Bradford No 2 took a step closer to the top of Division One in the Yorkshire Inter-District Snooker League with a 4-2 victory at Thorne in a re-arranged match at the weekend.

Boover Singh and Gareth Green won both their frames in their respective matches to put the visitors 4-0 up, and it could easily have been a clean sweep, but captain Hanif Rafiq lost both frames on the final pink.

The win puts Bradford No 2 only one point behind joint leaders Sheffield No 1 and No 2, with defending champions Bradford No 1 languishing seven points behind, albeit with a game in hand.

The next round of fixtures for both sides is the weekend of January 3-4, when Bradford No 1 travel to Castleford and the No 2 side entertain Sheffield No 1.

Having recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, the New Cuedos Snooker Centre and Restaurant on Bullroyd Lane in Allerton will officially be opened on Sunday (6pm) by Jimmy White MBE, who will play eight frames against sponsors and selected players.

A small number of tickets are still available for the event, priced at £20 and can be obtained from the club by contacting them on 01274-497788.

Bradford Snooker Pairs Championship results: Richard Duffield & Mick Sharp (Shipley Club) 3, I Laycock & D Belcher (Windhill Cons) 1; Nigel & Adam Tipper (Bradford Moor Cons) 3, C Prest & V Pratt (Eccleshill WMC) 0; Jason Walton & Chris Melling (Shipley Club) 3, Simon Jackson & Darren Goy (Eccleshill Victoria Cons) 0; Eddie Ratcliffe & Chris Richards (East Ward Labour) 3, S Rushforth & R Marshall (Tong Libs) 1; John Well-ham & Dennis Jagger (Girlington Cons) 3, Dean Parker & Paul Wood (Laisterdyke WMC) 2; Mick Bedford & James Fisher (Manningham Ward) 3, Richard Hagerty & Roy Beckford (Calverley Cons) 2.

Deadline for both the pairs and the singles championship is December 31.

The E Rosse Hopkinson Plate competition has now been drawn, with preliminary round first legs taking place on January 8.

Preliminary round ties: Birkenshaw Libs B v Gt Horton Cons B, Little Horton Unity v Undercliffe Cricket A, East Ward v West Bowling Social, Queensbury Cons B v Wibsey Libs B, Harold Club B v Eccleshill Victoria Cons B, Fields v Thornton Cons, East Bowling Unity v Fairweather Green WMC, Little Horton Cycling v Cuedos Snooker A.

All drawsheets and results sheets for this competition, and also the third round of the Flexprint Services-sponsored Hey’s Trophy, which also starts on January 8, have now been sent to all clubs involved.

With Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Thursdays, the column will appear on the website on Tuesdays over the festive period.