First winner’s trophy for eight-year-old

HE MAY have celebrated his eighth birthday only two months ago but O’Shay Scott already has a winner’s trophy on his mantlepiece.

The pint-sized potter produced a storming run on the fifth day to pip Harry ‘The Potter’ Joyce for the 2017 February Half-Term Cup at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

Summing up the 20 hours of competition, Scott said: “It was very good.”

The nephew of former professional Danny Zagaroli kicked off the week by compiling his highest break of 33 against William Haskell.

Although he trailed Autumn Half-Term Cup champion Joyce, 12, by six points going into the final day’s round robin, six wins out of seven clinched his first school holiday title.

But it was still close. If Brett Wallace (Gosport) had beaten Scott in his last match, a tiebreak would have been needed as the top two would have had equal points.

Competition organiser and World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley said: “To make a 33 break at the age of eight is pretty good.

“If O’Shay could stop racing around the table when he gets excited and could stop hitting the ball so hard, he could do even better.”

Scott made his debut on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour in Havant last month.

Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) knocked in the week’s highest break of 61 in the second frame of a 2-1 defeat by Joyce on the fifth day.

Riccardo Drayton, 11, chalked up a personal best 21 against Joe Hampson on the fourth day and finished third overall.

The next school holiday competition is the Easter Cup, which runs on nine weekdays (but not Bank Holiday Monday) from April 10-21.

Final rankings: O’Shay Scott 77 pts, Harry Joyce 73, Riccardo Drayton 62, Oliver Sykes 48.5, Ryan Hughes 29.5, Connor Benzey 25, Brett Wallace 23.5, Olly Gibbs 20.5, Charlie Pringle 19, William Haskell 15, Connor Davis 15, Joe Hampson 15, Arron Roberts 12, Bowen Zhu 11, Oliver Humphries 11, Mickey Joyce 5.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)