Norton cleans up at Seniors Championship
WATERLOOVILLE window cleaner Colin Norton polished off the opposition at the Cuestars South of England Senior Championship at Salisbury Snooker Club.
The 43-year-old pocketed the £80 top prize after seeing off Paul Burt 2-0 in the final.
After topping his round-robin group, Norton defeated Roy Danyluk, Cuestars Section organiser at High Wycombe’s Liberal Club, 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Burt beat billiards expert Trevor Thorn, from Basingstoke, in the second semi.
Norton, Pontin’s Autumn Masters champion in 2008 and EASB Seniors runner-up in 2009, chalked up four half-century breaks during the day’s play.
A 16-strong field attended the inaugural event for players aged 40 or over.
Cuestars director John Hunter was delighted with the “relaxed atmosphere” and pledged to “look into” staging more seniors’ tournaments.
BREAKS:
Colin Norton: 58, 52, 51, 50
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS:
GROUP A: 1st, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club); 2nd, Roy Danyluk (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 3rd, Gary Hart (Stonehenge SC); 4th, Neil Carroll (Stonehenge SC).
GROUP B: 1st, Paul Burt; 2nd, Trevor Pitman; 3rd, Alan Childs (Salisbury SC; 4th, Mark Dennis.
GROUP C: 1st, Colin Norton (Waterlooville); 2nd, Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Stuart Dreyer (Salisbury SC); 4th, Mick Carlton.
GROUP D: 1st, Steve Cole (Park Gate RBL); 2nd, Ray Mears (Aldershot); 3rd, Rick Dady (Basingstoke); 4th, Chris Bone (Basingstoke).
KNOCKOUT:
QUARTER-FINALS: Thorn beat Mears 2-0, Burt beat Arnold 2-0, Norton beat Pitman 2-0, Danyluk beat Cole 2-1.
SEMI-FINALS (£20): Burt beat Thorn 2-0, Norton beat Danyluk 2-0.
FINAL (£80/£40): Norton beat Burt 2-0.