Bevan boy breaks South Wilts duck
SALISBURY’S never-say-die Nick Bevan has finally broken his duck in the Cuestars South Wilts Snooker League.
After seven straight defeats in his debut season, the 50-year-old returned a 3-2 victory over Stuart Dreyer at Salisbury Snooker Club.
Dreyer said: “Nick has been struggling a bit so far, so I’m sure he will be pleased he is not a South Wilts virgin any longer.”
Trailing 1-0, Bevan levelled with a 26 break and clinched his first win with two scrappy frames. Dreyer won a consolation fifth frame.
Meanwhile, Trevor Pittman (Salisbury) cruised to a 3-0 lead against Neil Carroll before the Southampton cueman took the last two by a country mile.
Pittman said: “In these times of national shortage, it was probably apt to say that I ran out of fuel.”
Richard Arnold (Salisbury) started the brighter against Steve Ashton (Salisbury) and rattled off the first two frames reasonably comfortably.
And he edged the third to clinch the bonus point.
It all looked a bit desperate for Ashton in the next when he needed a snooker with just pink and black remaining.
Arnold said his opponent “laid a cracker”. After extracting the penalty points, Ashton cleared and brought further respectability to the scoreline by winning the last.
Alex Thorn (Shrewton) defeated Paul Burt (Britford) 4-1 on the tight match-table.
“I actually like it,” insisted Thorn. “It runs really nicely. I was cueing and potting nicely, which then invariably means you get some run too – which made it difficult for Paul, unfortunately.”
Thorn sunk a long black for a 4-0 lead and laid the required snooker in the fifth. But Burt did well to escape and potted blue and pink to pull a frame back.
Results: Paul Burt 1 Alex Thorn 4, Trevor Pittman 3 Neil Carroll 2, Stuart Dreyer 2 Nick Bevan 3, Steve Ashton 2 Richard Arnold 3.
Highest break: John Hunter 94.