Anthony Rice wins Salisbury Club Championship

ANTHONY Rice ended a momentous five days on and off the green baize by claiming the Salisbury Snooker Club annual championship for the first time.

The 22-year-old from Fordingbridge pocketed £100 prize money after beating practice partner Jake Stewart 2-0 in the final.

Rice said: “We know each other’s game inside out. He’s had the better of me the last few times we’ve played in competition so it was nice to get one back on him.”

It came a day after he made a 105 break, consisting of 14 reds and 13 blacks, in the Bournemouth & District Conservative League’s singles knockout.

And three days earlier he learnt he had passed the Chartered Tax Adviser exams.

“The half hour before (the results) were released was the most nerve-racking time of my life,” he admitted.

“I felt rather emotional to know if was all over. I guess I could say it’s been a fairly good week.”

The Salisbury Club Championship attracted 15 runners.

In the last-four, Rice knocked out defending champion Adam Guyatt 2-1 and Stewart, who collected £50, overcame former champion John Hunter 2-1.

Rice recorded the day’s highest break of 71 in his 2-0 quarter-final victory over Steve Ashton.

Picture: Anthony Rice (left) and Jake Stewart

Have you got any snooker news?

Send me your snooker news now. It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament. E-mail me details or contact me via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper. E-mail: [email protected]

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)