Maybe Paul Hunter just needs some Lady Luck to turn his season around.

The 26-year-old certainly had the rub of the green on Saturday night, defeating former world champion John Parrott 6-1 in the Telegraph & Argus Snooker Classic at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre.

A series of outrageous flukes had the former Question of Sport captain threatening to walk out of the arena more than once.

Hunter has only won five out of ten matches so far this season, which isn't the best preparation for a first World Championship triumph.

But when asked afterwards if he can triumph at The Crucible, Batley-based Hunter laughed: "I will win it if I have luck like that. Ronnie who?"

However, apart from a total clearance of 127 for Parrott in the opening frame, Hunter's main problem seemed to be stitch, caused by laughing so much at the Liverpudlian's antics.

Hunter broke in the second frame, dislodging only one red, which Parrott immediately replaced, picked up the white, put it in baulk and broke off himself.

Later in the frame, with Hunter having made a break of 58, Parrott was bored with sitting in his chair and took the gloves off referee Dave Church-West. Hunter then added a 31 to take the frame 89-16.

The former Moortown resident then made an 81 break in the third to take a 2-1 lead going into the interval.

And it was soon 3-1 as efforts of 47 and 37 gave the three-times Masters winner the fourth frame 84-1.

The fifth frame had an appropriate sponsor - the Yorkshire Bed and Suite Centre - as Hunter asked "Comfy there?" to Parrott, who was sitting in his chair watching the West Yorkshireman fire home a 57 as he won it 72-17.

Not even blowing a white into a pocket could save Parrott, but the Merseysider had his rival in stitches in the sixth frame, Hunter showing he can match Ronnie O'Sullivan by potting a ball left-handed on the way to a break of 73.

Hunter fluked a red from one corner to another during that break, and another fluke in the seventh and final frame set him on the way to a 61. Not to be outdone, Parrott then fluked a red off the cushion, and the frame finished with each player trying to pot the pink and then the black off as many cushions as possible.

l Winners of the cues, autographed by Paul Hunter and John Parrott, and cases were sitting in: Block A, row C, seat 23 and Block D (Balcony seat) row K seat two.

The winners, who should have retained their ticket stubs as proof, should ring Amanda White on 01274-705269 tomorrow between 9am and 5.30pm to claim their prize.