AMATEUR BILLIARDS CIRCUIT

The Reardon, Stoke (Sunday 7th April 2002)

"The Reardon", Stoke-on-Trent staged the closing ABC ranking event of the 2002 season. The whole weekend rounding off another successfully completed EABA calendar.

With it already known that both Lee Lagan and David Nichols were about to join the professional ranks, it meant that the ranking points battle had become a race for the top 10 and not the usual scramble for a top 8 place to ensure international competition the following season. Effectively, the majority of places in the "elite" had already been sealed following the English Amateur but the last place appeared to be between John Hartley, Paul Dunning and David Burgess.

In Round 1, Lee Lagan signalled his intentions for the day with a break of 195 during his 442-87 win over ABC stalwart Jock McGregor. Paul Dunning and John Hartley both fell at the second fence, the draw being kind to neither. After comfortable victories in the 1st round, Dunning went out to Lagan and Hartley ran into Jim McCann in the kind of form he has displayed all season, Jim recording breaks of 132 & 91 during another impressive display. This left a clear passage for David Burgess who rubber-stamped his top 10 place with a 320-103 victory over Martin Phillips. Other highlights of the round were victory for "host" Peter Shelley over fellow international Phil Welham, a win for Alf Nolan over Ron Whitten in a North-East derby and an extremely narrow squeak for Steve Crosland with a three point margin over Phil Davis. Big breaks were the order of the day in Round 3. Lee Lagan enjoyed visits of 203,111 & 78 against Brian Cousen, "mine host" Shelley 183 against David Peaker and Darren Kell made his 2nd century of the day with 111 during a fine match with Dick Watts. Closest tie of the round was fought out by Dave Burgess and Mark Hatton, Dave prevailing by a mere four points.

The quarter-finals saw an exceptionally polished performance from Lee Lagan incorporating breaks of 237, 137 & 72 during his 610-184 success over Peter Shelley. Darren Kell progressed at the expense of David Burgess as did Michael White over David Nichols. Jim McCann led Steve Crosland by over 100 points before a magnificent visit of 188 enabled Steve to turn the game around.

During a one-sided semi-final, it was amusing to hear Darren Kell turn round and whisper "I won't be sorry to see the back of him next season"! The "him" to whom he was referring was of course Lee Lagan who progressed to the final with the aid of two centuries and three 60+ breaks. Darren was one of the players who actually managed to defeat Lee in an ABC this season and it was no doubt with this in mind that Lee approached this game with such determination. The other semifinal was an altogether closer affair and in fact a very good match between the ever consistent Steve Crosland and one of the rapidly improving players on the circuit, Michael White. Good judges such as Brian Harvey have been saying for some time that he rates Michael as one of the best top of the table exponents in the amateur game. Breaks of 125 & 80 swung this game in Michael's favour but only by a closing margin of 24 points.

The fact that Lee had to step up a gear at the mid-point of the final was tribute to the consistent play demonstrated by Michael all day. The fact that he is capable of such a step up in performance is tribute to how good an exponent of our beautiful game Lee has become. Exactly when required, Lee produced breaks of 114 & 92 to seal his third ABC triumph of the season to go along with the title of English Amateur Champion.

Lee now turns professional with good wishes from the EABA. Many of us know just how capable he is of making an impact within the professional ranks and if he maintains his improvement of the last eighteen months surely the minimum of a top eight place awaits. However, many amateurs will be looking forward to the "post-Lagan" era and perhaps the 11am draws at ABCs will no longer be a question of fingers crossed that he is not in your part of the draw! Roll on September.

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