Craycraft reels in The Mighty Finn
WANTAGE snooker ace Neil Craycraft turned the tables on Southampton Town Champion Mike Finn to clinch the Cuestars Premier Series scratch event at Chandler’s Ford SC.
Aspiring professional Craycraft (pictured), who is based at the 147 Snooker Club in Swindon, survived a two-frame onslaught to emerge a 3-2 winner from a gripping, and sometimes bizarre, final.
The Mighty Finn finished off a 78 clearance in the first frame with exhibition shots on the colours. He wrapped up the second with a 64.
“At 2-0 down I didn’t really feel too bad,” said 35-year-old Craycraft. “I’d had about two shots – and both of those were safeties.
“I’d not really done anything wrong. I know what I’m capable of doing; I just needed to bide my time and play a telling safety which would create an opening.”
Craycraft pulled one back with a 47 break and cleared the last few colours in the next to force a re-spot.
But Finn, 23, completely missed the black from the break.
Craycraft said: “He won the toss and, surprisingly, he came to the table. I thought ‘he’s going to welly this all over the table’.
“He tried to cut it into the corner. Different people play different ways on a re-spot – but I’m more cagey.”
In the decider, Finn missed a plant on 34 and Craycraft claimed the £100 top prize with a 68.
Craycraft has taken a major step towards his dream of joining Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins on the professional circuit.
He now receives free practice on a pro-standard table at the 147 Snooker Club in Swindon.
“The biggest problem in the past has been the fact I’m playing on club tables,” he explained. “You go to Prestatyn and you can’t pot a ball. The pockets are really, really tight.
“(Club owner) Noel Paul has seen a bit of potential in me. I’ve had a week’s worth of solid practice and this is the result.”
However, Craycraft is forced to finance his tournament entries with driving work for an agency.
“I’ve got the practice facilities,” he added. “I just need something to practise for.”
To compete on the Pontin’s International Open Series (PIOS), the main feeder circuit for the Main Tour, Craycraft needs a backer.
He has competed in three of this season’s seven PIOS events and lies 80th. The top eight gain automatic promotion.
Craycraft, who also won the inaugural Cuestars scratch tournament at Jesters SC, Swindon, in January, dropped just three frames in eight matches and posted seven breaks of more than 50.
He won all five games in the round-robin group stages. In the knockout he defeated Liam Tinne (Salisbury) 3-0 and reached the final with a 3-0 victory over Ryan Mears (Aldershot).
The tournament, at Chandler’s Ford near Southampton, produced 21 half centuries. It attracted 22 of the South of England’s top players ranging in age from 80-year-old Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath) to 11-year-old century-breaker Shane Castle (Chandler’s Ford).
Breaks:
Neil Craycraft: 80, 76, 68, 63, 61, 61, 51
Mike Finn: 78, 75, 75, 64, 67
Phil Wildman: 67
Nathan Williams: 62
Adam Nash: 55, 55, 51
Neil Herd: 54
Jordan Winbourne: 51
Liam Tinne: 51
Ryan Mears: 51
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP STAGE RESULTS:
GROUP A:
Ryan Mears (Rileys, Aldershot) won 5 lost 0; Neil Herd (Trowbridge) W4 L1; Dean Goodall (Rileys, Aldershot) W3 L2; Ryan Merrigan (London) W2 L3; Dennis Hushley (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) W1 L4; Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath) W0 L5.
GROUP B:
Neil Craycraft (147, Swindon) W5 L0; Mike Finn (Woolston Cons, Southampton) W3 L2; Phil Wildman (Colours, Reading) W3 L2; James Bolton (Salisbury) W2 L3; Shane Castle (Chandler’s Ford) W2 L3; Fred Pearce (Burgh Heath) W0 L5.
GROUP C:
Adam Nash (Woolston Cons, Southampton) W4 L0; Nathan Williams (Salisbury) W3 L1; Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford) W2 L2; Marc Harmon (The Royal Surrey Club) W1 L3; Alan Childs (Green Baize, Bournemouth) W0 L4.
GROUP D:
Vernon Li (Rileys, Aldershot) W4 L0; Liam Tinne (Salisbury) W3 L1; Drew Farminer (Woolston Cons, Southampton) W2 L2; Jason Corney (Perivale, Middlesex) W1 L3; David Volante (Jesters, Swindon) W0 L4.
KNOCKOUT RESULTS:
QUARTER-FINALS (£15): Ryan Mears (Rileys, Aldershot) bt Nathan Williams (Salisbury) 3-0, Adam Nash (Woolston Cons, Southampton) bt Neil Herd (Trowbridge) 3-0, Neil Craycraft (147, Swindon) bt Liam Tinne (Salisbury) 3-0, Mike Finn (Woolston Cons, Southampton) bt Vernon Li (Rileys, Aldershot) 3-2.
SEMI-FINALS (£25): Craycraft bt Mears 3-0, Finn bt Nash 3-2.
FINAL (£100/£48): Craycraft bt Finn 3-2.
Picture of Neil Craycraft by Kevin Legg