Lloyd clinches Championship Tour opener

MARK Lloyd has taken an early lead on the Cuestars Championship Tour.

The 24-year-old from Gosport won the opening leg of the new season at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.

He pocketed £250 in prize money after beating Fareham cueist Dharminder Lilly 3-0 in the final.

Lloyd, the 2018/19 champion, recorded nine breaks of 50 or more in his five matches – including the day’s highest of 105 in his first-round victory over Paul Davis.

Mike Trigg (East Wellow) and Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) staked their claims as title contenders by reaching the last-four.

Reigning Seniors Tour champion Davis (Wareham) defeated Londoner Terry Burke 2-0 in the Plate final.

There were 37 runners – an increase of three on the corresponding event last season – for the tournament that was sponsored by Chandlers Ford SC member David Stewart to raise awareness of Sightsavers (www.sightsavers.org), a charity that works to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the second leg of nine on Sunday, October 13. The rankings winner at the end of the season receives £600.

RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIMS: Neil Carroll 0-3 Will Forster, Steve Wheatland 0-3 (56) Dharminder Lilly, Rikki Moore 2-3 Grant Mason, Jack Dady 3-1 Frank Gumbrell, Alex Greenham 0-3 O’Shay Scott.

LAST-32: Will Forster 1-3 Dharminder Lilly, Grant Mason (74) 3-1 Jack Dady, O’Shay Scott (66, 58) 3-0 Andy Darken, Shane Hellyer 3-2 Paul Ives, Harry Wyatt 3-0 Asten Sahota, Mike Trigg 3-0 Steve Read, Shane Hatfield 3-2 Ryan Spratt, John Buckley 0-3 (65) Ryan Hughes, Mason Wilson 0-3 (59) Marcos Dayao, Navraj Landa 0-3 Jake Baker, Bradley Cowdroy (51) 3-1 Riley Ellis, Matt Callow 3-0 Sean Reeves, Mark Lloyd (105, 56) 3-1 Paul Davis, Shaun Hayman 0-3 William Thomson, Adam Stacey 3-0 Jack Squires, Terry Burke 0-3 Evan Plummer.

LAST-16: Dharminder Lilly 3-0 Grant Mason, O’Shay Scott 3-0 Shane Hellyer, Harry Wyatt 1-3 Mike Trigg, Shane Hatfield 1-3 Ryan Hughes, Marcos Dayao 0-3 Jake Baker, Bradley Cowdroy (69) 3-0 Matt Callow, Mark Lloyd (67, 50) 3-1 (76) William Thomson, Adam Stacey 2-3 Evan Plummer.

QUARTER-FINALS: Dharminder Lilly (52) 3-1 O’Shay Scott, Mike Trigg 3-1 Ryan Hughes, Jake Baker 1-3 (50) Bradley Cowdroy, Mark Lloyd (69, 52) 3-0 Evan Plummer.

SEMI-FINALS (£60): Dharminder Lilly (51) 3-0 Mike Trigg, Bradley Cowdroy 1-3 (84, 59) Mark Lloyd.

FINAL (£250/£125): Mark Lloyd (75) 3-0 (59) Dharminder Lilly.

PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)

LAST-16: Navraj Landa 2-0 Riley Ellis, Terry Burke 2-1 John Buckley, Alex Greenham 2-0 Jack Squires, Ryan Spratt 2-0 Asten Sahota, Rikki Moore 1-2 Sean Reeves, Andy Darken 2-0 Steve Read, Neil Carroll 1-2 Steve Wheatland, Paul Davis 2-0 Shaun Hayman.

QUARTER-FINALS: Navraj Landa 0-2 Terry Burke, Alex Greenham 2-1 Ryan Spratt, Sean Reeves 2-1 Andy Darken, Steve Wheatland 0-2 Paul Davis.

SEMI-FINALS: Terry Burke 2-0 Alex Greenham, Sean Reeves 1-2 Paul Davis.

FINAL (£40/£20): Paul Davis 2-0 Terry Burke.

By Tim Dunkley and Steven Hughes