SNOOKER: Crellin shines in week 15 of league

Reports by MBMSL members

Cue Zone Blinders took advantage of co-leaders Jacksons having a bye in week 15 of the Mac’s Builders Merchants Snooker League. 

There were also 3 half century breaks with Peter Crellin’s magnificent 75 the best.

Cue Zone Blinders 4-1 Finch Hill Rockets

Rockets claimed an unlikely 5-0 win in the corresponding fixture last season to memorably take the title but Blinders saw them off with ease this time. Brandon Forrester 59-33 John Spellman Spellman seemed to be struggling to find form and accidentally playing the pink instead of the yellow didn’t help! Forrester took advantage to close the frame. Calum Gardner 84-30 Marek Kenny Kenny was unable to compete with Gardner’s superb potting, he missed virtually nothing and his 57 break top drawer. Darryl Hill 94-79 Graham Ashton Ashton, with a 70 start missed a couple of relatively easy pots, Hill was on form though with a 27 break, and after a brief safety exchange was back in for a great clearance of 57. Conor Mahon 24-67 Jonny Hogg Hogg dispelled the risk of his handicap going up, making good of his chances, a 33 and two 16 breaks had Mahon struggling. Scott Campion 52-25 Doug Kinrade Kinrade had some goods reds but no colours, Campion found his game more in the second half and dominated leaving Kinrade needing snookers.

Peel Legion 4-1 St Olaves

John Kelly 48-50 Paul Smyth 

Bang on one hour for this frame. Smyth missed one or two sitters and Kelly was worth his 23 lead on the green. Cagey play followed with blue and pink covering both black pockets. Smyth then produced two long pots on both green and brown, followed by two tap ins and even cannoned the black towards the green bag for a 25 clearance to nick it in style. Dave McCallum 69-33 Dave Kelly It was looking like a very happy birthday for Kelly, soon in confidently with 2 reds and blacks. McCallum came back strongly in the second half to spoil the party with good small breaks and then clear blue to black. Don Humphries 62-26 Travis Bignell If we had walk-on music on a Wednesday night, Don’s would be ‘Why does it always rain on me?’ given his claim to being the unluckiest player ever to have picked up a cue. However, tonight Travis owned it, literally. He gifted Don 24 points in fouls, mostly very unlucky in-offs or potting long straight balls and following in. We’d already had a re-rack and as Don got his eye in, (well eyes, now that he can see properly) there were flashes of what he’s capable of as he tied Travis in knots with some profitable snookers on the colours. Barton Beaumont 90-77 James Kerr Kerr (21 break) had just about caught the 56 start with one red left. The balls were superbly placed for snookers and Beaumont laid a good one, then potted a nice red and blue. Kerr came strong on the colours to take it to the black which Beaumont dropped in from a full 12ft away, cueball tight on the cushion. Geoff Hall 71-24 Dan Crawley 42 up from the off, Hall was in early and apart from the odd flurry from Crawley he never seriously threatened. Hall was solid and as Crawley went in-off the 2nd last red, snookers were required.

