Egg-citement at Cue T’s

After battling through both halves of a top-quality field (pictured) at their home club, the Waterside sharpshooters agreed to split the £210 prize pot. And Billy pocketed £35 for the highest break of 100.

There was no requirement for the club’s brand new air-conditioning system as the rain pelted down outside.

But the weather did not put a dampener on proceedings as the region’s hottest cuemen – boosted by some fine talent from Dorset and West Sussex – served up 13 breaks of 50 or more.

“There wasn’t really a bad player here,” declared Shane, the 2012 European Under-21 runner-up and one of six England stars on show.

Billy gained revenge for his Town Championship final defeat by taking out Mike Finn (Eastleigh) 4-1 in the quarter-finals.

In the second frame of a 4-2 semi-final victory over Zack Richardson (Brighton), the 19-year-old compiled his century. He potted the last red but missed a possible 134 by going ‘in-off’ into the middle pocket after cutting in the black.

“It was a good tournament,” he said. “I had to play well in all three matches, especially to get one over Mike.”

Meanwhile, Shane saw off Paul Norris (Crawley) 4-0 and the 2011 EASB Premier Junior Tour champion Nick Jennings (Chandler’s Ford) 4-1.

The 14-year-old stuttered to a 2-0 semi-final lead over Southampton’s 2006 Town Champion Adam Nash with breaks of 47 and 38.

Uncharacteristically missing a few, Castle needed a snooker and a re-spotted black to secure the third frame. But 3-0 became 4-0 after he broke down on 58 while attempting to snatch the high-break prize in the day’s final frame.

Nash had already battled through an energy-sapping 14 frames. The 33-year-old from Bitterne edged 16-year-old Adam Bobat (Fareham) 4-3 before accounting for Simon Dent (Shoreham-by-Sea) in an epic seven-frame war of attrition on the Silver Leg match-table.

Dent extracted the required penalty points from a Nash foul in the decider and, needing the last three colours, sunk the blue.

But he missed the pink, which was close to the top cushion, while trying to force the cue-ball into prime position on the black.

For years, the Southampton players – all good friends and, in some cases, teammates – have attempted to knock chunks out of each other in local leagues and in regional and national competitions.

So, as expected, the banter flowed free and fast as bragging rights were claimed.

Among the cleanest gems was one from young Shane, who, reminded that Jennings was a beaten semi-finalist at the 2010 European Under-19 Championship, declared: “He didn’t get as far as me, though, did he?”

Cue T’s club-owner Steve Rutherford is keen to stage more of these tournaments – aimed specifically at the top amateurs – and is looking at summer dates.

Prelims: Billy Castle (Marchwood) 4 Steve Tonks (Hythe) 0, Nick Jennings (Chandler’s Ford) 4 Tom Courtney (Poole) 0, Shane Castle (Marchwood) 4 Paul Norris (Crawley) 0, Simon Dent (Shoreham-by-Sea) 4 Alex Dunkley (Bursledon) 1, Adam Nash (Bitterne) 4 Adam Bobat (Fareham) 3.

Quarter-finals: B Castle 4 Mike Finn (Eastleigh) 1, S Castle 4 Jennings 1, Zack Richardson (Brighton) 5 Andy Hudson (Poole) 2, Nash 4 Dent 3.

Semi-finals: B Castle 4 Richardson 2, S Castle 4 Nash 0.

High break: Billy Castle 100.