Lifeline Leisure player Gareth Green successfully defended his Bradford Snooker Championship title with a 4-2 victory over Undercliffe Cricket Club’s England international Kevin Firth at Eccleshill Victoria Conservative Club.

The players traded breaks in a tense opening frame, Firth making a 36 and Green a 32, with both having chances to win before Firth took it 65-47.

Firth soon made it 2-0, setting off with a break of 33, Green replying with 37, with Firth then making a 52 clearance, giving a comprehensive frame win of 93-37.

It looked good again for Firth in frame three. He was right in the balls with plenty on, but miscued playing the black and Green took full advantage, finally getting into his rhythym with a 59 break and winning the frame 85-6 to trail only 2-1 at the interval.

Green then showed the class which has seen him win the title twice previously, as well as the 2010 Yorkshire Championship, with breaks of 54 and 35 (89-9) to level the match and then took the lead for the first time, winning frame five 92-17, which included a break of 43.

Both players then had good chances in frame six, but this was more dominated by safety, and in particular the foul and a miss rule, where both players benefited from several attempts to get out of snookers.

Firth eventually succumbed to an excellent snooker, which Green profited from for an 89-65 scoreline and with it a hat-trick of Bradford titles.

Green now joins the exclusive list of players to have won three or more consecutive titles, these being Sydney Kilbank (1952-54), 1986 professional world champion Joe Johnson (1973-79), Dave Wilson (1990-92) and eight-time champion Wayne Cooper (2005-08).

Few would bet against Green adding a few more titles, with age certainly on his side, and few could argue against him being a worthy champion over the last three years, having played some superb snooker.

Firth, however, is straight back into action this week as he heads to Latvia to represent the England Seniors in the European Championships and is looking to cement his place for next season.

* The Dudley Hill Games League's presentation night takes place on Monday from 7.30pm for the A Section at Low Moor Club.

The B Section presentation takes place the following Monday at East Ward Labour Club.