BRADFORD will once again be represented in the National League Snooker Championships – an invitational tournament for the some of the best leagues in the country – at the Northern Snooker Centre this weekend.

They entered for the first time last season and performed superbly to reach the final, only to lose out to Norwich.

The event starts out with two divisions of eight teams, playing each other once, with the top four of each section qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Joining Bradford in the group stage will be hosts Leeds, Newbury, Ormskirk, Preston, Reading, Stourbridge and Thames Valley.

The competition gets underway on Saturday (11am) and concludes on Sunday (10am start) and can be followed live via the UK League website at www.leaguesnooker.co.uk.

* REGIONAL qualifying for the English Grand Masters Billiards Championship takes place at Cue Gardens on Sunday (11am), with Stephen Kershaw and Paul Devitt both in action – as they are next weekend at the same venue for the British Open Championship.

Kershaw also takes his Bradford side to Huddersfield No 1 on Saturday and is joined in the team by Steve Wilman and Trevor Kershaw.

* IN THE Bradford Snooker Pairs Championship, first-round ties have all now been completed.

Peter Hamilton and Adam Tipper edged out Hanif Rafiq and Boover Singh 3-2, with Richard Hagerty and Roy Beckford triumphing 3-0 against Martin Unsworth and Cori Weir.

Ross Atkinson and Dennis Jagger beat Chris and Dave Tolson 3-1, while Mick Sharp and Richard Duffield defeated Keith Walker and Chris Sneddon 3-1.

* KEN Doherty gave an outstanding exhibition at Shipley Conservative Club at the weekend, with former World Championship final referee Michaela Tabb overseeing proceedings.

Doherty flew in from the Northern Ireland Open and demonstrated some of the form which saw him win the world title in 1997, making breaks of 88 (v Lewis Walsh), 113 (v Dave Mercer) and a 121 in the last frame of the night against James Metcalfe.

Walsh made the highest break of the challengers with a 32, while Richard Harrison brought the house down with a superb 27 clearance of the colours during his frame.