Trophy-laden day for Jesters duo

TWO teenagers from Jesters Snooker Club in Swindon dominated the first leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

Shane Kearns (pictured) defeated his frequent travelling companion Riley Ellis 2-0 in the final of the Parris Cues-sponsored event at Woking Snooker Centre. The 14-year-old, runner-up in Coulsdon last December, clawed back a sizeable deficit in the second frame to kick off his third season on the junior circuit with a first winner’s trophy.“It feels good,” he said. “Somehow I managed to pull it back from 30 points behind.

”Talking about playing his clubmate in such an important match, Kearns added: “It makes it harder because, at the same time, you want both of you to win.”The Year 10 pupil at The Dorcan Academy finished last season ranked fifth, one place below 12-year-old Ellis. First time finalist Ellis, who is in his second season, recently increased his high break in competition to 33. Both are sure to feature in the end-of-season title race.

Essex lad Thomas Saunders marked his Cuestars debut by winning a three-way play-off for the fourth qualifying spot from his round-robin group before taking a frame off Ellis in the last-eight. More than four years since his last Bronze Tour outing, Ashley Smith (Portsmouth) won all five of his group-stage matches and lost 2-1 to Kearns in the quarter-finals.And beaten semi-finalist Callum White (Havant) recorded the highest break of 27 in the group stages. The 16-year-old was knocked out 2-0 by Kearns while his sister Chloe, 15, lost 2-0 at the same stage to Ellis.The second leg of ten, sponsored by Attic Life, is at Salisbury Snooker Club on Sunday, October 2.

BREAKS

Callum White: 27.

Riley Ellis: 23.

Ashley Smith: 23.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Ashley Smith (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 2nd, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Thomas Saunders (Stepfield SC, Witham, Essex); 5th, Harry Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 6th, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Rio Smith (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Arnie Petty (Salisbury SC); 4th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Kearns 2 A Smith 1, Callum White 2 R Smith 0, Chloe White 2 Petty 0, Ellis 2 Saunders 1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Kearns 2 Callum White 0, Ellis 2 Chloe White 0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Kearns 2 Ellis 0.

Pictures by Tim Dunkley

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