Triple celebration for Whaley

KINGS Cross potter Lee Whaley capped a momentous six days by taking a step closer to claiming the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour rankings title.

The 17-year-old left-hander collected his sixth winner’s trophy of the season in the seventh leg at Fareham Snooker Club.

Runaway leader Whaley overcame Samuel Laxton (Portsmouth) 2-0 in the final on one of the club’s professional standard Star tables.

He took the opening frame on the black and broke the back of the next with a run of 32.

Laxton moved into second place following his first appearance in a final this season. The 14-year-old had an excellent 2-1 success over leg-three winner David O’Callaghan (Bournemouth) in the last-four.

Will Forster (Gosport) was denied a maiden Silver trophy after losing 2-0 to Whaley in his fourth semi-final.

Three days earlier, Whaley recorded his first century break of 110 in a practice match against Elias Martin-Beris at the Hurricane Room.

And two days before that, he was informed by the English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards that he had qualified for the junior play-offs in Chesterfield in April.

Whaley, who finished in fifth place on the Under-20 Regional Development Tour South, will join 17 other players from across the country in a battle for four spots on the national under-21 circuit.

He said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got the email. I was so happy. It would be a dream to get promotion.”

Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant, hosts the eighth leg of ten on Sunday, March 15.

For more information about Fareham SC, visit www.farehamsnooker.co.uk.

BREAKS

David O’Callaghan: 43, 38, 32.
Elliott Johnson: 43, 32.
Lee Whaley: 32, 30.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Lee Whaley (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Elliott Johnson (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, John Donovan (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Whaley 2-1 Donovan, Forster 2-1 Johnson, O’Callaghan 2-1 Ellis, Laxton 2-0 Sharp.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Whaley 2-0 Forster, Laxton 2-1 O’Callaghan.

FINAL (25/18 points): Whaley 2-0 Laxton.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)