Players entering this weekend's Telegraph & Argus Snooker Challenge will have the carrot of a frame against Steve Davis to look forward to.

The winner of Sunday's event at The Clubhouse In Cue Gardens (11am) faces the six-times world champion a week on Saturday in the T&A Regal Snooker Classic at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre (7.30pm).

After the amateur challenge, Steve Davis and John Virgo will play a doubles challenge, Davis and Virgo then playing a best-of-seven frame challenge (8pm).

Entry to Sunday's T&A event is free, and entries will be taken on the day up to 10.45am, the draw being made immediately afterwards.

Craig Butler, the 1999 T&A champion, won his way his through to the last 16 of the Strachan English Amateur Snooker Championship.

The Clubhouse In Cue Gardens member defeated both Alan Edmonds (Grimsby) and Tony Singleton (Middlesbrough) 4-0 at the Manhattan Snooker Club in Harrogate and had breaks of 88 and 92.

Wayne Cooper (Wibsey Cons) fell 4-2 to former professional Colin Morton (Accrington) in the last 64.

Morton went on to qualify and the other two qualifiers were holder David Lilley (Hebburn) and Craig Taylor (Thorne).

Taylor made the best break of the day - 137 in beating Steve Croft (Bootle).

Howard Mawson (Regal), T&A champion in 1995, is the first player through to the semi-finals of the Bradford Snooker Champion-ship.

He defeated Kevin Firth (Wibsey Cons), T&A champion in 1998, 4-3.

The Bradford Billiards Championship semi-finals are on Sunday, March 19 at Lidget Green Con Club (7.30).

Holder Richard Lodge (Lidget Green WMC) meets Steve Wilman (Harold Club), and Paul Devitt (Eastbrook Sports and Social) plays Andy Armitage (Fields Sports and Social). Both matches are 500 up.

Bradford's Mark Hirst came close to notching two excellent victories in the Strachan World Matchplay Billiards Championship at Midsomer Norton, Somerset.

He defeated former world amateur champion Michael Ferreira (India) 750-469 in the first round, and led Bombay's Geet Sethi 526-431 in the second round before falling 1,000-771.

Hirst was first into his stride against Ferreira, a 64 break putting him 114-60 ahead.

A 50 by the Indian was followed by a 73 by Hirst that put him 266-187 in front, and he added 51 and 62 to a 59 by Ferreira. Hirst really went away from his man, however, with visits of 148 and 60 (unfinished).

Sethi got off to a flier in their clash, breaks of 131 and 54 putting him 200-41 ahead.

Hirst narrowed the gap with efforts of 47 and 78, but Sethi's 47 put him 311-211 in front.

The Bradford underdog went 95 in front with breaks of 81, 39 and 53, but Sethi dominated once they were level at 724-724, making breaks of 111, 64 and 67 unfinished.

Sethi went on to reach the semi-finals where he lost to eventual winner Peter Gilchrist.

Bradford's Yorkshire Inter-District League teams go their separate ways on Saturday.

The billiards team are away to Harrogate at the Manhattan Snooker Club, while the snooker team travel to Sheffield No 2, playing at the 147 Snooker Club. Both matches start at 7.30pm.

Bradford teams - Billiards: Andy Armitage, Paul Devitt, Brian Mullaney. Snooker: Wayne Cooper, Kevin Firth, Matthew Holt.

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