ON Thursday at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds, Burley-in-Wharfedale's Steve Crosland regained the County Billiards Championship when he beat the reigning champion Richard Lodge 600-460.

The two England Internationals served up a good final with Lodge getting the better start and reaching the 100 mark with a 47 break to lead 105-70. By the half-way break Crosland, with breaks of 77 and 103, opened up a lead of 301-202 as Lodge's game drifted away from him.

At the restart Lodge made a 76 break to close the gap to 282-306 but Crosland stamped his authority with breaks of 99, 53, 41 and 42 within six visits to open up a commanding led 553-387.

Lodge replied replied with a 73 break and his hopes rose that he may be able to get back into the game. Alas for him this was not to be as Crosland wrapped up the game by running out with a 33 unfinished to gain his revenge on Lodge for last year's defeat.

This victory gave Crosland his sixth title victory and his average of 19.38 per visit was a high average on a points up total. Lodge's average per visit of 14.83 would normally not be a losing average. Graeme Richardson, of Wharfedale, did his usual efficient job as recorder and marker for the match.

Wharfedale

Championships

In the Wharfedale Championship round-up, the champions for this year have now all been crowned with some close calls in the finals. Andy Harrison (Hawkhill) won the Snooker Open final when he defeated John Dickerson 4-0 in the final.

Dickerson was ill at ease with a back problem and Andy Harrison thought himself lucky to win by such a wide margin.

The Snooker Handicap went in an all Hawkhill final to Paul Roberts who, receiving ten points a frame start, beat Phil Nicholson 3-1 in a final between two opponents who knew each others game so well.

Dave Richardson (Dragons Club) became the Wharfedale Open Champion beating Jack Parker (Horsforth Social) 400-362. Parker played well and was never behind until Richardson's last visit when he ran to game with an unfinished 62 break. Both players, on a warm, humid night, were not at their best with Parker having a best break of 39. Both players were guilty of getting into the 20s then breaking down.

Dave Richardson also won the Billiard Handicap title against Mark Kaye (Yeadon Libs) 300-291, again gaining the lead only at the last gasp when he fell one point short at 299-282 with a 41 break to gain the lead for the first time. Richardson had to score 390 against Mark Kaye's 270. Mark Kaye had a best break in the match of 35.

In another all Hawkhill battle Andy Harrison/Tim Nicholson beat Paul Wiseman/John Smith 3-2. Harrison and Nicholson giving 15 points a frame start to their younger opponents who were the reigning champions.

The Scratch Team ko final between Fairfax Club and Horsforth Social saw a memorable encounter. Going into the last match Fairfax trailed 1-2 and 75 points behind on aggregate. Young Raj Bougham (Fairfax) had to beat Martin Parker by at least 75 points just to square the match on frames and aggregate.

Testament must be paid to young Boughan as he did beat the very experienced Parker by exactly 75 points with the help of a 41 break and 22 clearances.

This meant that an extra frame had to be played. Parker established an early lead and maintained it to the last four colours when 24 points in front and only 22 remaining thought he had won it.

Bougham snookered Parker and unluckily Parker hit the brown but went in off. Boughan stepped to the table and potted the last four buffs now to win the match for the young Fairfax team of Martin Lee, Chris Kilsby, Leighton Gaucci and Raj Boughan.

Reigning Under-21s Chris Kilby as champion took on 14-year-old Leighton Gaucci with both players playing and entering from the Dragon's Club. Kilsby outplayed Gaucci with a first frame 77-0 lead at one stage which could have put many players off his game.

Gaucci went on to square the match 2-2 and in a nervous last frame held his nerve to win it and become the youngest holder of the Under-21s trophy.

The popular veteran's title where both billiards (120 up) and snooker (one frame) are played off a handicap with aggregate scores deciding the winner. Dragons Club's Bert Armitage beat Jack Bevitt (Horsforth Cons) to lift his first ever Wharfedale title. He beat Bevitt by giving him 55 points start at billiards and 15 points start at snooker.

He just lost the billiards 118-120 and despite now conceding 15 points at snooker and the two points he was down at billiards went on to win his snooker match 82-60 when potting the last four balls. Bevitt had missed a fairly easy pot on the brown to let Armitage in at the end.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.