Winner Papatoetoe/ABSA Invitation Snooker Singles

Held at the ACBS Clubrooms : 22-23 November 2008

This was the last Snooker tournament to be held in Auckland this year.  A very strong field of 40 players, including 11-year-old Leonard Toh.  The last time we had a player this young playing in a ranking tournament was probably when Dene O’Kane played in the Auckland A-Grade in the late 1970’s. 

Leonard was well supported by his family for this event and certainly potted some very good balls in all of his matches and was made very welcome by all of the players and hopefully this is the start of a budding future NZ champ and also the start of young players taking up the sport.
There were lots of surprises in Section Play including Regan Williams not qualifying.  Sani Roberts (playing in his second ranking tournament) won all of his matches - one of them over Rocky Cribb who was just back from qualifying in the World Masters Tournament in Austria.  Matthew Scarborough, who in Clive Thomson’s own words “blew his off the table” also won allof his matches.  Paul Bason was another, with four wins and not dropping a frame and ended up first qualifier.
In the first round of Post Section play, the Belmont family dominated, winning all of their matches : Ramona beat Clive 2/1, Wayne beat Jackie Chu 2/0 and Wyn beat John Williams 2/0.
The Quarter-final matches were drawn agasint the tournament sponsors and the sponsor that had the highest break on their drawn table won $1000.
The highest break in this round was by Vanny Ry with 47.  Guy Burt6 beat Vanny in that match 2/1 after Vanny missed as easy brown ball and with the scores 38/39 Guy potted the brown, blue and pink to win.
The Semi-final match between Paul Bason and Steve Robertson was pretty much an open game; Steve winning 2/1.  In the third frame Paul elected to play a 2-way shot on the last red but unfortunately left it over the centre pocket and Steve potted through to the pink to win the match.  Wyn Belmont beat Guy Burt in the other Semi-final 2/0 and seemed to be in control most of the time.
The Final between Steve Robertson and Wyn Belmont showed Steve finding some of the form he’s been struggling to find all year.  He was 1-nil up and in the second frame Wyn was 59-16 in front, when Steve produced a 47 break leaving a black ball game which he won after Wyn left it over the hole.  Wyn won the third frame but in the fourth Steve found his form again having a 75 break to win 3/1.
A shortened Plate Final was won by Regan Williams over Sam Wilson 1/0.  It was a re-spotted black frame.
It was good to see four ladies in the field and they acquitted themselves well.
Highest break of the tournament was 78 by Wyn Belmont.

Last Sixteen: P Bason bt D Sinclair 2/0, R Belmont bt C Thomson 2/1, W Belmont bt J Chu 2/0, S Robertson bt D Estocapio 2/0, L Holmes bt S Roberts 2/1, Wyn Belmont bt J Williams 2/0, R By bt R Clark 2/1, G Burt bt M Scarborough 2/1.

Quarter-finals: P Bason bt R Belmont 2/0, S Robertson bt Wayne Belmont 2/1, Wyn Belmont bt L Holmes 2/0, G Burt bt V Ry 2/1.

Semi-finals: S Robertson bt P Bason 2/1, Wyn Belmont bt G Burt 2/0.

Final: S Robertson bt W Belmont 3/1.

Highest Break: Wayne Belmont (78)

Quarter-finals: B Semple bt C Zaragoza 5/1, J Walker bt L Jones 5/2, Y Yan bt D Breen 5/4, H Grace bt M Padrigo 5/0.

Semi-finals: B Semple bt J Walker 5/0, H Grace bt Y Yan 5/1.

Final: B Semple bt H Grace 6/3

Main Event Final: M Godfrey (Ohakune) bt D Lowe (Napier)

Flyte Event Final: K Puata (Wainuiomata) bt A Nanai (Gisborne)

Plate Event Final: G Collett (Whangamata) bt F Watson (Taupo)

Consolation Plate Event Final: C Murphy (Hastings) bt J Kerr (Paraparaumu)

Keep watching - more to come next month !

Please contact Warren Burke to register your interest to attend and compete in this event.  The NZBSA needs an idea of numbers so that they can submit a funding application.

