First Seniors win for Jefferis

KENT cueman Neil Jefferis was absolutely delighted with his first success on the Cuestars over-40s snooker circuit.

And the result sets up an intriguing showdown in Newbury next month for the Seniors Tour rankings title.

Jefferis, from the village of East Malling, pocketed £150 in prize money after denying Dharminder Singh Lilly (Fareham) a fifth successive tournament win in the final of the eighth and penultimate leg at Salisbury Snooker Club.

Lilly doubled the final black to take the opening frame. Jefferis responded with a long-range black to square the match and then took control of the decider with a couple of early scoring chances. His opponent was unable to find a way back into the frame from here.

The much-travelled Jefferis – who is based at The Ightham Club, near Sevenoaks – has been ever present in the knockout stages this season but had yet to make a final.

Earlier, the rankings race was blown wide open when Neil Herd (Frome) defeated rankings leader Wayne Townsend (Northolt) 2-1 in the last 16.

It means Townsend takes a slim three-point lead over Lilly into the final leg at The Crucible Sports & Social Club, Newbury, on Sunday, May 14.

There were great runs to the last-four by Mark Prescott (Bournemouth) and Steve Wheatland (Bishopstoke).

In the quarter-finals, Wheatland enjoyed an excellent 2-0 victory over Dean Sycamore while Prescott saw reigning rankings champion John Hunter (Andover) go in-off on a re-spotted black in their third-frame decider.

Sycamore (Chichester) recorded the day’s highest break of 69 in the round-robin group stages.

The event, sponsored by Salisbury SC, attracted an excellent turnout of 34. A staggering total of 98 different players have competed on the Seniors Tour this season.

For more information about Salisbury SC, go to salisburysnookerclub.co.uk.

BREAKS

Dean Sycamore: 69.
John Hunter: 63, 54, 50, 50, 42.
Dharminder Lilly: 63, 54, 49, 47, 45, 44, 41, 40, 40.
Wayne Townsend: 62.
Martin Wallace: 60.
Mark Prescott: 53, 53.
Neil Jefferis: 49.
Paul Davis: 47.
Neil Carroll: 46.
Clive Cormack: 46.
Franco Carchedi: 44.
Neil Herd: 40.
Rob Toulouse: 40.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS

GROUP A: 1st, Wayne Townsend (Hayes WMC); 2nd, Alex Greenham (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Terry Gumbrell (Salisbury SC); 4th, Howard McKenzie (Salisbury SC).

GROUP B: 1st, Dharminder Lilly (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Neil Herd (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Darren Johnson (Petersfield Bowls & Snooker Club); 4th, Graham Leech (Crucible, Newbury).

GROUP C: 1st, Paul Lawrence (Park Gate RBL); 2nd, Jason Pusser (St James Institute, Bournemouth); 3rd, Stephen Hills (Northfleet Traders Club, Gravesend); 4th, Frank Gumbrell (Salisbury SC); 5th, Steve Read (Chandlers Ford SC).

GROUP D: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steve Wheatland (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Mark Thomas (Shots, Watford); 4th, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central).

GROUP E: 1st, Martin Wallace (Crucible, Newbury); 2nd, Rob Toulouse (Sovereign, Farnborough); 3rd, David Moritz (Eastcote Billiards Club); 4th, Steve Russell (Eastcote Billiards Club).

GROUP F: 1st, Dean Sycamore (Chichester City Club); 2nd, Mark Prescott (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Dennis Tristram (Shots, Watford); 4th, Will Brown (Salisbury SC).

GROUP G: 1st, Paul Davis (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Franco Carchedi (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Justin Eggins (Chichester City Club); 4th, Peter Ebbins (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

GROUP H: 1st, Neil Jefferis (The Ightham Club); 2nd, Mark Burrell (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Clive Cormack (Salisbury SC); 4th, Steve Allen (Totton Rec); 5th, Neil Carroll (Chandlers Ford SC).

KNOCKOUT RESULTS

LAST-16 (10 points): Herd 2-1 Townsend, Jefferis 2-0 Carchedi, Prescott 2-0 Wallace, Hunter 2-0 Pusser, Wheatland 2-0 Lawrence, Sycamore 2-0 Toulouse, Davis 2-0 Burrell, Lilly 2-0 Greenham.

QUARTER-FINALS (12 pts, £15): Jefferis 2-1 Herd, Prescott 2-1 Hunter, Wheatland 2-0 Sycamore, Lilly 2-1 Davis.

SEMI-FINALS (15 pts, £30): Jefferis 2-0 Prescott, Lilly 2-0 Wheatland.

FINAL (25/18 pts, £150/£70): Jefferis 2-1 Lilly.

By Tim Dunkley and Chris Wyatt