You have to hand it to Squires

JACK Squires has one (ungloved) hand on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour title.

The 18-year-old from Gosport collected his third winner’s trophy of the season at Woking Snooker Centre AND passed the major milestone of a first half-century break.

And he managed that after forgetting his glove that a few snooker and pool players wear on their bridge hands to aid a smoother cue delivery.

A 2-0 victory over title-rival Noah Gartell (Isle of Wight) in the final of the seventh leg extended Squires’s rankings lead to 13 points with three tournaments remaining.

“That was one of my most important wins,” he said. “If I’d let him win, he’d be one point ahead of me.”

Earlier, he made a personal best 50 break. The landmark moment came when he was 1-0 down in his quarter-final victory over Seth Charters (Harlow).

“I don’t know what came over me,” he said. “I was so worried about my hand because I hadn’t got my glove with me.

“I saw an opportunity, took it, spread the pack everywhere and made 50.”

Meanwhile, Yousuf Matib (Leytonstone) made the semi-finals for the first time. Dylan Denieffe (London) was one win short of reaching his second final. And Brooklyn Adams (Brighton) progressed to the quarter-finals on his debut.

Earlier, 11-year-old Navraj Landa (Eastleigh) beat his highest break twice – first with a 28 against Gartell in the group stages and then a huge jump to 46 against Oliver Li (Brighton) in the last-eight of the Plate.

There was a massive 66-strong field for the combined Gold, Silver and Bronze tournaments which were sponsored by snookerdad Tan Jeraj and snookerz.co.uk. It was the highest turnout in the 14-year-history of the competition and eclipsed the previous record of 62 set in Coulsdon last October.

Fareham Snooker Club hosts the eighth leg of ten on Sunday, March 3.

BREAKS

Jack Squires: 50(PB), 28, 27, 25, 23, 20, 20.
Daniel McGowan: 32.
Navraj Landa: 28(PB).
Zoard Toth: 28.
Seth Charters: 25.
Yousuf Matib: 23.
Oliver Donnelly: 20.
Lewis Thomson: 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Jack Squires (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Emilio Bassili (Whetstone SC); 3rd, Dexter O’Donovan (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Toby Walker (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Noah Gartell (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Daniel McGowan (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Zac Perrie (Castle SC, Brighton); 4th, Navraj Landa (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Oliver Donnelly (Surrey Snooker Academy); 2nd, Tallulah Michael (Castle SC, Brighton); 3rd, Aariz Tariq (Welling SC); unplaced, Dylan Barrett (Frank’s, Stevenage).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Yousuf Matib (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Zoard Toth (Shots, Watford); 3rd, Rory Champion (Woking SC); 4th, Emrys Lewis (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP E: 1st, Marshal Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Lewis Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Rayan El Qmache (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 4th, Ben Lloyd (Woking SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP F: 1st, Dylan Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Lee Clayden (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, Brett Knight (Castle SC, Brighton); 4th, Thomas Lynn (Castle SC, Brighton); 5th, Stanley Sims (Woking SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP G: 1st, Archie Light (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Seth Charters (JP’s, Harlow); 3rd, Freddie Morrison (West Byfleet Social Club); 4th, Fabian Bernal (Paddock Wood Social Club); 5th, Alex Scotney (Frames, Coulsdon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP H: 1st, Chester Chan (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Brooklyn Adams (Castle SC, Brighton); 3rd, Jack Miller (Salisbury SC); 4th, Dany Lee (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 5th, Mia Scotney (Frames, Coulsdon).

LAST-16 (10 points): Squires 1-0 McGowan, Charters 1-0 Chan, M Denieffe 1-0 Clayden, Matib 1-0 Michael, Donnelly 1-0 Toth, D Denieffe 1-0 Thomson, Adams 1-0 Light, Gartell 1-0 Bassili.

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Squires 2-1 Charters, M Denieffe 0-2 Matib, Donnelly 1-2 D Denieffe, Adams 0-2 Gartell.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Squires 2-0 Matib, D Denieffe 1-2 Gartell.

FINAL (25/18 points): Squires 2-0 Gartell.