Right on Cue

Bradford duo Gareth Green and Damian Wilks have joined Kevin Firth in the YORKSHIRE SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP quarter-finals after both came through the second phase of qualifiers at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

The draw for the last eight was made earlier this week at the Yorkshire Billiards & Snooker Association meeting and the three local players managed to avoid each other.

Firth takes on Gyles Behbood of Harrogate, with the winner set to play either last season’s runner-up Ian Glover (Thorne) or Chris Hall (Wakefield).

Yorkshire under-19 champion Wilks faces Leeds player Scott Raper, while Green would set up an all Bradford semi-final if he can see off 2008 English and European champion Dave Grace, also of Leeds.

These quarter-finals are expected to take place early next month.

The draws for the BRADFORD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP quarter-finals have now been made, with the singles match-ups as follows: Damian Wilks (Manningham Ward) v Dave Stirk (Undercliffe Cricket), Ilyas Khan (Cuedos) v Chris Metcalfe (Q Tips Shipley), John Wellham (Girlington Cons) v Jason Murgatroyd (Great Horton Cons), Gareth Green (Manningham Ward) v Sajid Khan (Cuedos).

The pairs competition saw 2008 finalists Howard Mawson and Chris Metcalfe of the Q Tips Club in Shipley edge a close encounter 3-2 against Cuedos duo Shab Ditta and Andy Papaiacovou to reach the last eight.

The highlight of this was an excellent 110 break by Mawson, the highest of the competition to date.

D & C Tolson (Cue Gardens) v H Rafiq & B Singh (Manningham Ward), J Walton & C Melling (Shipley Club) or G Green & D Wilks (Manningham Ward) v H Mawson & C Metcalfe (Q Tips Shipley), A McCann & T Bell (Wibsey Libs) v N & A Tipper (Bradford Moor Cons), M Sharp & R Duffield (Cullingworth Cons) v K Firth & D Stirk (Undercliffe Cricket).

Details of both competitions will be sent out by tournament director Richard Hagerty in due course.

There was disappointment for all three Bradford sides playing rearranged YORKSHIRE INTER-DISTRICT LEAGUE matches from earlier this year.

Richard Lodge’s No 2 billiards side played home and away against a strong Leeds side consisting of county players and both ended in a disappointing 7-0 defeat.

Bradford, who had been heading the table, must now look to consolidate second place, with the title quite probably beyond their reach.

Lodge is in action this weekend when he plays in the last 16 of the English Grand Masters event at Nuneaton.

Stephen Kershaw’s No 1 billiards side also suffered a 7-0 loss at the hands of Huddersfield No 1.

Bradford’s No 2 snooker side travelled to Sheffield No 1 and slipped up 4-2, with Damian Wilks and Boover Singh taking one frame apiece.