ENGLAND V NORTHERN IRELAND

The Oatlands Mount S. C. Harrogate (16th-17th January 1999)

The Players & Rankings

National Champions, Paul Bennett and Paddy Donnelly lead their teams in competition for the “Friendly Cup”.

The Oatlands Mount Social Club in Harrogate proved to be an excellent venue for this popular and keenly fought encounter between England and Northern Ireland. The club´s two billiard tables were supplemented by Riley´s, who generously erected their two professional match tables in the concert room. These were the very tables in use at the UK Championships when Mike Russell compiled his World record break, and it gave the top amateurs a rare chance to display their skills under strict professional conditions.

The eight-man teams engaged in a series of games for the “Friendly Cup”, each playing one of 500 up and a set of 3 x 150 up, with opponents arranged according to relative ranking positions. Three points were allocated to each encounter, with total of 48 points at stake. Alongside the senior event, a squad of junior players from each country competed for the “Kingsman Cup”.

Lee Lagan and Sammy Clarke were the first in action for the seniors, playing the 150 up format. Despite a break of 74 from Lagan, it was Ireland who took the first point when Clarke, with breaks of 47 and 44, took the opening game. Clarke also took the second game 150-98 before Lagan opened his account by taking the last 150-124 including breaks of 66 and 46 unfinished. Meanwhile, Darren Kell experienced no such difficulties on the adjoining table, where he registered a 3-0 win over Tony Buttimer to establish a 4-2 lead for the English team.

All of the first day´s 500 up games went England´s way, with Peter Shelley registering breaks of 73, 65, 60 and 57 in his victory over Jimmy McLaughlin, who himself put together a break of 70. David Nichols extended his unbeaten run as an England International player by defeating his Irish opposite number in the closest of the encounters. Stephen Crosland and Phil Welham were less troubled as they dominated their games to emerge comfortable winners.

Saturday´s matches concluded with the top seeds competing on the club´s own tables in the upstairs billiard room. Bennett and Elliott started in spectacular fashion when Elliott put together a break of 89 at his first scoring visit, only to stand and watch as Bennett ran to game with 137 unfinished ! A 55 break in the second took Elliott to within 16 points of game only for him to see Bennett again put together 72 unfinished to steal the points. Despite these early set-backs, Elliott held his game together to win the last session 150-92, helped by breaks of 43 and 32.

On the adjoining table, Neal Rewhorn was experiencing problems with the All-Ireland Champion, Paddy Donnelly, who took the first two games for the Irish—a break of 68 in the second by Rewhorn having been countered by one of 60 from Donnelly. Rewhorn´s best effort came in the last game, when an unfinished break of 112 gave him a 150-0 victory.

Saturday finished with England holding a commanding 19-5 lead, needing to take just six of the 24 points available on the following day for overall victory.

Sunday 17th January 1999

England/Northern Ireland contests are always a sociable affair, and with the sociability going on late into the Saturday night, a match starting an 10.30am the next morning was sure to be more than the just a test of skill. John McIntyre set the Irish off to a good start, winning the first two games against Phil Welham by 49 points and 106 points respectively. Welham then put in a run of 60 to win the third 150-125, despite a break of 53 by McIntyre. However, while this was going on, David Nichols was cruising to a 3-0 win against Freddie Cahoon, (who substituted for Eugene Rogan) to edge England closer to victory.

With England needing one win from the afternoon´s 500 up games, Neal Rewhorn and Darren Kell entered the arena charged with that task. The Riley match-tables were proving to be an exacting test for all the competitors. Rewhorn in particular seemed to struggle as Davy Elliott put in a 97 break right at the death, to keep the Irish in the match with an 118 point victory. However, if England were looking for someone who could set aside all distractions and give 100% commitment, they could not have selected a better candidate than Darren Kell. With characteristic determination, he held off a strong challenge by Sammy Clarke to put the English team past the winning post, including breaks of 82 and 75 in his 117 point win.

The remaining matches may have been a formality as far as the overall result was concerned, but the players were given a good reason to perform well as ex-World Champion Mike Russell arrived at the venue and discreetly viewed proceedings from the back of the main match- room. Paul Bennett took the opportunity to demonstrate his improving break-building talents, to put together runs of 193 and 140, the former being the highest of the event. Lee Lagan, described in the match programme as "one of the most promising stars on the horizon", lived up to his billing by registering a comfortable victory over Tony Buttimer. A description of "promising" would probably come as a surprise to most players in Teesside, where he has been firmly amongst the "big three" in the area for many years. His recent decision to compete more regularly on a national basis will no doubt bring appreciation of his talents to a wider audience.

Tucked away in the Club´s own billiard room, which had little provision for spectators, the competitors for the concluding 150 up games were given little incentive to produce their best. The final game of the Shelley/ Pogue encounter however, saw the most exciting finish of the day, as Peter Shelley (61 break) got home by a single point, with Davy Pogue also registering a break of 55.

The presentation of trophies was made by Mike Russell, who in a short address, made a point of paying tribute to Norman Dagley, whom he described as a "friend and mentor" from his earliest days in the game. The aptly named "Friendly Cup" was presented to England Team Manager and event organiser, Derick Townend and the irrepressible Irish showed that they were still in high sprits by airing their vocal talents in a melodious conclusion.