Right on Cue

Wayne Cooper maintained his 100 per cent record for the season as Bradford No 1 extended their lead at the top of snooker’s Yorkshire Inter-District League.

Bradford now head the Division One table by four points after a solid 4-2 win against second-placed Harrogate at Undercliffe Cricket Club.

Cooper won both his frames against Andy Blamire, with a 51 break helping him take the first 91-16 before a much closer second ended 58-52.

Kevin Firth shot a 58 break in a 89-18 frame win to make it 3-0 to the hosts but opponent Gyles Behbood responded with a 62 in taking the next 77-34.

Mark Slater sealed the victory with his customary first-frame win (64-20) but Callum Waite took the last of the night 59-31 for Harrogate.

Bradford No 2 surrendered their unbeaten record as they lost 4-2 at Brighouse No 2 and are now tied with their opponents at the top of Division Three.

Jimmy Sykes won the first comfortably 71-16 for the hosts but Boover Singh levelled things up with a 68-22 victory.

Tanveer Mohammed then edged Bradford in front, winning 67-29 against Paul Lawson, but that was as good as it got.

Lawson took the next frame 62-24 and while Hanif Rafiq was 20 points in front with 22 left, opponent Andy Kitson managed to steal the frame 66-58 and then cleared again in the final frame to clinch it 47-33.

The Bradford billiards team were on a good run of form heading into their trip to face defending champions and pre-season favourites Leeds but left the Northern Snooker Centre on the wrong end of a whitewash.

Leeds player Dave Barker started with a break of 38 to build a healthy lead but John McEachran kept plugging away and moved 193-175 ahead, only for his opponent to snatch the game 200-193.

Bradford champion Stephen Kershaw took on Yorkshire champion Jonathon Bagley and started brightly, exchanging runs of 35 to remain close at 99-83, before Bagley hit four consistent breaks to run away a 200-93 winner.

Paul Devitt then made a good break of 50 to open up a big lead against Bob Patterson and looked good to break Bradford’s duck. But Patterson responded with two breaks around the 40 mark to steal it 200-184.

* The opening stage of the Yorkshire Snooker Handicap takes place on Sunday at Cue Gardens, Stadium Road, Odsal.

Entry on the day costs £10, with registration from 9.15-9.45am, and there is a strict dress-code policy of no jeans and trainers.

Matches are expected to be best of five but if there is a large turnout then those in the first round will be best of three.

The competition will run to the last 16, or possibly last eight depending on entries, with the tournament concluding on December 2.

For more details contact Richard Bakes on 07940-651850.