Bedford ton inspires Bradford No 1 (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bedford ton inspires Bradford No 1

11:06am Wednesday 9th January 2008 in Sport By Sports Desk

Right on Cue

It was six of the very best as Division One leaders Bradford No 1 returned to winning ways in the Yorkshire Inter-District League in fine style by whitewashing Wakefield No 2 at Thornton Conservative Club.

Yorkshire and Bradford champion Wayne Cooper got the team off to a good start, making a 51 break in his first frame and then clearing the colours in the second to beat Anthony Hebblethwaite 2-0.

Simon Bedford showed all his class in easing past shellshocked opponent Craig Spencer.

Boosted by a solid break of 56 in his first frame, Bedford then stepped up another gear in the next to provide the highlight of the night, a superb total clearance of 139 which brought the house down.

Mark Slater finally stepped in with breaks of 32 and 31 against 2007 Yorkshire quarter-finalist Chris Hall to put Bradford 5-0 up, before completing the clean-sweep with breaks of 51 and 39.

Bradford No 2's match with Leeds No 1 in Division Two was cancelled at the last minute and has been rearranged for Sunday at Manningham Ward (7.30pm).

• Tomorrow night sees first-leg matches played in the second round of the Flexprint Services-sponsored Heys Trophy. These are:
• Fields B v Cuedos A; Birkenshaw Libs B v Cueball; Cuedos B v East Ward A; Lilycroft A v Undercliffe Cricket B; Manningham Ward A v Great Horton Cons A; Northcote Cons v Lilycroft B; East Ward B v Laisterdyke Cricket A; Thornton Cons A v Laisterdyke WMC A.

The E Rosse Hopkinson Plate gets underway tomorrow with seven preliminary-round matches as follows: Tong Libs B v Manningham Ward B; Queensbury A v Little Horton Unity; Great Horton Cricket v Eccleshill Victoria Cons; Undercliffe Cricket A v Eccleshill WMC B; Laisterdyke Cricket B v Buttershaw Lane WMC; Fairweather Green WMC v Queensbury B; Great Horton Cons B v Birkenshaw Libs A.

The second legs of both competitions take place in two weeks' time on Thursday, January 24.

• There is just one result to date in the Bradford Snooker Championship, with Damien Gallagher and Tony Roberts (Harold Club) defeating Dean Parker and Paul Wood (Laisterdyke WMC).
• They triumphed by three frames to one in progressing to the quarter-finals of the pairs competition. All matches must be played by Sunday, January 27.

• Players wishing to enter the Yorkshire Singles Championship are reminded to send their entry form and fee by Saturday.

The draw will be made on Monday and players will be informed of their opponent in due course.

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