Read secures early lead on Bronze Tour

CADEN Read (pictured) survived a scare in his first match to take an early lead on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour.

The 11-year-old from Chandler’s Ford collected the winner’s trophy in the first leg of the 2021/22 campaign at Salisbury Snooker Club.

Read, who finished in fifth place last season, overcame first-time finalist Rhys Pearce (Waterlooville) 2-0 to claim the silverware.

It was the youngster’s second tournament success on the junior circuit.

He said: “It was a good start. I had quite a lot of close games and I played well.”

Now in his third season on the Bronze Tour, the battle-hardened left-hander is learning to dig deep when his back is against the wall.

In fact, he needed a snooker plus the last five colours in his first group-stage match against 10-year-old debutante Ellise Scott (Eastleigh).

Read said: “It is hard to fight back but I’m stronger now.”

Pearce, Waterlooville Sports Bar’s four-time Junior Pool League champion and winner of the club’s Monday Junior Snooker League, defeated home player Thomas McEvoy 2-0 in the semis.

Daniel Walter (Portsmouth) was undefeated in his round-robin group but went out 2-0 to Read in the last-four.

The event was sponsored by Salisbury Snooker Club and one if its members, Malcom Slark.

Woking Snooker Centre hosts the second leg of eight on Sunday, December 5.

BREAKS

Caden Read: 25.
Zain Jeraj: 23.
Daniel Walter: 22.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 2nd, Rhys Pearce (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Zain Jeraj (London Snooker); 4th, Christopher Woodward (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Samuel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Caden Read (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon); 4th, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Ellise Scott (Chandlers Ford SC).

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Read 2-0 D Walter, Pearce 2-0 McEvoy.

FINAL (25/18 points): Read 2-0 Pearce.