Another monster break for Shane Castle
IT MAY have included a fluke but it was yet another new high break for Waterside wonderkid Shane Castle.
Still aged only 14, the England international from Cue T’s Snooker Lounge, Marchwood, posted a monster 144 in the third leg of the EASB Premier Junior Tour.
Even more remarkably, it was made on the tight professional tables at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester.
Castle’s total clearance came in the third frame of a 4-0 last-16 victory over Sheffield potter Will Lemons.
“I started off well,” said Castle. “Then I missed the yellow on the (colours) clearance and fluked it in the middle (pocket).
“I had a difficult blue and pink. I got them quite easily then landed perfect on the black and (Lemons) said ‘144’.”
It was his seventh tournament ton in the past four weeks and a 33rd in total.
However, the rankings leader dropped to third after a 4-3 quarter-final defeat by Clayton Humphries (Liverpool).
Meanwhile, Hedge End’s Jordan Winbourne, 16, topped his round-robin group but was knocked out 4-1 in the last-16 by Sanderson Lam (Leeds).
And Poole’s Bradley Chappell proved he can compete at this standard by posting his best set of results so far in his debut season.
The 18-year-old, promoted from the Regional Junior Tour this year, took a frame off Winbourne, whitewashed Harry Green (Harlow) 3-0 and lost a fifth-frame decider against Harvey Chandler (Wellingborough).
GROUP-STAGE RESULTS
Shane Castle: 3-1 Steven Hallworth (Lincoln), 3-0 Mackenzie Haigh (Wakefield), 3-0 Luke Smith (Dudley, West Mids), 3-0 James Pearson (Leeds).
Jordan Winbourne: 3-1 Bradley Chappell (Poole), 3-0 Harry Green (Harlow), 3-1 Harvey Chandler (Wellingborough).
Bradley Chappell: 1-3 Jordan Winbourne (Hedge End), 3-0 Harry Green (Harlow), 2-3 Harvey Chandler (Wellingborough).
Picture by Janie Watkins (onqpromotions.co.uk)