Harrison books English Amateur semi-final spot
BEN Harrison relied on his B game to book a place in the southern final of the world’s oldest amateur snooker competition.
The Wiltshire star faces former Irish professional Leo Fernandez at the World Snooker Academy, in Sheffield, in May, for a place in the final of the English Amateur Championship.
Astonishingly, Harrison said his B game saw him through the southern section last-16 at Woking Snooker Centre.
After easing past Lee Farebrother (Essex) 5-0, the 19-year-old from Hawkeridge, who is based at Player’s in Westbury, won a “mammoth match” 5-4 on a re-spotted black against the 2006 IBSF World Championship finalist Daniel Ward (West Midlands).
Harrison compiled breaks of 73, 63 and 51 against Ward and then accounted for Essex lad Jamie Walker 8-3 to book his ticket for Sheffield.
“It’s strange,” said Harrison. “Apart from my first match, I haven’t really played that well at all.
“But it gives me massive confidence winning games like this when I’m not playing anywhere near my best. I’ve just tried to make myself really hard to beat all weekend.”
Believed to be the world’s oldest amateur snooker competition, the English Amateur Championship dates back to 1916.
Matt Wilson, who competes on the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour with Harrison, chalked up a remarkable three centuries in a 5-3 last-eight win over Darren Bond (Devon).
The 27-year-old from High Wycombe had earlier seen off Mark Leonard (Woking) 5-2.
Then he rattled off runs of 108, 102, 100 and 77 against Bond.
But he narrowly lost 8-6 to Fernandez, two frames short of Sheffield
Mike Finn (Eastleigh) beat Simon Seabridge (Stoke) 5-1 but was knocked out 5-4 by Walker.