Can Lilly catch Townsend?

DHARMINDER Singh Lilly is piling the pressure on Wayne Townsend at the top of the Cuestars Seniors (40+) Tour rankings.

The 48-year-old from Fareham has now won all four legs that he has entered this season.

Meeting again in the final of the seventh leg at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, the title rivals agreed to split the £220 prize pot and play a best-of-three match for the ranking points.

Lilly opened with a quick-fire run of 80 and edged the rankings leader from Northolt 2-1.

Townsend did take the day’s high-break honours, though. His 115 eclipsed Lilly’s 113.

Current Kent pairs champion Lun Lee (Orpington) made an impressive Cuestars debut, registering good knockout victories over Justin Eggins (Chichester) and Andrew Darken (Feltham) before losing to the eventual tournament winner in the last-four.

Dean Sycamore is still waiting for his first appearance in a final. The Chichester cue-man, who knocked out reigning champion John Hunter (Andover) 2-0 in the last-eight, lost 2-0 to Townsend in the semis. It was the third time he’d lost at this stage since making his debut in 2018.

Lilly trails Townsend by 11 points with two events remaining. Jason Pusser (Bournemouth) drops to third place.

For more information about event sponsor Frames Sports Bar, go to www.facebook.com/FramesSportsBarCoulsdon/.

Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the eighth leg of nine on Sunday, April 23.

BREAKS

Wayne Townsend: 115, 75, 62, 62, 55.
Dharminder Lilly: 113, 80, 58, 46.
Lun Lee: 69, 50.
John Hunter: 66, 50, 46, 45.
Justin Eggins: 62, 40.
Rob Toulouse: 62.
Kevin Palmer: 60 PB.
Dean Sycamore: 51.
Jason Pusser: 46, 41.
Dennis Tristram: 40.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS

GROUP A: 1st, Wayne Townsend (Hayes WMC); 2nd, Lun Lee (Orpington); 3rd, Al Maher (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Kieran O’Donovan (Frames, Coulsdon).

GROUP B: 1st, Neil Carroll (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jason Pusser (St James Institute, Bournemouth); 3rd, Peter Ebbins (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Mike Amsden (Frames, Coulsdon).

GROUP C: 1st, Dharminder Lilly (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Dennis Tristram (Shots, Watford); 3rd, Rob Toulouse (Sovereign, Farnborough); 4th, Darren Martin (Hartley Country Club).

GROUP D: 1st, Kevin Palmer (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Martin Wallace (Crucible, Newbury); 3rd, Ray Grall (Hayes WMC); 4th, Jeff Payne (West Byfleet Social Club).

GROUP E: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Darren Johnson (Petersfield Bowls & Snooker Club); 3rd, Phil Vowels (West Byfleet Social Club); 4th, Graham Leech (Crucible, Newbury); 5th, Kevin Morris (Woking SC).

GROUP F: 1st, Dean Sycamore (Chichester City Club); 2nd, Alan Harvey (Chertsey Social Club); 3rd, Andy Darken (Feltham Constitutional Club); 4th, Raj Puri (Hartley Country Club); 5th, Tony Wheeler (Frames, Coulsdon).

GROUP G: 1st, Justin Eggins (Chichester City Club); 2nd, Paul Morrison (Staines Cons); 3rd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 4th, Paul Lawrence (Park Gate RBL); 5th, Mark Thomas (Shots, Watford).

KNOCKOUT RESULTS

LAST-16 (10 points): Townsend 2-0 Ashton, Morrison 2-0 Wallace, Sycamore 2-1 Tristram, Hunter 2-0 Pusser, Lilly 2-0 Johnson, Harvey 2-0 Palmer, Lee 2-1 Eggins, Darken 2-1 Carroll.

QUARTER-FINALS (12 pts, £10): Townsend 2-1 Morrison, Sycamore 2-0 Hunter, Lilly 2-0 Harvey, Lee 2-0 Darken.

SEMI-FINALS (15 pts, £25): Townsend 2-0 Sycamore, Lilly 2-0 Lee.

FINAL (25/18 pts, £110/£110): Lilly 2-1 Townsend.

By Tim Dunkley and Chris Wyatt

Picture: Wayne Townsend (left) and Dharminder Lilly