Third time lucky for hard-working Perkins
A NEW Milton teenager is making waves on the junior snooker circuit.
Sam Perkins has claimed his first winner’s trophy on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour.
This followed runner-up finishes in the previous two legs in London and Chandler’s Ford. He missed the first event of his rookie season due to illness.
Perkins moved up to joint second place in the rankings after beating Ben Taylor-Jenkins (Hedge End) 2-0 in the final of the fourth leg at Salisbury Snooker Club.
And the 13-year-old, who plays almost every day, recorded a personal best break of 32 in the last-four against Alex Scotney (Sutton).
“I really wanted to win,” he said.
“I was playing quite well earlier and then I had a few frames when I wasn’t potting very well. Then in the semis, I had a 32 and a 23.”
Perkins won the ten-day Easter Cup at his home club and is currently lying in third place in the Eastleigh & District Under-19 League.
Taylor-Jenkins knocked out rankings leader Marshal Denieffe (London) 2-0 in the semi-finals. Alfie Wyatt (Waterlooville) made the last-eight for the first time.
Denieffe has a four-point lead over Scotney and Perkins. Taylor-Jenkins is eight points further back in fourth place.
Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 5.
BREAKS
Sam Perkins: 32(PB), 24, 23.
Ben Taylor-Jenkins: 21.
Marshal Denieffe: 21.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Lewis Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Marshall Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, Sam Borgars (Stepfield SC, Witham); 4th, Stanley Sims (Woking SC); 5th, Jesse Goncalves (Liss RBL).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Alfie Wyatt (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Alex Scotney (Surrey Snooker Academy); 3rd, Toby Waters (Salisbury SC); 4th, Isaac Church (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Harry Merwood (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Jack Miller (Crucible, Newbury); 2nd, Sam Perkins (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Archie Light (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Kieran Hall (Stepfield SC, Witham); 5th, Aariz Tariq (Welling SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Charlie Ings (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Ben Taylor-Jenkins (Chandlers Ford SC); joint 3rd, Beibei Ji (Chandlers Ford SC), Lewis Harris (Waterlooville Sports Bar) & Toby Walker (Castle SC, Brighton).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Perkins 2-0 Thomson, Scotney 2-1 Ings, Taylor-Jenkins 2-1 Wyatt, Denieffe 2-1 Miller.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Perkins 2-0 Scotney, Taylor-Jenkins 2-0 Denieffe.
FINAL (25/18 points): Perkins 2-0 Taylor-Jenkins.