Norton clinches Seniors championship with a £3.57p cue
PORTSMOUTH snooker star Colin Norton has claimed a major seniors title with a cue he bought for £3.57p.
The 45-year-old ground out a 3-1 victory over Nick Birney to clinch the Cuestars South of England Seniors (40+) Championship title at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
“It wasn’t pretty snooker but at the end of the day it’s all about winning,” insisted Norton, who also claimed top spot in the rankings after a four-leg tour.
Window cleaner Norton, based at Fareham Snooker Club, took the first frame in the final by cutting a tricky pink in with the cue-ball close to the side cushion.
Trailing by 30 points with three reds left in the second, Norton fashioned a 38 break. He later sunk the pink to double his advantage.
Birney, from the Liberal Club, High Wycombe, pulled one back after leaving his opponent chasing snookers on the last red.
And Birney led again in the fourth frame, this time by 16. But an attempted ‘cocked hat’ shot saw red and cue-ball disappear into opposite middle pockets.
After a catalogue of snookers, ‘in offs’ and safety shots, Norton cleared the last three colours to win on the black.
“It wasn’t the quickest of matches,” admitted Norton. “I know Nick’s a very good potter and I thought the best way to get the better of him would be to close him out. He’s a very good player; he had 120 break during the day.”
And he added: “I do love snooker; I always have done. I don’t think I could ever give it up.”
According to Norton’s travelling companion Danny O’Driscoll, Norton ground Birney down “with good matchplay and good safety play”.
And O’Driscoll said Birney performed a passable impression of world number one Mark Williams at one point when he swiped the air with his cue after missing an easy pot.
Last month, a broken cue in a working men’s club in Prestatyn, North Wales, took Norton’s fancy. He offered the owner all the change he had in his pocket as a donation. The £3.57p bid was accepted. And Norton repaired it himself.
Earlier, Ray Mears conceded more points in fouls in his third frame against Birney than he actually scored in the whole match.
Mears, based at the Sovereign Snooker Club, Farnborough, chalked up seven points in the first frame, none in the second – as Birney missed the final pink on a magnificent 120 – and 11 in the third. But he gave away 20.
“I didn’t play that bad,” he said.
BREAKS:
Nick Birney: 120, 89.
Colin Norton: 78, 64.
Steve Ashton: 46.
SENIORS RESULTS
LAST-16: Colin Norton (Fareham SC) beat Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon) 3-0, Gary Hart (Salisbury SC) beat Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) 3-0, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club) beat Danny O’Driscoll (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) 3-1, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC) beat Fred Pearce (Burgh Heath Club, Surrey) 3-0, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough) 3-0, Paul Rose (Jesters, Swindon) beat Neil Carroll (Salisbury SC) 3-0, Martin Wallace (Colours SC, Reading) beat Alan Grainger (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) 3-1. Bye: David Volante (Jesters, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (£10): Norton beat Hart 3-0, Ashton beat Thorn 3-2, Birney beat Volante 3-0, Wallace beat Rose 3-2.
SEMI-FINALS (£25): Norton beat Ashton 3-1, Birney beat Wallace 3-2.
FINAL (£85/£45): Norton beat Birney 3-1.
Picture by Kevin Smithers