TRIANGULAR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Newmarket Snooker Club (24th-25th October 1998)

Teams representing England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland gathered at the Newmarket Snooker Club on 24th October to take part in the inaugural tri-nation competition. The event followed the same format as the previous England/Northern Ireland competitions with each team playing a mixture of 2 hour matches and 150 up games. England demonstrated their strength in depth, to overcome some excellent individual performances from their opponents, and provide some of their own, to emerge overall winners.

England No.1 Paul Bennett set the home team off to a flying start with an impressive performance against Tony Buttimer. Making two centuries and six further breaks over 50, he dominated the game to make the highest 2 hour aggregate of the competition with 1,001 points. The match against Northern Ireland was anticipated to be England´s hardest test, and when Sammy Clarke levelled the scores with a victory against Stephen Crosland, the home team where left in no doubt of the task that lay ahead.

Darren Kell produced a typically solid performance to regain the advantage for the English team, but this was again cancelled out by David Elliott´s impressive victory over England No.4, Lee Lagan, which included breaks of 155 and 117 by the Irishman.

This was to prove the last success for the Northern Ireland team as first Neal Rewhorn, then Peter Shelley completed the English victory. Rewhorn staged a fine comeback in his match after Donnelly had started with breaks of 87 and 109 in his first three visits. Rewhorn replied by making three centuries himself to win by 154 points.

The Northern Ireland party was only slightly diminished by Victor O´Gorman who registered a 55 break in taking the Republic´s solitary game. The comprehensive victory edged Northern Ireland back in front of England on the overall match scores.

The English campaign against the Republic started a little shakily as Victor O´Gorman made a string of good breaks to push the English Champion all the way. This was followed by an even closer match, where Darren Kell just held off the challenge of Phil Martin by 43 points. After this, England proceeded with somewhat less drama as David Nichols, Neal Rewhorn, and Peter Shelley, all registered comfortable victories. 23 year-old Nichols was particularly impressive in his first international match, making a top break of 129 in his win against Murray, and Peter Shelley could do no wrong as he put together three centuries in a two hour aggregate of 938 points. Phil Welham completed the whitewash to leave the English team in a commanding position at the end of the first day.

Northern Ireland started the second day knowing that they needed another comprehensive result against the Republic to keep in touch with England. In this respect they got off to a good start with Tony Buttimer and Sammy Clarke recording comfortable wins. Davy Pogue kept up the momentum, albeit with considerably more difficulty, edging out Phil Martin by just 17 points.

It was left to the experienced international Dick Brennan to break the Republic´s “duck” making two centuries in a good win over Northern Ireland´s No.2 David Elliott. Aiden Murray could do nothing against the power of Paddy Donnelly, but Larry Drennan gave the Republic their second victory to round off proceedings.

England, who took eight players to Newmarket had adopted a policy of rotating the squad, but the omission of their No.1 player Paul Bennett made no difference to the final result as England completed a second whitewash over the Republic. Peter Shelley was again in sparking form as he ran in a break of 141 in one of his 150 up games.

England entered the final match 13 points in front of Northern Ireland and therefore certain of overall victory. Even so, there were some good performances to come as Freddie Cahoon made two 50 breaks in taking the first game against Paul Bennett. Paul managed to level the scores with a break of 51 himself, but it was fellow Teessider Darren Kell who put in the performance of the round when he ran to game with 148 unfinished. David Elliott also managed a couple of fifty breaks to ensure a share of the points with Darren.

The final match score saw the England squad clear winners on 51 points from Northern Ireland, who finished with 32 points, and the Republic trailing with just 7 points. Northern Ireland´s David Elliott made the best break of the event with 155 closely followed by England´s Peter Shelley who made 154. Shelley had a total of five centuries in the competition, as did team-mate Neal Rewhorn, with three other members of the England team also getting past the 100 mark.

The event was hailed as a great success by England team manager, Derick Townend, and looks certain to become a regular fixture on the billiard calendar.