Connor Benzey joins half-century club

THE first of the new generation of exciting young potters at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club has joined the half-century club.

Connor Benzey (pictured), whose previous high break was 48, stroked in a 53 to force a deciding frame against Portsmouth League player Barry Doswell in the semi-finals of this week’s Open Series.

To say the 13-year-old from Eastleigh strode around Table 1 brimming with confidence would be an understatement.

Benzey, who claimed the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour Championship in May, won the match 2-1 but was beaten by the same scoreline by Jamie Wilson (Havant) in the final.

Benzey climbed to two points behind rankings leader Steven Hughes, who won the Bronze Tour rankings title, with five weeks of the six-mouth competition to play. The winner will pocket £300 of the £1,370 prize money.

Meanwhile, at the halfway stage of the Eastleigh & District Junior Leagues season, Hughes maintains his one-point advantage over Mickey Joyce at the top of the Under-19 Premier.

Olly Gibbs is ten points clear in the Under-13 Premier. It will take a supreme effort by someone to halt the 11-year-old from Gosport’s bid for a first title.

The lads are also in action in the Rotary Summer Cup, which takes place at Chandler’s Ford SC from 11am-3pm on every weekday during the school holiday.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.