BRADFORD'S billiards team got their Yorkshire Inter-District League season off to a winning start as they beat Huddersfield No 2 at Great Horton Conservative Club.

The scoring system for the billiards league has been changed, not only to benefit those that win their matches but also to reward players who have scored well in defeat, which means every point scored on the table can now be vital to the team's success.

This system earns the winner three points but the loser can gain one point for scoring over 100 and two for posting over 150, with the previously-used team aggregate point scrapped.

Paul Devitt was first up for Bradford and got off to a good start against an out-of-sorts John Ingleby.

A break of 48 took him to a 150-48 lead and when the running changed he was good enough to keep his opponent away from the table and record a 200-84 victory, which gave Bradford three points to Huddersfield's nil.

John Allan came into the Bradford team as a late replacement and, after a steady start against Julian Hodge, he began to find the going tough as his opponent had a break of 40 to lead 142-79.

It looked as if the result of this game could be a complete reverse of the first and the Bradford team were pleased to see Allan pass 100 for a point.

But better was to come as Hodge faltered towards the end and the home man took advantage to claim a second point despite a 200-164 defeat.

Bradford captain Stephen Kershaw was in front from the start but opponent Jezz Ford made a break of 35 in the middle of the game to come from nearly 20 behind to a similar number in front.

Steady if unspectacular scoring from Kershaw soon got him in front again and a 200-174 victory brought three more points for Bradford to Huddersfield's two and an 8-5 overall victory.

Bradford's next match is a rearranged fixture at Doncaster on Saturday, November 12.

The Bradford No 2 snooker side host Leeds No 1 in a rearranged fixture at Cue Gardens this Saturday (7.30pm).

* BRADFORD Snooker Championships action saw 2004 winner Howard Mawson end the challenge of 2014 runner-up Anthony Green 4-1 in a preliminary-round tie.

Green made breaks of 45 and 54 but Mawson compiled a 72 and a 63 and will now face Dave Stirk in the first round.

Lewis Walsh took on Eccleshill Victoria clubmate Joe Hollings in their first-round match and progressed with a 4-0 victory.

In the pairs competition, 2005 champions Mark Slater and Jason Murgatroyd (Clayton Libs) won their second-round match 3-1 against Cullingworth Cons duo John Bower and Tony Hall.

* BRADFORD Snooker Handicap quarter-final draw: P Davey (UCC) v M Yeadon (Baildon Woodbottom), P Hamilton (UCC) v M Sharp (Cullingworth Cons), A Boswell (Girlington Cons) v C Davies (Tong Libs), T Borza (UCC) v J Hollings (Eccleshill Victoria).