ENGLISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

1st December, 2002

The English Amateur Championship, started on 1st December with a total of 80 entries playing from seven regional centres. This season promises to be one of the most open Championships for many years, and with £1,000 in prize money, certainly the most valuable.

North East

Tables Snooker Centre, Thornaby, Teesside

Darren Kell was the only seeded player to live up to expectations and emerge from Group A undefeated making the only two centuries (103 & 100) along the way. The honours of the day otherwise belonged firmly with the region's junior players.

Dominic Mulhall, at 13, was the youngest entry and he had a fine victory over the Group C seeded player, John Hartley, who, suffering an additional defeat against young Mark Coates, failed to qualify. Mulhall came within one victory of going though undefeated and top his group, but found Michael Donnelly too strong, and it was Donnelly with the highest aggregate of the day (641) who won their encounter to take the automatic qualifying place. Donnelly, who averaged a respectable 12.8 in this match also made another big aggregate of 600 in his win over Coates. Mulhall, although runner-up in the group was unfortunate not to gain a qualifying place.

Billy Bousfield kept the run going for the juniors by defeating Tony James, the seeded player in Group B. Additional wins over Alf Nolan and fellow Boys' League player, Darren Murrell, ensured that he won the Group, and Tony James rallied to take one of the two qualifying places as best runner-up. Alf Nolan showed that he could still produce the goods, as on a table with a roll he likened to "playing on a ship", he put together a fine break of 60.

Martin Shutt took the last qualifying place as runner-up to Darren Kell in Group A.

Yorkshire

Cuedos Snooker Club, Bullroyd Lane, Bradford

Steve Crosland was the most impressive of the Yorkshire qualifiers, winning all his games with ease, recording the highest break of 117 and the best 90 minute score of 653. Richard Lodge and Tony Clegg also had unbeaten records, both heading their groups. Bob Patterson won the remaining group which was depleted by the absence of Derick Townend who is still recuperating from a recent operation. John Ingleby, Matthew Peaker and Rodney Sims all advanced as the best runners-up.

South East

Newmarket S.C., All Saints Rd., Newmarket

Phil Welham set the target for the highest break in the competition when he made a run of 209. This and two more centuries in his Group C match against Michael Wright helped him to a 90 minute aggregate of 842, easily the best total from any of the regions in the opening round.

Jimmy Chambers also looked impressive as he went through Group B undefeated. Jack Hedley, Brian Moffatt and Phil Mumford also progressed as group winners with unblemished records.

North West

Sealand Leisure, Queensferry, Deeside

The surprise of the North-West region was the elimination of Peter Shelley. A desperately close 29 point defeat in his opening match by Tony Done, despite a break of 97, proved to be crucial, as Done went on to win his other matches and top the group. Although Shelley also won his remaining games he was edged out of the third qualifying spot by Dennis Marr, whose Group A performances left him with a fifty point better aggregate. Paul Dunning was the winner of this group, returning the highest break of the day with 136.

Midlands & Lincolnshire

Breaks Snooker Club, Silver St, Lincoln

Young Matthew Sutton and perennial competitor, Jim McCann, where the outstanding players in the Midlands & Lincolnshire area, both being undefeated in their groups. Sutton in particular put together a sting of good breaks, including the only two centuries of the day, 153 and 105. Arthur Reeve made up the qualifying trio.

South

Executive 147 Club, Castle Way, Southampton

Wing-Commander Peter Green could have hoped for an easier time organising the Southern Region as Group B started with only two of the four players in attendance. Mike Allen, arriving late, made up the compliment to three, but only after his first match had been awarded to Phil Davis. Michael White came through this group by defeating his two opponents, while Phil Davis secured the third qualifying spot without actually winning a game! Group A was dominated by Dave Burgess who highlighted his three wins with breaks of 147 and 107.

These were not the highest of the day however, as John Smith put together a 157 in his final match against Burgess. Even so, he could not prevent a heavy 504-245 defeat, which effectively put pay to his chances of progressing any further in the championship.

South West

Riley's Snooker Centre, Plymouth

Steve Brookshaw and Brian Harvey were group winners in the South- West. Brookshaw overcame the 2001 semi-finalist, Bill Andress, while Harvey's closest challenger was Geoff Lingard, who took the third qualifying place with two wins from this group.