BRADFORD-born Karl Boyes has helped England become Betway World Cup of Pool champions after a thrilling final against Holland in Portsmouth.

Boyes and Pontefract potter Darren Appleton helped England recover from 6-3 and 9-7 behind to force a final-rack decider, which they won to break Dutch hearts at the Mountbatten Centre.

Yet it was no simple victory after Appleton sank the cue ball in a centre pocket from the break-off.

Niels Feijen and Nick Van den Berg were now strong favourites but it all went wrong for them with two balls left on the table as Feijen missed the eight ball in trying to get a better position for the nine.

Boyes then jawed the eight ball with a table-length shot but it rolled behind the nine, Van den berg then leaving the eight ball in the open to give England the chance they needed.

After potting the winning nine ball, Boyes said: "I was so surprised that they missed that I jumped up with my cue. But when I got to the table I saw it was a bit longer than I first thought.

"Darren tried to clam me down and I had a look. I don't know how close it was or if it was a mile off but I got a nice roll at the end.

"I have lost a lot of big matches over the last few years when top players have played like God against me, so it was nice to get a roll like that.

"We had a chance to go 2-0 up but we didn't and it was a real dogfight after that."

England had beaten Spain 7-6, Greece 7-1, the United States 9-7 and Finland 9-6 en route to the final but were second favourites against Holland.

Chris Melling of Keighley was in the England B team alongside Daryl Peach but they were beaten 7-0 by China in the second round, having earlier defeated India 7-6.