Safety game sees Petty to second Silver win

PROLIFIC break-builder Austen Petty reverted to a safety game to claim his second tournament win on the trot on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour.

The 15-year-old from Boyatt Wood (pictured left) fought back from 1-0 down to Gloucester potter Lewis Parnham and prevailed 2-1 on the final black to clinch the sixth leg at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.

Petty recently posted a personal best break of 62 and knocked in a 50 in the previous day’s Open Series final at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

But the Crestwood College pupil has been developing his matchplay skills since signing for Super League outfit Chandlers Ford Central Club A.

“It was quite hard because (Parham) didn’t leave me much on so I kept playing safe, hoping for a good chance,” he said.

Petty had accounted for two of his Chandler’s Ford clubmates in the previous rounds. He beat Dan Sykes 2-1 in the semi-finals but said his toughest battle was from 1-0 down to see off Mickey Joyce 2-1 in the last-eight.

“He’s such a good potter,” explained Petty. “He can easily go 20 points up in a few minutes. I had to try to stick with him.”

It was 15-year-old Sykes’ third semi-final defeat this season.

Ten-year-old Joyce (Basingstoke) compiled a personal best 56 break against Callum Browne (Westbury) in the group stages.

Petty, who won the 2012 Bronze Tour championship play-off, is now targeting the Silver version in June.

Remarkably, Chandler’s Ford SC players have collected the Silver and Bronze winners’ trophies at the last three events.

With two legs to play, Petty and Joyce are joint second in the rankings, seven points behind rankings leader Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport), who was knocked out 2-0 in the quarter-finals by Parnham.

It was the first time that Parham had progressed from the group stages since making his Silver debut at his home club, the South West Snooker Academy, in March 2013.

The seventh leg of eight is at Fareham Snooker Club on Sunday, April 6.

BREAKS

Mickey Joyce: 56.
Bradley Cowdroy: 46.
Nathan Farmer: 40.
Joe Kitchen: 32.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Canberk Benning (Jesters, Swindon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Lewis Parnham (SWSA, Gloucester); 3rd, Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC); 4th, Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Karan Chadda (Chandler’s Ford SC).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Sykes beat Wilson 2-0, Petty beat Joyce 2-1, Parnham beat Farmer 2-0, Cowdroy beat Gillon 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Petty beat Sykes 2-1, Parnham beat Cowdroy 2-1.

FINAL (25/18 points): Petty beat Parnham 2-1.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.