NINE-time champion Wayne Cooper will meet four-time winner Gareth Green in the final of this year's Bradford Snooker Championship.

It will be a repeat of the 2011 final, which won by Eccleshill Victoria Cons player Green.

The semi-finals were held at Great Horton Conservative Club last Saturday and Cooper (Undercliffe Cricket Club) defeated Mark Slater (Clayton Liberals) 4-1 in a repeat scoreline of last season's final.

Holder Cooper stole the first frame 59-51 with a 37 break after Slater had made an earlier 32 but the latter player drew level by 86-43 with a superb 61 clearance.

Cooper stretched his lead again with a hard-fought 57-25 win and a break of 31 was not enough for Slater in frame four, Cooper taking it 62-49, before he wrapped up the match in style 102-9 with efforts of 35 and 41.

Green was up against his brother Anthony Green (Harold Club) and the opening frame of their last-four contest was tight, Gareth taking it 50-40 on the black.

Anthony played well throughout and his clearance of 33 for a 71-24 frame win levelled matters at 1-1. He then set off with a break of 32 in the third, only for Gareth to clear with a 62 break for 74-38.

However, Anthony levelled again with a break of 30 for a 67-30 frame score – but the basic story of the match was Anthony getting away in each frame, only to be pegged back in the latter stages, and this was no more evident than in the last two frames.

Despite Anthony building an early lead in frame five, Gareth fought back with a 33 break to win it 53-40. The pattern then repeated itself in frame six, Anthony setting off with a 52 break but Gareth fighting back to win it 74-59 and take the match.

The date for the final has yet to be announced.

* In the Yorkshire Inter-District League, Bradford No 1 have to wait another week to discover the outcome of the Division One title after opponents Castleford No 1 pulled out at the last minute.

The match is now being played at Undercliffe Cricket Club on Sunday (7pm) – and with Sheffield No 1 beating Huddersfield 4-2 to lead the table by five points, only a 6-0 win for defending champions Bradford No 1 will retain the title, with second place already guaranteed.