A.B.C. 1993-1994

Amateur Billiards Circuit: Third Event

November 14th

Widnes Widnes Snooker Centre (Sponsored by AUGHTON Ltd)

Pro-Am at Widnes

It has become traditional in the world of billiards that there should be a pro-am tournament at the Widnes Snooker Centre sometime just before Christmas. Once again the event received generous sponsorship from Aughton Ltd thanks to the interest and goodwill of Mr Arthur Johnson. Billiards could well do with more enthusiasts like Arthur. Widnes is a great venue for such an event. Players are assured of a warm and genuine welcome. The open nature and good humour of those from that part of the world combined with local enthusiasm for the game go towards making the Widnes event one of the highlights of the billiards year.

There were 52 entrants, the quality of the billiards being assured by the strength of the field which, in addition to many top amateurs, included world No.4 Peter Gilchrist, and No.7 Bob Close. Family commitments meant that Martin Goodwill was again absent and has yet to make his first ABC appearance of the season.

The tournament was handicapped as at Leeds; professional players ranked in the top eight conceded 100 points; all other professionals together with David Causier conceded 50; all other players were in two categories - scratch, or receiving 50 points - this depending on their ABC record.

Breaks Galore

Most Players seemed to find conditions very much to their liking. There were many 50 breaks and centuries from Gilchrist, Brian Harvey, and Alan Orton. Perhaps the best win was achieved by the evergreen Dick Watts in putting out Welsh professional David Edwards.

Mackinder starts to show form; Excellent win for MacFarlane

Tony Mackinder (Stockton) started to show form with a century break which gave him a narrow win over travelling companion Mark Graham. Bob Close was just a few points short of a couple of centuries against fellow professional David Rees. Tom McFarlane had a great win over his travelling companion, Scottish professional Dave Seddon. Ivan Stevenage did well indeed to get past Branson Hoole winning by just a few points more than the start.

Mackinder goes mad

Tony Mackinder

Tony Mackinder had already shown good form but no-one, perhaps not Tony himself, expected him to produce the form that he did in his match with Eddie MacNicholas. MacNicholas is no mean player but could only watch as Mackinder scored a double, two other centuries, and a string of smaller efforts to run up a total of over 600. And it could have been more At 179 the Stockton man walked round the table to examine a spot-end position and then played with the wrong ball! Eddie reckons that this error saved him from a heavy defeat. Tom McFarlane could not reproduce his excellent form of the previous round going down to Steve Crosland who was displaying his usual determination. Alan Orton played well to get past Phil Welham.

Mackinder makes a century in defeat

The Stockton player made yet another century, his fifth of the day, but lost to David Causier by just 17 points. And he should have won. Towards the end of the game he missed a quite easy pot-red, his century ended on a fairly easy shot, and he had to use the long rest a couple of times in his unfinished twenty or so when he looked like snatching victory at the last gasp. At the same time, Peter Gilchrist seemed certain to overtake Mackinder's 203 but astonishingly missed a straightforward red from the spot when in full flow. Bob Close had a century and a 78 but could not quite concede 100 in an hour to Crosland though there was only 15 in it.

Gilchrist devastating

Peter Gilchrist overwhelmed amateur champion David Causier and made no mistake this time in his quest for the day's highest break. When in full flight at the top-of-the-table there is no more attractive player anywhere to watch - including both Sethi and Russell. It is always a surprise when he breaks down. Further breaks of 151 and 106 completed the rout. Causier had played well all day - indeed, he played well enough in this game - and can have no complaints. Brian Harvey had also played well but looked rather tired in his game with Crosland and was comfortable beaten.

Gilchrist all the way

The world No.4.was in no mood to make any mistakes and disposed of his amateur opponent receiving 100 points start with very little trouble. Steve Crosland made a 78 break in the final and could look back on a successful (and profitable) tournament. Gilchrist was just a few points short of three centuries his 120 being his eighth of the day.

Widnes Plate

Handicaps were halved for all rounds of the plate (1/2 hour) with the exception of the final (1 hour) which was played off the full handicap.

Edwards shows good form

Graham Willis played well making an 82 break but was well beaten by Welsh professional David Edwards. Edwards has recently been getting more practice than over the last couple of years and looked much more like the player who won two amateur championships in the late eighties.

Branson goes out

Branson Hoole had scored heavily in the first round and his second round total of 136 was quite respectable, but David Edwards was looking like a man who was going to be hard to beat as he knocked up a half-hour total of 251. John Hills did well to put out Derby professional David Rees though Rees has not been playing well for some time. The 10 year old Robin Wilson did extraordinarily well to beat the experienced Ron Whitten who, like the sportsman he is, took his defeat in a highly dignified manner. It is not easy to accept defeat at the hands of a boy as the BQR Editor knows only too well.

Creditable effort from Wilson; Nurseries from Edwards

Robin Wilson was well beaten by Tony Parson but scored a very creditable 98 points. John Hills had a very nice 80 break. Edwards had a run of 22 nursery cannons and was looking unstoppable.

