When Kirk Stevens was good...

[Jules_USA]

I followed snooker from about 1979, but this match really made me addicted to it.

A maximum from Stevens and two brilliant centuries from Jimmy White. They went on to meet a few months later in the semi final of the World Championships. I videoed that one but never got this much better match on tape.

Wonder if anyone else has any clips of it. Jimmy clearing the colours to win the match was poetry but here's a clip of the maximum.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_L5Xx3lWHE

[Cyril]

The Masters was great. Jimmy made 2 centuries and Stevens a maximum. As you say, Jimmy clearing the colours at the end of his century in the winning frame was the best entertaining snooker I have seen. The pink was truly genius.

I have quite a few frames on tape of the 84 World semi. I've got centuries by both players. Kirk led 12-10 I believe but Jimmy won 16-14.

They did a great interview afterwarrds. Kirk: "He turned me on and I rose to the occasion but he sure pulled out some fantastic shots tonight that even Mr Higgins would have been proud of."

[Jules_USA]

Yeah, Jimmy White won 16-14.

At one point he was losing 11-8 after leading 5-1. Then he got it back to 12-10 behind going into the final session. And won five in a row to lead 15-12.

Great match.

[The Statman]

Here are the scores:
http://www.thesnookerforum.com/showthread-t_1379.html

[Jules_USA]

Thanks, Statman.

Seems like yesterday.

[archicrooks]

he was my favourite player in the 80s and i always thought he was the nearly man of snooker at the time always there or there abouts but never quite winning anything.

i saw quite a few of his matches live in the qualifiers at the end of the 80s and it was really sad to see the decline in his game i know he had other personal problems apart from the drugs but to be beaten in qualifiers by people like Tony Jones, Mark Bennett & even John Spencer who by then was a mile past his best was difficult to watch !!

[Jules_USA]

he was my favourite player in the 80s and i always thought he was the nearly man of snooker at the time always there or there abouts but never quite winning anything.

i saw quite a few of his matches live in the qualifiers at the end of the 80s and it was really sad to see the decline in his game i know he had other personal problems apart from the drugs but to be beaten in qualifiers by people like Tony Jones, Mark Bennett & even John Spencer who by then was a mile past his best was difficult to watch !!

Tony Jones was actually a fairly decent player. And to lose to a champ like Spencer is hardly a disgrace.

Stevens should take up pool. Bigger pockets and with his huge cue power and undeniable ability, a sport he could still conquer. He is probably still younger than Efran....

Jimmy is too old to be world champ now. But...he could be world pool champ. Much easier game, even if you have to play a zillion frames to win each tournament.

[Nivk147]

I have only seen a little of him play, but to me he looked like a good player who should have done better with the talent that he had, But he did make his mark on the snooker world.

[millwall32]

Tony Jones was actually a fairly decent player. And to lose to a champ like Spencer is hardly a disgrace.

Stevens should take up pool. Bigger pockets and with his huge cue power and undeniable ability, a sport he could still conquer. He is probably still younger than Efran....

Jimmy is too old to be world champ now. But...he could be world pool champ. Much easier game, even if you have to play a zillion frames to win each tournament.

would be fascinating to see stevnes in world 9-nine ball.
wonder why he hasn;'t tried

[Son of Cliff]

he was my favourite player in the 80s and i always thought he was the nearly man of snooker at the time always there or there abouts but never quite winning anything.

i saw quite a few of his matches live in the qualifiers at the end of the 80s and it was really sad to see the decline in his game i know he had other personal problems apart from the drugs but to be beaten in qualifiers by people like Tony Jones, Mark Bennett & even John Spencer who by then was a mile past his best was difficult to watch !!

Mark Bennett in my eyes was a much better player that Kirk Stevens, and Kirks main downfall was the drug testing that came into the game hard to play without all that false confidence

[platt]

Mark Bennett was a very good player and a really nice guy from what i remember of his interviews. What ever happened to him ?

[poolqjunkie]

Kirk Stevens does play 9 ball. He plays 9 ball in Canada. I believe you need to win on some Canadian tours to get selected to represent Canada in the World Championship. May be the Stan James or the Canadian 9 ball tour.
I am not sure if he competes in those tours.
I was told he tried to make his comeback to play on the senior tours in the Uk but could not even make through the first round. Anyone know anythign about that?
He did not show up in last year's Canadian snooker championship and either did Cliff Thorburn.
I really enjoy watching his play--he seems so confident and cheerful in that match against Jimmy White. He was laughing real happy when Jimmy made some crazy shots. His cue seemed very short, wa sit the camera or it is real that he was playing with a short cue, anyone knows?

[Son of Cliff]

Mark Bennett was a very good player and a really nice guy from what i remember of his interviews. What ever happened to him ?

I think he runs a snooker hall in Barry South Wales, total waste of good Welsh talent If he was more motivated he would have been right at the top and now an household name.