Townsend secures Championship Tour title
WAYNE Townsend will pocket a £500 bonus for winning the 2022/23 Cuestars Championship Tour.
The 43-year-old from Northolt wrapped up his first title with two of the nine tournaments remaining.
Townsend, who has now won four of the six events he has entered this season, beat home player Connor Benzey 2-1 in the final of the seventh leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar.
The pair had agreed to split the £250 prize pot and play a shortened match for the ranking points.
Rounding off a high-scoring day, Townsend chalked up runs of 76 and 52 while Benzey contributed an 80.
Two centuries were included in the massive total of 39 breaks of 50 or more recorded by the 25 entrants.
Townsend made a 127 in his 3-0 last-four victory over Lewis Frampton. And former professional Jamie Wilson cleared every ball on the table for a 139 in his 2-0 quarter-final Plate win against Ryan Spratt.
Losing semi-finalists Bradley Cowdroy and Frampton received £50 each.
Labeeb Ahmed collected £25 after beating home player Wilson 2-1 in the Plate final.
Woking Snooker Centre hosts the eighth leg of nine on Sunday, April 16.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
PRELIMS: James Budd 0-3 (57) Neil Craycraft, Labeeb Ahmed 0-3 (75) Marcos Dayao, Ronnie Blake (80) 3-1 Riley Ellis, Connor Benzey (93, 53) 3-1 (58) Lee Whaley, Stewart Croswell 2-3 (79) Elliott Johnson, Dharminder Lilly (93) 3-0 Paul Ganley, Jamie Wilson (72) 1-3 (54) Bradley Cowdroy, Ryan Spratt 2-3 Faisal Majid, Ray Grall 2-3 John Donovan.
LAST-16: Neil Craycraft (57) 1-3 (53) Marcos Dayao, Ronnie Blake 0-3 (52, 50) Connor Benzey, Elliott Johnson 0-3 (86) Dharminder Lilly, Bradley Cowdroy (53) 3-1 Faisal Majid, John Donovan (54) 3-0 Kevin Palmer, Lewis Frampton 3-0 Ryan Collins, Will Forster 3-0 Aristos Pampouris, Mike Trigg 0-3 (58) Wayne Townsend.
QUARTER-FINALS: Marcos Dayao 0-3 (90, 80) Connor Benzey, Dharminder Lilly 1-3 (69, 59) Bradley Cowdroy, John Donovan 2-3 (58) Lewis Frampton, Will Forster 0-3 (67) Wayne Townsend.
SEMI-FINALS (£50): Connor Benzey (62, 55) 3-1 (65, 50) Bradley Cowdroy, Lewis Frampton (50) 0-3 (127, 84, 74) Wayne Townsend.
FINAL (£125/£125): Wayne Townsend (76, 53) 2-1 Connor Benzey (80).
PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)
PRELIMS: Aristos Pampouris 2-0 Riley Ellis, Stewart Croswell 2-0 Mike Trigg, Jamie Wilson (70) 2-1 Lee Whaley, Ryan Spratt 2-0 Ryan Collins, Ray Grall 2-1 Paul Ganley.
QUARTER-FINALS: Aristos Pampouris 2-1 Stewart Croswell, Jamie Wilson (139) 2-0 Ryan Spratt, Ray Grall 1-2 (60) Labeeb Ahmed, Kevin Palmer 0-2 James Budd.
SEMI-FINALS: Aristos Pampouris 0-2 Jamie Wilson, Labeeb Ahmed 2-1 James Budd.
FINAL (£25): Labeeb Ahmed 2-1 (99) Jamie Wilson.
Picture: Connor Benzey (left) and Wayne Townsend