ENGLISH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Breaks Snooker Club, Silver Street, Lincoln

Sunday 27th February 2000

The Under 16's Individual and English Junior County Team events were played to a conclusion on the 27th February, with all games being of one hour duration. The Under 19's Individual event was played down to the Semi-finals with the Final being scheduled to take place as part of the EASB "Finals Week-end" alongside the closing stages of various Amateur Snooker Championships at Newcastle later in the year. This was the first time the Junior Championship finals had been held at Lincoln, and with Robin Wilson and Matthew Sutton no longer eligible for the Under Sixteen's event, the only certainty was that a new name would appear on the cup this year. The following report has been submitted by Roger Clark.

Under 16 Championship

The Under 16 matches were first in the frame, with interest being centred on third-time qualifier Billy Bousfield and Lincoln's Peter Gamblin, who had reached the final of the Junior Ranking Event held the previous week at the same venue.

The Quarter-finals started with Bousfield against Dawes. This proved to be somewhat one-sided with Bousfield making all the running and eventually winning by 123 points.

Peter Gamblin's game against Craig Murphy proved to be the best game of the round, and with Murphy making the early running with a nice little 18 break off the white, from Gamblin's break, it was left to Gamblin to claw back the lead with his superior potting skill. He eventually secured the game with a break of 42.

Gavin Lewis is a fast improving player, no doubt helped by brother Gary, and was on the day too strong for Jason Thomas. With the help of a 41 break he completed a convincing win and progressed to the semi-finals with a 259-151 scoreline.

Last years finalist Allan Taylor from Merseyside - no doubt hoping to go one better this year - started in fine style and despite Stephen Bingham enjoying a considerable amount of table time, scored 306 points to Bingham's 195, mainly due to his strong potting ability. The Semi-finals brought together the competition's two prospective snooker stars in Peter Gamblin and Allan Taylor. Taylor has already announced that, having received parental consent, it is his intention to leave school at the earliest opportunity and join the UK Snooker tour. However, it was Gamblin, who having settled into his game against Craig Murphy in the previous round was first into his stride, and after losing his opponent's cue ball put together a string of pot reds for a break of 42. Taylor's potting then began to let him down and when Gamblin put in a break of 37, the game was beyond Taylor's reach. Gamblin winning by 98 points.

Billy Bousfield found himself involved in a much a harder game against an improving and cagey opponent in Gavin Lewis. At one stage he was over 70 points behind and Lewis was still in front entering the last 2 minutes, but Bousfield, encouraged by a large group of supporters, held the table with a 20+ unfinished to pass Lewis and win by just 15 points.

With both players wanting to win for different reasons - Bousfield in his third and last appearance in closing stages of this event, and Gamblin his first - each played cautiously during the opening visits of the final. The game was characterised by pot whites and double baulks, with Gamblin coming out of these encounters the better. In open play Gamblin's in-off game and potting proved to be better than Bousfield's and by the half way stage he had opened up a lead of 80 points. Despite Bousfield having a better second half Gamblin matched him shot for shot and with neither player putting in any worthwhile breaks Gamblin eventually ran out the winner, to put a new name on the cup and give Lincoln its first National Billiards Title at any level.

Billy Bousfield	276		Calvin Dawes	153
Gavin Lewis 41	259		Jason Thomas	151
Allan Taylor	306		Stephen Bingham	195
Peter Gamblin 42	294		Craig Murphy	216

Billy Bousfield	234		Gavin Lewis	219
Peter Gamblin 42, 37	318		Allan Taylor	228

Peter Gamblin

254

Billy Bousfield

164

Under 19 Championship

Interest yet again centred on Wilson and Sutton and with them being drawn against each other, as they were last year, a good match seemed to be in prospect. As things transpired the contest was one-sided and with Wilson producing a 61 break followed by runs of 42, 35, 34, 33 he finished an easy winner against an out-of-form Sutton. Martin Shutt progressed to the semi finals with a comfortable win against Gary Lewis aided by breaks of 38 and 37.

Teesside rivals Darren Clark and Steven Hassack provided an even match. Hassack clinching victory with a break of 51.

Jimmy Chambers, the Cambridgeshire Junior England International, showed his superior experience, and with three breaks of 68, 64, and 60 cruised to a 379-131 victory over Glen Blythman of Stockton. The all-Teesside pairing of Martin Shutt versus Steven Hassack saw Shutt the winner in a match which produced no breaks of any note, with Shutt easing ahead and gradually consolidating his position to win by 87 points.

Wilson and Chambers promised fireworks for their match, both having performed well in the previous round. This was not to be the case. Chambers was completely overwhelmed by a string of breaks from Wilson consisting of 76, 67, 57, 57, 34 and 32, leaving no way back for Chambers. Wilson winning by the wide margin of 323 points. The final, later in the year, will be a reversal of last years event when Matthew Sutton played Jimmy Chambers in an all south encounter.

This year it will be Robin Wilson versus Martin Shutt, thus ensuring the title returning to the North East. It is anticipated that the venue for these finals will be at Newcastle on 20th May 2000, subject to confirmation by EASB.

Martin Shutt 38, 37	317		Gary Lewis	179
Steven Hassack 51	271		Darren Clark	215
Robin Wilson 61, 42	320		Matthew Sutton	174
Jimmy Chambers 66, 64, 60	379		Glen Blythman	13

Martin Shutt 49, 37, 32,	325		Steven Hassack 45	238
Robin Wilson 76, 67, 57, 57	495		Jimmy Chambers	17

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