Century for 14-year-old

IT IS more than four years since the last Freddo bar was awarded during the Open Series at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

Traditionally, the first century each Saturday afternoon is rewarded with a chocolate treat. Anyone who has seen Connor Benzey (pictured) practising recently knows that the 14-year-old from Eastleigh is capable of hitting a ton. Last season’s Cuestars Silver Tour rankings winner took his practice game to the match table in week 19 of the Open Series and chalked up a 102 against Grahame Hughes (Ryan’s dad). On 95, he potted a tricky green off the brown that was making it a big pocket and the brown flicked off the side cushion and left a perfect straight shot into the yellow pocket.

On February 18, 2012, Shane Castle, who had just turned 14, fired in his 20th competitive century of 127 against Martin Trigg (Mike’s dad) in week 24 of Open Series 11. It ends a magnificent 14 months for Benzey. He won the Eastleigh & District Under-13 Premier title in May last year swiftly followed by the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour championship play-off. At the time, his highest break was 48. He recorded his first half-century that July.

This season, he won the Cuestars Silver Tour rankings, he reached the quarter-finals of the English Under-14 Championship, he won the Christmas Cup and the Easter Cup, he made his debut on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South, he secured a sponsorship deal with Pitman Training Winchester and he has been signed by a Southampton Super League side for next season.

Meanwhile, Charlie Pringle notched up back-to-back 50s – not for the first time, I might add. He kicked off with a personal best 57 in the deciding frame against Oliver Sykes and added a 51 in the first frame of his second-round match against Chloe White.

A couple of hours before hitting three figures, Benzey had clinched his first Eastleigh & District Under-19 Premier title. He finished the 20-week season three points ahead of five-time champion and newly promoted EASB Premier Junior Tour star Mickey Joyce. Ten-year-old Oliver Sykes retained his Under-13 Premier title by three points from three-time champion Jamie Wilson. The talented left-hander won a staggering 53 frames over the 20 weeks.

Wilson did miss a couple of weeks because of the small matter of the English Under-14 Championship, in which he reached the final.Later, Wilson reckoned he played “garbage” in his first four frames in the Under-19s. In his fifth and last match against Benzey, the 12-year-old put together a personal best 79 break. Garbage indeed!

It was a very special day at the club.

Picture by Tim Dunkley.

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