Right on Cue

Gareth Green was crowned Bradford snooker champion for the fourth successive year after beating John Wellham 4-0 in the final at Eccleshill Victoria Conservative Club.

There was a good-sized turnout for the match and a minute’s silence was impeccably observed before the start in memory of Eric Hodgkinson, who died in March.

The former Bradford Billiards & Snooker Association chairman ran cue sports in the district for over 27 years until retiring to Malta in 2002.

The match itself was far from a classic, with Wellham (Allerton Conservative Club) suffering a few early jitters in his first Bradford Snooker Championship singles final and Green (Lifeline Leisure) unable to find his top form.

Green took a scrappy first frame 64-32 and added the second after leading 58-1 with only one red left, which Wellham took and cleared for a confidence-boosting break of 34.

That seemed to spur on the Allerton player and he made a break of 32 at the start of the third frame.

But an untimely miscue on the black when well placed gifted Green a chance, which he took by making a break of 40 to seal a 3-0 interval lead.

The defending champion then secured the trophy with a 71-36 win in the fourth frame to end Wellham’s challenge.

Green can now look to try and clinch the double, alongside his brother Anthony, in the Bradford pairs final at Great Horton Conservative Club on Saturday, June 1.

Their opponents will be Kevin Firth and David Stirk, who beat fellow Undercliffe Cricket players Josh Walker and Peter Hamilton 3-0 in their last-four clash.

* The Hey’s Trophy final between Windhill Cons A and Undercliffe Cricket takes place at East Ward tonight (7.45).

Then next Wednesday (7.45) the final of the Moorhouse Shield billiards competition sees Great Horton Cons take on Clayton Rugby A at Chapel Green Liberal Club.