WORKING MENS CLUB & INSTITUTE UNION
National Individual Billiards
There was a disappointing entry of 29 players for the £1,100 CIU National Individual Billiards, with eleven of these coming from Teesside clubs. The three top players from that region—Bennett, Lagan and Kell—were all faced with “away” draws in the first round, as was defending champion Neal Rewhorn. This however, proved to be no obstacle as all the leading contenders progressed comfortably. The star performance came from Lee Lagan who included breaks of 259 and 101 in his victory over Alf Nolan. Neal Rewhorn was also in fine form, producing breaks of 120, 82 and 75.
| F.H.Page 159 (Swanley Junction WMC ) | Jack Hedley (Maidenhead Ivy Leaf Club) | 500 | |||
| Mark Leonard (New Haw Club) | (80unf.) 500 (Swanley Junction WMC) | ||||
| Ivan Stevenage (Railway Rec. & Soc.) | w/o | F. Crawley (Hayes WMC) | scr. | ||
| M.H.E. Chapman (Selly Oak Inst.) | 268 | Neal Rewhorn (Parkstone Club) 120, 82, 75 | 500 | ||
| Bem French (Boston Railwaymen's) | w/o | T. Matthews (Riverside SC) | scr. | ||
| P. Emerson (Riverside SC) 93 | 500 | J. Ingleby (Bradley & Colne Bridge) | 483 | ||
| Tom Hodby (Clay Lane WMC) | 500 | S. Bean (Riverside SC) | 340 | ||
| P. Johnson (Monks Road WMC) | 500 | W. Reed (Doncaster Labour Club) | 208 | ||
| T. Sheekey (No.1 Amalgamated) | 197 | Paul Bennett (Acklam Garden City Social ) 97, 81, 71 | 500 | ||
| Lee Connor (Newport WMC) | 500 | D. Ramrekha (No.1 Amalgamated) | 325 | ||
| John Hartley (Acklam Steel Works) | 241 | Darren Kell (Beechwood & Easterside) 104 | 500 | ||
| Tony James (Throckley Union Jack) | 500 | Simon Snee (Newport WMC) 70 | 483 | ||
| Alf Nolan (Western SC) | 140 | Lee Lagan (North Ormesby Inst.) 259, 101 | 500 |
Byes : Peter Shelley (Ball Green WMC), Branson Hoole (Clay Lane WMC), Tony McKinder (North Ormesby Inst.)
| Jack Hedley | 500 | Mark Leonard | 443 | ||
| Neal Rewhorn | 500 | Ivan Stevenage | 165 | ||
| Peter Shelley 120, 118unf | 500 | P. Emerson | 288 | ||
| Branson Hoole | 496 | Bem French | 500 | ||
| P. Johnson | 500 | Tom Hodby | 274 | ||
| Paul Bennett | 500 | Tony James | 170 | ||
| Darren Kell | 229 | Tony McKinder 255 | 500 | ||
| Lee Lagan 216 | 500 | Lee Connor | 250 |
In the second round, Tony McKinder produced a excellent performance to defeat 1997 Champion Darren Kell on his own table, and in doing so, made a superb break of 255. Surprisingly perhaps, the news of his club-mate´s first round break of 259 had not reached him, and it was only after the completion of his wonderful effort that he discovered that he had fallen just 4 points short of the competition´s top break, which carries a prize of £100. Lagan meanwhile put in another huge break of 216 to defeat Lee Connor by half the game and Peter Shelley continue his good form this season, compiling runs of 120 and 118 unfinished to ease into the third round
.