Mears has one hand on the trophy

The 22-year-old, who is based at the Sovereign SC, Farnborough, claimed his second tournament win of the season in the sixth leg of the Championship Tour at Copnor Snooker Club, Portsmouth.

He defeated England international Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford SC) 3-1 in the final.

Winbourne took the second frame with a 78, which could easily have been the youngster’s second century of the day.

Mears started the day by beating Neil Craycraft (147 Snooker Club, Swindon) 3-0 in his first group match with a 64 and a 55 clearance.

He then wrapped up a 2-1 victory over Chris Richards (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff) with a 35 clearance to win by one point. Richards had taken the first frame with runs of 24, 48 and 25 in consecutive visits.

When Mears meat Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood), the pair had already qualified from a tough Group A. (Indeed, second-placed Craycraft finished bottom of the four.) Castle won 2-1. Mears compiled a 90.

Mears accounted for Group D winner Adam Nash (Woolston Cons, Southampton) 3-1 in the last-eight and Jonathan Charlton (Aldwick RBL, Bognor Regis) by the same score in the semi-finals.

Prolific break-builder Mears told cuestars.uk.com that his safety play saw him through the semi-final and final.

Realistically, the only way he can be denied first place in the rankings is if either Mike Finn (Woolston Cons, Southampton) or Craycraft win both the remaining events – and Mears, who this season has never failed to make the quarter-finals, has a couple of absolute shockers.

Elsewhere, 15-year-old Winbourne compiled a century and defeated Castle and Finn.

Southampton’s Town Champion Finn, who shares second spot with Craycraft, said: “He played very well and thoroughly deserved to beat me. I don’t give praise lightly but he was very impressive.”

And Castle added: “It was the first time I’d played Jordan for a long time. He played absolutely brilliant.”

Winbourne, who competes in the last-16 stage of the English Under-16 Championships in Leeds on Sunday, made a 105 break in a 3-1 win over Castle, 18, in the quarter-finals.

And he then added a 67 in a 3-1 defeat of Finn.

Group B winner Finn contributed a 102 in the third frame.

The 25-year-old edged past Martin Wallace (Reading) 3-2 in the last-eight.

Mark McLean (Churchills, Eastleigh), who topped Group C, went out 3-2 to Charlton in the quarter-finals.

The seventh of the eight legs is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, April 17.

Jordan Winbourne: 105, 78, 67, 62, 54.

Mike Finn: 102, 85, 71, 50.

Ryan Mears: 90, 72, 64, 55.

Mark McLean: 79.

Alex Dunkley: 70, 59, 56.

Billy Castle: 60, 58.

GROUP A: 1st, Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood); 2nd, Ryan Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough); 3rd, Chris Richards (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff); 4th, Neil Craycraft (147 SC, Swindon).

GROUP B: 1st, Mike Finn (Woolston Cons, Southampton); 2nd, Jonathan Charlton (Aldwick RBL, Bognor Regis); 3rd, Alex Dunkley (Cue T’s, Marchwood); 4th, Shane Castle (Chandler’s Ford SC).

GROUP C: 1st, Mark McLean (Churchills, Eastleigh); 2nd, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading); 3rd, Ben Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh); 4th, Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).

GROUP D: 1st, Adam Nash (Woolston Cons, Southampton); 2nd, Jordan Winbourne (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Ollie Kendrick (Whitmore Reans Cons, Wolverhampton); 4th, James Facey (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff).

QUARTER-FINALS (8 points): Winbourne beat Billy Castle 3-1, Finn beat Wallace 3-2, Charlton beat McLean 3-2, Ryan Mears beat Nash 3-1.

SEMI-FINALS (12 points, £19): Winbourne beat Finn 3-1, Mears beat Charlton 3-1.

FINAL (25/18 points, £80/£40): Mears beat Winbourne 3-1.