Tweet
CONNOR Benzey continued his impressive season with a first tournament win of the campaign on the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour.
The 16-year-old from Eastleigh finished runner-up in the first two legs but collected the winner’s trophy and £100 prize money in the sixth event in Bournemouth.
Benzey, who leads the EASB Regional Junior Tour South and won the European Under-17 Open in Malta last month, defeated Jamie Wilson 3-1 in the final at Greenbaize Snooker Club.
Surprisingly, the teen ace has not been happy with his matchplay
He said: “I’ve been playing really well in practice but just struggling on match tables.
“My safety (play) has been good, which has been giving me the chances.”
Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) beat Wilson (Havant) en route to topping his round-robin group but lost 3-1 to Benzey in the last-four.
Ryan Hughes, also from Chandler’s Ford but no relation, beat Benzey en route to topping his round-robin group but lost 3-0 to Wilson in the last-four.
Reflecting on that defeat by Hughes, Benzey added: “I really struggled in that match. I couldn’t get going at all.
“He played well, to be fair to him.”
Wilson recorded the day’s highest break of 86 in his third group-stage match against Londoner Ronnie Sullivan.
The top two in the rankings both made group-stage exits.
Home player Bradley Cowdroy remains one point clear of Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford). Wilson is four points further back in third and seven ahead of fourth-placed Benzey.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Jamie Wilson: 86, 70, 65, 45.
Connor Benzey: 63, 63, 57.
Bradley Cowdroy: 63.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 5th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 3-0 R Hughes, Benzey 3-1 S Hughes.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Benzey 3-1 Wilson.
Fine run for Leighton after long trot
IT WOULD certainly have made a lively topic of debate during the two-and-three-quarter-hour journey home to Basildon.
Louie Leighton edged his travelling companion Richard Hillgrove 2-1 on the final black to clinch the sixth leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour in Bournemouth.
But whether the 15-year-old fluked the last ball at the Greenbaize Snooker Club or played a cracking safety shot with the chance of a pot depends on whose camp you are in.
Whatever the intent, Leighton replaces his practice partner from Basildon Snooker Club at the top of the rankings.
And that incentive spurred the teenage on.
Leighton, who also won the first leg in Salisbury, said: “It was very even but with him being top of the rankings, it just made me want to beat him even more.
“I didn’t play that well in the group stages but when I got into the semis against Nat (Kidner), I played well.
“He went 1-0 up and then I knocked in a good 31 break and got through.”
Reflecting on the exhausting 300-mile round trip, he added: “It was a long trot. That’s probably the furthest one but worth it.”
Home player Kidner had qualified for the knockout for the first time this season. He then dispatched former rankings leader Riley Ellis (Wilts) 2-0 in the last-eight before going down 2-1 to Leighton.
Will Forster (Gosport) made his third semi-final exit of the season, losing 2-0 to Hillgrove.
Leighton has a five-point advantage over Hillgrove. Ellis is seven points further back in third.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 36, 31.
Louie Leighton: 31.
Will Forster: 31.
Samuel Laxton: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 2nd, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 4th, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Hillgrove 2-1 Laxton, Forster 2-1 Kearns, Kidner 2-0 Ellis, Leighton 2-0 White.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Leighton 2-1 Kidner, Hillgrove 2-0 Forster.
FINAL (25/18 points): Leighton 2-1 Hillgrove.
27th time lucky for Adam Cowdroy
IT WAS game, set and match for keen tennis player Adam Cowdroy when he dusted off his snooker cue and ended a five-year wait for a first Cuestars winner’s trophy.
The 14-year-old from Bournemouth cruised to a 2-0 victory over rankings leader Owen Jenkins in the final of the sixth leg of the Under-21 Bronze Tour.
In fact, Cowdroy didn’t drop a single frame all day on home tables at Greenbaize Snooker Club.
The teenager, who now focuses more on his tennis, was competing in his 27th Cuestars event. He made his debut in October, 2013.
Cowdroy insists he has hardly picked up a cue since last September.
He said: “I’m happy because I pretty much haven’t hit a ball since the first event in Salisbury.
