Stourbridge & District Snooker League Report 19-20 February 2020

Report submitted by Stourbridge & District Snooker League

Team Knock Out Quarter-Final Handicap

Cup:

Hotshots SC A (handicap -82) 354 (R.Stokes, M.Sutton 44, N.Beckley 48, B.Sembi, C.Downing 44) Kinver Const B (173) 309

Townsend Social (-60) 284 (K.Ashmore, D.Oakes, D.Thompson, D.Payne) Pockets SC A (-13) 154 (A.Smith)

Pockets SC B (121) 382 (G.Ward, J.Shuck, A.Kidd) Moor Pool & Snooker (160) 355 (N.Gennard, W.Knight)

Stourbridge Inst B (250) 486 (C.Green, M.Daniels, K.Hulme) Bahia’s SC A (172) 392 (D.Smith, R.Bahia)

Plate:

Baggeridge Social B (-27) 407 (L.Whale, D.Hall, M.Catalano, J.Donoghue, E.Bastable) Stourbridge Inst D (250) 372

Amblecote Inst A (-33) 286 (A.Sidaway, R.Clark, D.Oakes, R.Wooldridge) Hotshots SC B (14) 246 (D.Hartley)

Kingswinford Cons A (160) 311 Brandhall Labour (4) 376 (P.Caldeira, S.Perry, J.Bate, W.Robbins, A.Round 59)

Amblecote Inst D (158) 483 (A.Kensett, C.Butcher, R.Brookes) Kingswinford SC (220) 407 (M.Surmacz, P.Curry)

Cup Report: Hotshots SC A had to concede 255 points at home to Kinver Constitutional B but three of their players won by 40+ points, and Neil Beckley by 76 to reduce the deficit to 38. Callum Downing completed the task in the final frame, with the help of a break of 44.

An even match looked likely between Townsend Social and Pockets SC A but Karl Ashmore scored heavily to win by 76 points, and Townsend’s next three players won by 50 points each to establish an overall lead of 175, to leave Pockets’ Andy Smith no chance of recovery in the final frame.

Receiving 39 points start, Moor Pool & Snooker’s Neil Saunders, Neil Gennard & Warren Knight scored heavily on those important final colours on the tables of Pockets SC B, but Jamie Shuck cleared the colours to win by 66 to reduce their lead to 36, and Tony Kidd took advantage of some bad luck on Glyn Whitehouse’s part to secure the result in a good-spirited match on the blue.

Stourbridge Institute B received 64 points start from Bahia’s SC A, but again home advantage made a difference with Carl Green, Mark Daniels and Kevin Hulme all adding to the lead, and Reece Bahia had little chance of retrieving a 79 point deficit against wily Harry Jones in the final frame.

Plate Report: Both joint leaders of the Premier Division enjoyed home advantage as they faced opponents receiving start, but both came good in the end: Amblecote Institute A had to concede 47 points against Hotshots SC B, and in a repeat of their league score against the same opponents the week before, they won four of the frames. Dan Hartley’s 55 point win gave them a real scare however and Rob Clark’s 51 point win against Dawid Konior was much-needed. Rick Wooldridge then completed the recovery against Mark Kelly in the final frame.

By contrast, Baggeridge Social A had to concede 277 points start to Stourbridge Institute D from the Second Division but Luke Whale, Dave Hall, Maria Catalano and Justin Donoghue all scored heavily and Eliott Bastable, by now 20 points behind, secured the match against Paul Robinson.

Amblecote Institute D were indebted to 60+ point wins by Adam Kensett and Carl Butcher as they tried to retrieve not only a 62 point handicap given to Kingswinford Snooker Centre but also narrow victories achieved by Matt Surmacz and Paul Curry, but Richard Brookes held off the challenge of Steve Ballinger in the final frame, to steer the Institute through to the semi-final, where they will face Baggeridge.

Brandhall Labour had to concede 156 points and home advantage to Kingswinford Cons A, and although Stuart Perry and Jon Bate won well, Paul Caldeira and Wayne Robbins were held to narrow margins of victory by Thomas Male and John Byng respectively. Needing to win the last by 32 points against Tim Carter, Andy Round, with the help of a run of 59, achieved it with something to spare.

Two more century breaks in knock out play: Ashley Sidaway of Amblecote Institute A had a break of 105 in the second frame of a 3-0 quarter-final Premier Singles match away to Mark Jeffries of Bahia’s, while Eliott Bastable of Baggeridge Social struck a 116 in the first frame away to Mark Sutton of Hotshots A, but Mark took the match 3-2. Andy Smith of Pockets A also won his match 3-0 against Hotshots’ Dawid Konior, and the semi-final line up will be completed by one of the Hotshots’ pair, Bal Sembi or Jamie Brown, who play against each other this week.

WEST MIDLANDS INTER TOWN Quarter-Final at Landywood SC: ALDRIDGE B 4-3 STOURBRIDGE

Stourbridge were given a good start by Andy Smith who followed a well-judged snooker with a clearance of the last seven reds and colours for 74 against Jamie Harris, but on the adjacent table Mick Stockley levelled for Aldridge, beating Steve Mason on the pink. The home team took a firm grip on the match when teenager Jack Harris beat Gavin Sloan, and Robbie James compiled a decisive 40 break to defeat Ashley Aston.

Stourbridge tried hard to level the scores, and Tom Pepperall fought his way back into the frame to beat Steve Barton on the pink to raise hope, but within a few minutes on the other table Dave Turner came from 19 behind against Rob Pitt with a 36 break, then laying a difficult snooker which effectively clinched the match. Rich Pepperall had the satisfaction of taking the final frame against Andy Evans to make the final score 4-3.

In the semi-final Aldridge B will face Oldbury, the Hotshots squad of players, while Aldridge A have qualified to play Bridgnorth A, several of whose players are familiar to the Stourbridge League.