
O’Callaghan overcame third-placed Kaine Petty (Fordingbridge) 2-1 in the last-four.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
David O’Callaghan: 41.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Brett Wallace (Fareham SC); 2nd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC); 4th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2-1 Wallace, O’Callaghan 2-1 Petty.
FINAL (25/18 points): O’Callaghan 2-1 Ellis.
Third time lucky for Laxton
PORTSMOUTH potter Samuel Laxton has won his first regional snooker tournament at only his third attempt.
The 12-year-old battled past the top two ranked players on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour in the third leg at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
Following two successive semi-final defeats to Riccardo Drayton, Laxton again faced the 12-year-old from Chandler’s Ford in the last-four.
But this time he wrapped up a 2-1 victory over the leg-two winner with a 25 break.
And he then beat leg-one winner Ronnie Sullivan (London) 2-1 from 1-0 down and 24 points adrift with 25 on in the second frame.
“I’m proud to have won,” said the delighted youngster.
“The competition is very strong and I’m happy to be part of it.
“Beating Riccardo gave me confidence. I wasn’t nervous in the final.”
Dad Wayne said: "He played so well. I'm so proud of him."
It was the first winner’s trophy collected by this season’s Cuestars debutants from Waterlooville Sports Bar’s new junior leagues.
Laxton was unbeaten in the group stages and overcame his clubmate Zak Truscott 2-1 in the last-eight.
Another clubmate, Dean Russell, made his first semi-final appearance and went out 2-0 to Sullivan.
The top-three ranked players are starting to pull away. Sullivan leads Drayton by three points. Laxton is three points further back.
The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
BREAKS
Ronnie Sullivan: 43, 31, 24, 20.
Samuel Laxton: 25, 20.
Jack Ratcliffe: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jack Ratcliffe (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Lewis Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 4th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Viktor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Drayton 2-0 M Wilson, Laxton 2-1 Truscott, Sullivan 2-0 Scott, Russell 2-0 Ratcliffe.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Laxton 2-1 Drayton, Sullivan 2-0 Russell.
FINAL (25/18 points): Laxton 2-1 Sullivan.
Kidner claims consolation in Swindon
NAT Kidner missed out on a place in the Silver knockout on frames difference during the third legs at Jesters SC, Swindon, but he bounced back to claim the plate trophy.
The Ferndown teenager (pictured, right) defeated 11-year-old Oliver Sykes (left) in the final of the event sponsored by Cube Property Holdings.
Sykes had beaten the eventual Gold tournament winner Anthony Rice in the group stages but missed out on qualifying to his brother Dan on the head-to-head rule.
The fourth legs of ten are at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 3.
For more information about London-based Cube Property Holdings, which builds and manages luxury homes and places of work, visit www.cubepropertyholdings.co.uk.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Charlie Pringle (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Viktor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon), Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC), Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC) beat Lewis Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Kyle Carter (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS: Pringle beat White, Sykes beat Reed, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC), Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS: Sykes beat Pringle, Kidner beat Hughes.
FINAL: Kidner beat Sykes.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)