“I played last night for about 20 minutes and that’s about it.”
And he added: “I’m really happy to come here, at my home club, and win the tournament.”
Fifth-leg winner Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth) lost in the semi-finals for the fifth time this season. He went down 2-0 to Cowdroy but climbed to second place, seven points adrift of Jenkins.
Jenkins, ten, scraped through the group-stages as one of the two best thirds and edged Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) 2-1 from 1-0 down in the last-eight.
Nine-year-old Harry Wyatt (Ferndown) lost 2-0 to Jenkins in the last-four. Fourth-placed Wyatt has now qualified for the knockout in five of the six events in his debut season.
Six-year-old William Thomson (Chandler’s Ford) had another day to remember. He took tournament winner Cowdroy to the final black and beat rankings leader Jenkins.
And Daniel Walter (Portsmouth) recorded his highest competitive break of 24 in his group-stage victory over Thomson.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Adam Cowdroy: 25, 25.
Daniel Walter: 24.
Thomas Sharp: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 2nd, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); joint 3rd, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC), Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport) & Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC); 5th, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Laxton, Sharp 2-1 McEvoy, Jenkins 2-1 Smith, Wyatt 2-0 S Walter.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Sharp, Jenkins 2-0 Wyatt.
FINAL (25/18 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Jenkins.
Double celebration for Cowdroys
THERE was a double celebration in the Cowdroy household following the sixth legs of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours at Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth.
While Adam was winning his first Bronze tournament, big brother Bradley collected the Plate trophy.
Home player Bradley, the England under-16 captain and Gold Tour rankings leader, failed to qualify for the knockout by one frame.
But the 16-year-old Premier Junior Tour player went on to beat Katie Griffin in the final of the competition for non-qualifiers.
Katie, from Swindon, is currently fifth on the Bronze Tour and received a 28-point handicap start.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about event sponsor Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon) beat William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC), Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS: Cowdroy beat Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Griffin beat Wilson.
FINAL: Cowdroy beat Griffin.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
The 16-year-old from Eastleigh finished runner-up in the first two legs but collected the winner’s trophy and £100 prize money in the sixth event in Bournemouth.
Benzey, who leads the EASB Regional Junior Tour South and won the European Under-17 Open in Malta last month, defeated Jamie Wilson 3-1 in the final at Greenbaize Snooker Club.
Surprisingly, the teen ace has not been happy with his matchplay
He said: “I’ve been playing really well in practice but just struggling on match tables.
“My safety (play) has been good, which has been giving me the chances.”
Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) beat Wilson (Havant) en route to topping his round-robin group but lost 3-1 to Benzey in the last-four.
Ryan Hughes, also from Chandler’s Ford but no relation, beat Benzey en route to topping his round-robin group but lost 3-0 to Wilson in the last-four.
Reflecting on that defeat by Hughes, Benzey added: “I really struggled in that match. I couldn’t get going at all.
“He played well, to be fair to him.”
Wilson recorded the day’s highest break of 86 in his third group-stage match against Londoner Ronnie Sullivan.
The top two in the rankings both made group-stage exits.
Home player Bradley Cowdroy remains one point clear of Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford). Wilson is four points further back in third and seven ahead of fourth-placed Benzey.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Jamie Wilson: 86, 70, 65, 45.
Connor Benzey: 63, 63, 57.
Bradley Cowdroy: 63.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 5th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 3-0 R Hughes, Benzey 3-1 S Hughes.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Benzey 3-1 Wilson.
Fine run for Leighton after long trot
IT WOULD certainly have made a lively topic of debate during the two-and-three-quarter-hour journey home to Basildon.
Louie Leighton edged his travelling companion Richard Hillgrove 2-1 on the final black to clinch the sixth leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour in Bournemouth.
But whether the 15-year-old fluked the last ball at the Greenbaize Snooker Club or played a cracking safety shot with the chance of a pot depends on whose camp you are in.
Whatever the intent, Leighton replaces his practice partner from Basildon Snooker Club at the top of the rankings.
And that incentive spurred the teenage on.
