Luke following in Shane’s footsteps

IT’S a trophy that has previously been won by the greatest young player to emerge from the junior leagues at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

And now ‘Luke Beebe’ will be engraved alongside ‘Shane Castle’ on the Tim Dunkley Cup for under-18s.

The 12-year-old Cuestars Bronze Tour player from Eastleigh (pictured left) claimed the silverware, named after his World Snooker coach, following a 45-minute 2-0 victory over Austen Petty.

Petty (Boyatt Wood), conceding a six-point handicap start, was chasing snookers with one red left in a one-sided first frame.

But a 22 break put the 15-year-old 19 in front in the second. Beebe clawed back the deficit, fluked the pink along the baulk cushion and pounced on an easy black left invitingly near a middle pocket following his opponent’s attempted cross double.

Dan Sykes (C/Ford) posted the day’s highest break of 29 in the first frame of his 2-1 last-four defeat by Petty.

Beebe accounted for Lee Fitzpatrick (Totton), 2-0 in the second semi. Mike Trigg (East Wellow) beat Harvey Dennis (C/Ford) 2-0 in the Plate final.

Beebe, who collected the O’Sullivan Cup in September, has now won the first two of the four end-of-year monthly junior tournaments at his home club.

Next up are the under-13 Cavagnetto Cup, on Sunday, November 17, and the under-18 John Parrott Cup, on Sunday, December 15.

It’s a sobering thought that Beebe, who posted a personal best 40 break a week previously, started on full-sized tables only two years ago aged ten. By that age, Castle, now 15, had already recorded his first century in a tournament.

RESULTS (H/CAPS)
Prelim round: Karan Chadda (10) 2 Billy Naismith (24) 0, Austen Petty (2) 2 Harvey Dennis (10) 1, Joshua Harajda (20) 2 Steven Hughes (22) 0, Dan Sykes (4) 2 Charlie Gray (6) 0, Olly Clark (2) 2 Mike Trigg (2) 1.
Quarter-finals: Petty 2 Chadda 1, Sykes 2 Harajda 1, Luke Beebe (8) 2 Clark 0, Lee Fitzpatrick (12) 3 Keiran Murray (12) 0.
Semi-finals: Beebe 2 Fitzpatrick 0, Petty 2 Sykes 1.
Final: Beebe 2 Petty 0 (52-7, 52-48). Referee: Steven Hughes.
Plate final: Trigg 2 Dennis 0.

ROLL OF HONOUR
2013: Luke Beebe
2012: Spike Hull
2011: Aaron Murray
2010: Shane Castle

Picture by Tim Dunkley