Bronze leader Perkins reveals his secret: “I practise a lot”

BACK-to-back tournaments wins has taken Sam Perkins to top spot on a junior snooker circuit.

The 13-year-old from New Milton followed up his success in Salisbury last month with the winner’s trophy in Swindon.

He now leads the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour rankings going into the second half of the season.

Revealing the secret to his success, Perkins simply said: “I practise a lot.”

Despite losing his first round-robin match to Aariz Tariq (Welling) in the fifth leg at Jesters Snooker Club, he won his remaining six games – including a 2-0 victory over Alex Scotney (Sutton) in the final.

Reflecting on the match, Perkins said: “I wasn’t as nervous as the first time I was in a final and it was the best I’d played all day.”

And he added: “Alex was playing really well today.”

Leg-one winner Scotney would have taken pole position if the result had been reversed.

Marshal Denieffe (London), who led the rankings at the start of the day, lost 2-1 to eight-year-old Scotney in the last-four. Stanley Sims (Woking) moved up to sixth place after his first semi-final appearance.

Oliver Callow (Midhurst) qualified for the quarter-finals on his debut and Milo Taylor (Somerset) reached the same stage in only his second event.

The event was sponsored by Don Rogers Sports (www.donrogerssports.co.uk) and Jesters Snooker Club (www.jesterssnooker.co.uk).

Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, hosts the sixth leg of ten on Sunday, January 26.

BREAKS

Alex Scotney: 22.
Marshal Denieffe: 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Marshall Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Milo Taylor (Somerton SC); joint 4th, Isaac Church (Chandlers Ford SC), Charlie Ings (Salisbury SC), Lewis Harris (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Stanley Sims (Woking SC); 2nd, Alex Scotney (Surrey Snooker Academy); 3rd, Toby Waters (Salisbury SC); 4th, Jesse Goncalves (Liss RBL); 5th, Toby Walker (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Sam Perkins (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Archie Light (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Aariz Tariq (Welling SC); 4th, Harry Merwood (Salisbury SC); 5th, Lewis Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Ben Taylor-Jenkins (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Oliver Callow (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Chester Chan (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Jack Miller (Crucible, Newbury); 5th, Alfie Wyatt (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Denieffe 2-0 Light, Scotney 2-1 Taylor-Jenkins, Sims 2-0 Callow, Perkins 2-1 Taylor.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Scotney 2-1 Denieffe, Perkins 2-1 Sims.

FINAL (25/18 points): Perkins 2-0 Scotney.