Leighton, who also won the first leg in Salisbury, said: “It was very even but with him being top of the rankings, it just made me want to beat him even more.
“I didn’t play that well in the group stages but when I got into the semis against Nat (Kidner), I played well.
“He went 1-0 up and then I knocked in a good 31 break and got through.”
Reflecting on the exhausting 300-mile round trip, he added: “It was a long trot. That’s probably the furthest one but worth it.”
Home player Kidner had qualified for the knockout for the first time this season. He then dispatched former rankings leader Riley Ellis (Wilts) 2-0 in the last-eight before going down 2-1 to Leighton.
Will Forster (Gosport) made his third semi-final exit of the season, losing 2-0 to Hillgrove.
Leighton has a five-point advantage over Hillgrove. Ellis is seven points further back in third.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 36, 31.
Louie Leighton: 31.
Will Forster: 31.
Samuel Laxton: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 2nd, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 4th, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Hillgrove 2-1 Laxton, Forster 2-1 Kearns, Kidner 2-0 Ellis, Leighton 2-0 White.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Leighton 2-1 Kidner, Hillgrove 2-0 Forster.
FINAL (25/18 points): Leighton 2-1 Hillgrove.
27th time lucky for Adam Cowdroy
IT WAS game, set and match for keen tennis player Adam Cowdroy when he dusted off his snooker cue and ended a five-year wait for a first Cuestars winner’s trophy.
The 14-year-old from Bournemouth cruised to a 2-0 victory over rankings leader Owen Jenkins in the final of the sixth leg of the Under-21 Bronze Tour.
In fact, Cowdroy didn’t drop a single frame all day on home tables at Greenbaize Snooker Club.
The teenager, who now focuses more on his tennis, was competing in his 27th Cuestars event. He made his debut in October, 2013.
Cowdroy insists he has hardly picked up a cue since last September.
He said: “I’m happy because I pretty much haven’t hit a ball since the first event in Salisbury.
“I played last night for about 20 minutes and that’s about it.”
And he added: “I’m really happy to come here, at my home club, and win the tournament.”
Fifth-leg winner Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth) lost in the semi-finals for the fifth time this season. He went down 2-0 to Cowdroy but climbed to second place, seven points adrift of Jenkins.
Jenkins, ten, scraped through the group-stages as one of the two best thirds and edged Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) 2-1 from 1-0 down in the last-eight.
Nine-year-old Harry Wyatt (Ferndown) lost 2-0 to Jenkins in the last-four. Fourth-placed Wyatt has now qualified for the knockout in five of the six events in his debut season.
Six-year-old William Thomson (Chandler’s Ford) had another day to remember. He took tournament winner Cowdroy to the final black and beat rankings leader Jenkins.
And Daniel Walter (Portsmouth) recorded his highest competitive break of 24 in his group-stage victory over Thomson.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
BREAKS
Adam Cowdroy: 25, 25.
Daniel Walter: 24.
Thomas Sharp: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 2nd, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); joint 3rd, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC), Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport) & Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC); 5th, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Laxton, Sharp 2-1 McEvoy, Jenkins 2-1 Smith, Wyatt 2-0 S Walter.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Sharp, Jenkins 2-0 Wyatt.
FINAL (25/18 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Jenkins.
Double celebration for Cowdroys
THERE was a double celebration in the Cowdroy household following the sixth legs of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours at Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth.
While Adam was winning his first Bronze tournament, big brother Bradley collected the Plate trophy.
Home player Bradley, the England under-16 captain and Gold Tour rankings leader, failed to qualify for the knockout by one frame.
But the 16-year-old Premier Junior Tour player went on to beat Katie Griffin in the final of the competition for non-qualifiers.
Katie, from Swindon, is currently fifth on the Bronze Tour and received a 28-point handicap start.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the seventh of the ten legs on Sunday, February 24.
For more information about event sponsor Greenbaize SC, visit www.ambassadorsnooker.com/
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon) beat William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC), Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS: Cowdroy beat Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Griffin beat Wilson.
FINAL: Cowdroy beat Griffin.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)