Routledge by two

Norman Routledge and John Hills both had a good break but it was Norman who scraped home by just two points. David Edwards knocked up his third 200+ total and, with no disrespect to the opposition, it was the whole of Liverpool to a teaspoonful of water from the Mersey that he would take the plate, and it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that he would also challenge for the highest break.

Attractive game. 172 from Edwards

Norman Routledge was no match for a David Edwards playing the best billiards he has produced since his amateur championship days. But the Macclesfield man played up well and contributed his fair share to a very attractive game of billiards. Edwards had a couple of fifties and a fine top-of-the-table effort of 172, not quite as fast as he used to play, but fast enough. He looked quite capable of taking the break prize but it was not to be, Gilchrist's 269 remaining the best of the day.

Amateur Billiards Circuit: Fourth Event

December 12th

Loughborough Echoes Club

The circuit broke new ground by visiting the Echoes Club, Loughborough. Loughborough is an easily accessible venue being just ten minutes or so from Exit 25 of the Ml motorway. Club facilities are good, playing conditions - as in all clubs - variable. There could be better seating arrangements for both players and spectators in the rather cramped playing area. The turnout of 46 players was pretty good considering the very bad conditions for travelling that prevailed over much of the north of the country, and the proximity of Christmas. Almost all top amateur players were present including both David Causier and Martin Goodwill who, thanks to a perverse coincidence, were the first two names out of the hat.

Causier big break sinks Goodwill

Causier and Goodwill are so dominant in the amateur game that the tournament could have been said to have been settled in the very first game to be drawn. It is not often that these two have a close game and so it was this time. Causier was soon into his stride with a great effort of 229 to finish an easy winner. Goodwill regained some self-respect with an unfinished 98.

Centuries for Causier and Crosland Good wins for Porter and Reed Steve Crosland made the first of his three centuries of the day and showed excellent form, whilst Causier carried on where he had left off against Goodwill. Ross Porter and Wally Reed, both in the veteran stage, had excellent wins, particularly Porter, now suffering a little from the shakes, who had a fine game against the BQR Editor. Jamie Moore had his first taste of losing by one, never mind Jamie - it's more than likely to happen again!

Causier Unstoppable; Crosland in an exciting finish

John Carman is a very capable and very keen billiards player. He scored a creditable 211 against Causier and was beaten almost out of sight! Ross Porter did extremely well to get through against Kevin Payne in an all Spalding League clash. John Smith, after a first rate victory over Ken Shirley, found Alan Orton a little too good on the day. The match of the round, if not of the day, was that in which Crosland, with about twenty minutes to go was looking down and out but then produced a century and a 77 to beat Brian Harvey by just 23.

Ross loses by 10 and wins by 24

This seemingly contradictory heading is explained by the fact that the first Ross (Porter) was just pipped by Paul Bennett, whilst the second Ross (Chris) just scraped past Alan Orton. Phil Welham scored the respectable total of 186 including a break of 68 and was beaten by nearly 500. There's little that can be done when one's opponent scores three centuries in a one-hour game.

Bennett misses his chance

Paul Bennett had an excellent chance of beating Causier. The amateur champion did not score as freely in this game as in previous rounds and his young opponent could, and perhaps should, have put him out. Bennett missed an easy pot red towards the end of the game which gave Causier the opportunity he needed to go some forty points clear. Experience may come into it somewhere and Bennett's day will undoubtedly come. Crosland cruised to a surprisingly comfortable win over Chris Ross.

High scoring game goes Causier's way

Both players performed excellently. One-day tournament finals quite often come as an anti-climax as players tire after five or six hours more or less continuous play. Not this time. Both men had a century break and both had a very good one-hour total accumulating 876 points between them. Steve Crosland is showing well this year. His game seems to have taken a step forward and he may well be the one to make the most consistent challenge to the domination of Causier and Goodwill.

Loughborough Plate

Great win for Mike Poole

Mike Poole (Surrey) was present mainly as a spectator and is not a regular ABC player. His victory over Bill Andress, though by a mere 10 points, was as much a delight to him as it was a surprise to the rest of the players. Well done Mike.

Plate century for Goodwill

A century in a half-hour plate match is a good performance and Goodwill had one against Terry Smith.

Not too easy for Goodwill

Martin Goodwill might have been expected to get past Tom Terry without too much trouble. In fact the BQR Editor put up a reasonable show being in play with 20 or so at the bell to lose by only 18. Mike Poole's run came to a severe end at the hands of Teessider Darren Kell.

Goodwill and Kell through

Century from both player as Goodwill scrapes home by a single point The final was a very good game indeed. Martin Goodwill had a century and was in front until very near the end when Kell made a determined century break to take a four point lead with less than a minute to play. After both players had missed Goodwill managed a pot red and a cannon to take the plate by just one point. It was hard lines for the young Teesside player and it cannot be long before his turn comes.