Championship finals weekend sees success for new and old

Jason Bates lifted his tenth Snooker Scratch title on Saturday after seeing off Pyramid’s Alfonso Palumbo 4-0 in the show-piece match of the Spalding and District Snooker and Billiards League’s finals weekend.

Bourne Snooker Centre’s Bates, who first lifted the President’s Cup back in 2000, beat Palumbo in straight frames.

CUP KINGS! Snooker Knockout Cup winners Consti G (from left) Mason Wilson, Darren Woodberry, Wayne Fobelets (presenting), Martin Deacon, Neil Grant and Ady Sibley.

The highlight of the match was Bates’ 82 break, which could have easily been a ton had he not missed the yellow, leaving the remaining colours on their spot.

TROPHY TIME: Snooker Handicap winner Adam Twigg (left) with opponent Adam Mayman (right) and league treasurer Tony Scully.

The top team trophy up for grabs at the Springfields Events Centre-hosted weekend ended up at Holbeach as the A team of Stuart Atkin, Sean Swinburn and Wayne Dent beat Consti E (Doug Garfoot, Seb Grimston and Oliver Turner) 4-2 to secure the Norey Cup.

Alfonso Palumbo, Vince Fitter, Jason Bates

Swinburn beat Garfoot 2-0, before Dent shared the spoils 1-1 with Grimston, and Atkin and Turner also taking one each.

The action got under way on Friday night, with the snooker Knock Out Cup final.

UP TO SCRATCH: Snooker Pairs Scratch winners Chris Back and Shane Balding receive their trophy from Wayne Fobelets (centre).

The match saw Consti G take on Gosberton C, with Consti walking away 3-2 winners.

Saturday morning kicked off with the Billiards Handicap which saw an all Donington final with Nigel Brasier (R70) taking on Kevin Goodenough (R40) in a game that finished 202-185 to Goodenough.

TOP DOGS: Ian Gibson and Oliver Player receive the Snooker Handicap Pairs trophy from Kevin Fitter.

Donington’s Neil Favell (O14) defeated Holbeach’s Stuart Atkin (O42) in two straight frames to lift the snooker Senior Masters trophy.

There are two new names on the Snooker Mixed Pairs, trophy as Lyn and Neil Simmons (Gosberton) took the title for the first time, beating previous winners Susan Lefley and Sean Swinburn (Holbeach).

The husband and wife team won convincingly by 169 to 87.

WHAT A PAIR! Jamie Mumby and Stuart Tamplin (right) won the singles/pairs competition. They are pictured with opponents Jordan Philpott and Nigel Cherry.

Next up was the Snooker Singles/Pairs competition which saw Jamie Mumby (O21) and Stuart Tamplin (R7) of Gosberton take on Services’ Nigel Cherry (scr) and Jordan Philpott (R7).

In the first frame, Mumby beat Cherry 65-56, before Tamplin made it 2-0, getting the better of Philpott.

BIG WIN: Kevin Goodenough is given the Billiards Individual Handicap trophy by Stuart Atkin.

Cherry and Philpott pulled a point back, winning the pairs frame, but Tamplin then finished the match off, beating Cherry in a close match 45-42.

League legend Mick Cooper (O200) was the first of Sunday’s winners as he beat Marcus Pell (O40) in the Billiards Scratch.

BILLIARDS BOSS: Mick Cooper (right) beat Marcus Pell in the Billiards Scratch competition.

Cooper lifted the crown for a fourth time since 2016.

Next was the snooker pairs, which saw Bourne SC duo Oliver Player (O28) and Ian Gibson (scr) take on Richard Clark and Darren Hibbins from Bourne Pyramid.

The pair from Bourne SC lifted the trophy, winning 138-104.

MIXING IT UP: Mixed pairs winners Neil and Lyn Simmonds (left) with opponents Sean Swinburn and Susan Lefley and referee Mick Pearl.

Holbeach’s Chris Back (O56) and Shane Balding (O49) got the better of club mates Swinburn and Dent in the snooker scratch pairs, winning both frames convincingly.

The weekend finished with the Snooker Handicap final, which saw Gosberton’s Adam Twigg (O7) beat Consti’s Adam Mayman (O28) for his first success in the competition. Twigg won 2-0 in two close frames, 84-80 and 68-58.