Budd claims consolation prize

FAREHAM’S James Budd defeated Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) 2-1 in an all-Gold Tour Plate final.

Budd (pictured) had finished third in his four-man round-robin group that included both finalists while Sykes had finished fourth in his group that included the 2013/14 joint rankings champions Brad Chappell (Poole) and Mark Lloyd (Gosport), the current England Under-16 champion.

The first Cuestars event to be held in Coulsdon attracted a 46-strong field: 16 in Gold, 16 in Silver and 14 in Bronze. Non-qualifiers from each tournament competed in a handicapped Plate knockout.

BREAKS

Ben Hatch: 25.

PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)

PRELIMS: Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC), Ronnie Blake (Frames, Coulsdon) beat Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC).

LAST-16: Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon), D Sykes beat Blake, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), Ben Hatch (Southampton) beat Rio Smith (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), James Budd (Fareham SC) beat Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC), Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC), Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport), Arnie Petty (Salisbury SC) beat Dan Foard (Frames, Coulsdon).

QUARTER-FINALS: D Sykes beat Kidner, Farmer beat Hatch, Budd beat King, White beat Petty.

SEMI-FINALS: D Sykes beat Farmer, Budd beat White.

FINAL: Budd 2 Sykes 1..

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.