In the first two rounds of this season's Bradford & District Sunday School Billiards League play-offs, all the matches were won by the team that had finished highest in the league table, and therefore had had home advantage.

It was all change in the semi-finals though, as the two away teams, who had finished in third and fourth places, beat their higher placed opponents who had finished first and second.

Due to holiday absences, Princeville D had relied on reserves to get this far in the competition but, back to full strength for the semi-final, they defeated Bradford Deaf Centre A comfortably.

Captain and best player Chris Jarvis had missed the first round, and struggled in the quarter-final having only just returned to the UK, but he was back to top form for this game beating Jeremy Dixon by 80.

Steve Gatenby, who had missed both the first two rounds after an extended period away, also turned in an excellent performance to beat Ian Ford by 30.

A deficit of 110 always looked to be too much for Deaf Centre to recover in the final game, but Brian Robinson battled to the end to win his game by six, and prevent a whitewash.

But ultimately it was Princeville D who reached the final with a 3-1 win.

There was also an away win in the other semi-final, with Bradford Deaf Centre B the visitors against the league champions Pudsey A.

Home captain John Allan won by 64 in the final game, meaning the score finished 2-2.

That necessitated a shootout between the two players involved in the last game.

Ihjaz Hussain played first and converted for the Deaf Centre, but Pudsey's Allan did not, allowing the Deaf Centre B to progress to the final.

As they finished third in the league, to Princeville D's fourth, the final will be played at the Deaf Centre

RESULTS

Play Off Semi Finals:

BFD DEAF CENTRE A 1 PRINCEVILLE D 3   

PUDSEY A 2(0) BRADFORD DEAF CENTRE B 2(1)  

BREAKS

C Jarvis (Princeville D) 37