Finch Hill Mob 2-3 The Hurricanes

By Paul Smith

Peter Kirkham 62-85 Shaun Roberts 

Shaun was in first with a 15 break to get him 50 in front. They shared teen breaks before a small effort from Shaun left Pete needing a snooker with 2 reds left. He battled on, but Shaun kept potting balls and Pete took the 22 for the break league at the end. Steve Finnegan 28-54 Paul Smith Unlike the first frame this wasn’t very entertaining in the battle of the has beens, or some might argue never has beens. Both players had chances and managed to miss key balls that could have opened up a gap. Unsurprisingly there was little in it going to the colours, Smith eking out a lead and potting blue to leave snookers required. Tom Miller 69-39 Jamie Wilson A loose shot from Jocky gave Miller the first chance, but surprisingly with the balls open there wasn’t a large break, however his start had disappeared. Both players had chances in the balls, but neither managed to kill the game off and it came down to the colours with Tom 27 in front. Wilson soon needed snookers, but left Tom the brown and he cleared the colours for a valuable break league point. Lee Hunt 34-57 Gary Conwell Another game with missed opportunities but serves Blade right for heckling during the Finn v Smith epic on the lack of colours potted. Gary did string a few balls together to somehow have a lead at the colours stage and it proved enough as Blade needed snookers soon after. Some valliant attempts with just pink and black on the table, aided by a few ‘wides’ and ‘decels’ from Gary, proved fruitless. Gary taking the pink for the frame with the hardest shot he’d had to wrap up the frame and match. Peter Crellin 108-84 Steve Munk 24 Best frame of the night and probably the best in the league this week. These two used to play off the same mark but the years have rolled on and Munky had a 56 start! He played a great opening plant with a lot of distance between the balls, then proceeded to knock in a 24 break giving him an 80-0 lead. After a good safety, Crellin was left just one shot and could be heard moaning like Myrtle from Harry Potter about how he couldn’t play off his -21 handicap. However, amazingly enough that would be the last ball to be potted by Munky as Crellin compiled a flawless 75 break, his highest in the league, only breaking down due to the last 2 reds being glued to the pink. Just to rub salt in the wounds his safety play was as good as his break building and he didn’t leave Munky a sniff. After Crellin rolled a few more balls in, Munky needed snookers and although he got another 4 points from a foul that was his last score and Crellin closed the frame out soon after. As close to a perfect frame as you could get, apart from one butchered red at the end, from the man who says he can’t play off -21!

Douglas Snooker Bar Wannabes 3-2 Finch Hill Reprobates

It’s always good to see Wannabes pick up a win, now 5 points adrift of the pack and still favourites for a 5th wooden spoon in a row. Steve Cowin 78-70 Rhys Moore went to the black. Jason Campbell 75-95 Dollin Mercer (25 break) Mercer just can’t stop winning, even off -7 and he will be -14 after one more game. Other scores: David Callister 55-44 Paul Tangeman, Paul McKinstry 75-94 Rob Callister (22) and Dave Corris 65-27 Andy Taubman. Imminent cuts for Rob Callister and Taubman despite losing the decider.

Cue Zone Masters 2-3 Malew

Neither team had registered a win for a number of weeks but Alec Oates taking frame 4 by a single point was the deciding factor. Scores: Paul Russell 65-53 James Goodwin, Brendan Clague 43-68 Mark Quinn, David Kelly 31-77 Tony Cubbon, Alan Heath 46-47 Alec Oates and Jez Hill 66-11 Tony Pring. Masters’ have now bettered Peel’s 3-2 losing streak from earlier in the season, taking theirs to 8.

Finch Hill Musicians 4-1 Port St Mary Legion

By Terry Boyle

Mike Doherty 55-17 Matty Astill 

Mike seemed in complete control and finished the colours with aplomb. Matthew Dodd 23-68 Dave Pickersgill Dave was good and Matthew never got going, well played Dave. Vic Rigby 81-44 Phil Joynes Vic gave a fine display of good safety, Phil tried hard to get the big colours into play but in doing so potted the black twice. Needing snookers on the colours Vic escaped them with ease and Phil resigned to his fate. Dave Hanlon 59-41 Terry Boyle Neither at their best and was close throughout. Dave took the last red with a pink to go three ahead, then got a fluke on the green followed by a good brown along the cushion. Needing the last 3 colours to win Boyle got the blue but a failed safety on the pink left Dave an easy pot for the win. Zain Abideen 65-55 Mike Boyle Both potting well, Mike was ahead on the colours, but fouled on the green. Zain took green, brown and blue and laid a good snooker on the pink, Mike escaped but Zain made a good pot to take the frame. 4-1 to the Musicians and it must be said they played all the right notes whereas it was a bad night for PSM.

Top League Standings

Blinders 42 points, Hurricanes 40 Jacksons, Mob, Reprobates and St Olaves 38. Individual league: Shaun Roberts and Brendan Clague 11 wins. The high break league is much tighter after Hill and Crellin’s exploits: Tom Miller 33 points, Darryl Hill 31.5 and Peter Crellin 30.5. Blinders title credentials will be tested with a trip north to St Olaves next week.