Email Warren Burke : nzbsa_president@paradise.net.nz

“I have great pleasure in announcing that the South Australian Billiards and Snooker Association were successful in their bid to host the 2009 “POT BLACK OPEN” early next year.  This tournament is a National double ranking event which will attract the best snooker players in both Australian and New Zealand and will also give our local players the opportunity to play in a major event against the best in the country.

The tournament which will be played at The Matchroom, 20-22 February, will attract players such as Steve Mifsud (ex Australian and 2002 world amateur snooker champion), Robbie Foldvari (ex Australian and world billiards Champion), Dene O’Kane (current Australian snooker champion(, plus more ex Australian champions and importantly future champions.  This tournament will provide an excellent opportunity for our local players to test their skill against some of the best in Australia so I urge you to consider playing.  Prize money will be in excess of AUD$15,000 and allocated down to the last sixten.

Consolidated Leisure and Sport is the major sponsor of the event and obviously have naming rights, but we are seeking co-sponsors to boost the prize money to around AUD$20,000, so if anyone has any contacts or themselves are willing to co-sponsor this event, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

An event of this magnitude will also put an enormous strain on the South Australian Association as far as “manpower” goes, so we are asking anyone who would like to assist in the running of this event to give us a commitment.  You don’t have to be a referee, although it would help, but we do need people on scoreboards.  We will have interstate referees coming but are relying on your halp to make this a great success.  Please help us in making this tournament the success it deserves as we will have other opportunities down the track to host this event again.”

Yours in sport, Frank Dewens

For those who would like to enter, please go to the “Cue Sport Entry Form” page of this website, or contact John Sallis, President of the BSASA 8344 7622 or Frank Dewens 0412055057 to register your interest in assisting.

The match between ACBS and Mack Attack was a repeat of last year’s memorable semi-final, which ACBS clinched 5-4 in a real nail biter, and at 4-3 up this time ACBS gave themselves two chances to see the match out.  Rod Mitchell came back from 0-2 down to tie up Vinnie Gounder 2-2, but couldn’t quite put the match beyond doubt, losing 2-3.  He then teamed with Bob Semple in the final doubles game to take the match 5-4 once gain, for the second year running, leaving the North Shore wondering what might have been.

In the other Semi-final, an upset was on the cards as New Lynn Pool Shooters Team took Brothers to 3-4 with two matches to go.  The Brothers remained cook under pressure to take both games and reach the final with a 6-3 victory.

The ACBS Team was anxious to improve on the 1-8 drubbing they received in 2007 at the hands of Glen Eden (which consisted of a number of 2–8 Brother’s players).  The Brothers quickly put ACBS to the sword, racing into an unbeatable 5-1 lead with some strong performances by Jordan Davey and Lorna Frost, as well as captain Jimmy Henry.  Two matches could have turned the 2008 League Final on its head, however, with Rod Mitchell missing out by the odd frame 2-3, and Ken McDonald taking a determined first frame before Tim Putu rose to the challenge and ran out a 3-1 winner.  ACBS did improve over 2007, however, by taking two of the last three matches to finish up 3-6 down.

So it was big “ups” to the Brothers Team in a Final played in great spirit, and as they proved with a massive 19 wins from 21 season matches, they are a force to be reckoned with.  Congratulations to the, and thanks to the APA organisers as well as the all teams for making the 2008 APA League a success.  See you all next year!

Article submitted by Jon Grimley

Don’t forget the presentation evening and mini-tournament will be held at the ACBS Clubroom, Monday 17 November.  There will be a bar tab and nibbles.  Mini-tournament $5 entry fee = more cash prizes.

Semi-Finals: M Cooke bt W Carey 479/427, B Good bt D Gibb 263/261

They had to play extra time of 50 seconds.  With about 15 seconds to go, Derek potted Bryce and double baulked him.  Game now all square.  With about two seconds to go, Bryce played across the table twice and got the cannon to win by 2.  He could have missed and then lost by two points, hit a ball, and draw still.

Final: B Good bt M Cooke 473/309

Malcolm away to quick start and a lead of 60 odd.  Bryce pegged back with some 20’s and then gradually played his way to win.  Bryce got breaks of 46, 49 and 57 in the Final.

Highest Breaks - shared by D Gibb and W Carey (86).