The battle to compete on next season's World Snooker Association Tour really hots up from today onwards with the start of the second half of the campaign.

Players are qualifying at the Newport Centre in South Wales for the final stages of the Asian Masters, the Regal Scottish and the Embassy World Championships, and the pressure is intense with this year's 160 professionals being reduced to 96.

Bradford's Simon bedford and Bramley's Craig Butler are in action today in the first qualifying round of the Asian Masters, Bedford facing Staffordshire's Troy Shaw this afternoon and Butler meeting Holland's Mario Wehrmann tonight (7pm).

Butler, 26, said: "I beat him 5-1 in the Grand Prix earlier this season at New-port so I am feeling pretty confident.

"Things have been going pretty well at the practice table over the past ten days, and I am looking forward to playing at Newport."

Left-hander Bedford was beaten 5-4 by Shaw in the first round of the China Open.

In fact, Shaw has been something of a scourge for Bradford area players at Newport. He defeated Birstall's Jason Prince 5-3 in the second round of the China Open and saw off Joe Johnson 5-2 in the third round of the British Open.

Prince was travelling down to South Wales today in preparation for his Saturday start in the Asian masters.

"The tables at Newport are four or five times faster than the tables I practice on so I am giving myself an extra day to prepare," said the 30-year-old Ulsterman.

Added the Northern Ireland World Cup player: "I started the season at 91 and now I am at 67, and I will be very disappointed if I finish outside the top 64. I have been there for ten years and feel that is where I belong."

Johnson's first match is on Saturday - in the third qualifying round of the Asian masters.

Bradford's snooker team continued their unbeaten run in the Autocolor Yorkshire Inter-District League.

They defeated Wakefield 5-1 away at Riley's Snooker Club. Wayne Cooper dropping only 11 points in beating Mark Ramsbottom 92-9, 79-2, making a 31 break in the second frame. Kevin Firth had a 38 clearance to defeat Lee Postill 57-15, and took the fourth 60-36 to make it 4-0.

Matthew Holt led for most of the way in the fifth frame only for Darren Dodd to clear yellow to pink to take it 65-50. But Holt won the last 66-38 to make it 5-1.

With Bradford to play leading duo Sheffield No 1 and Sheffield No 2, the final outcome could be very close.

Sheffield No 1, who beat Leeds No 1 4-2, have 43 points from nine matches, and Sheffield No 2, 5-1 winners over Leeds No 2, have 39 from eight. Bradford have 28 from six.

Chris Melling (Keighley) and Sajid Khan (Bradford) have both entered the Yorkshire round of the English Amateur Championships on Sunday at The Club-house In Cue Gardens, Odsal (11am).