Roling back the years

Lee Roling

The 16-year-old won 11 unanswered frames at Chandler’s Ford SC and clinched a 2-0 final victory over rankings leader Shane Castle with a series of exhibition shots.

After 3-0 wins against Arron McIntyre (Hiltingbury), Billy Castle (Marchwood) and Daniel Woods (Hedge End), Roling admitted that he had “played well all day” and vowed to do it again this week.

It was July 30, 2005, 93 tournaments ago, that Roling, tipped by many to be, potentially, one of the region’s finest players, recorded a 3-1 win against Jason Hildyard. The former Toynbee School-boy, who is working full-time in the family run ‘David’s Fish Bar’ in Chandler’s Ford, climbed to 10th after 11 weeks of the 20-week series.

“We could blindfold him”

Nine-year-old wonderkid Shane Castle had his handicap cut for the second time this series but still potted his way to a sixth final.

The youngster saw off second-placed Dan Hildyard (Fair Oak) 3-1, won three black-ball games against Jordan Winbourne and beat Kevin Impett (Totton) 3-1 to extend his lead to 22 points. 

An onlooker suggested that at the next review, instead of cutting five points off Shane’s handicap, we should blindfold him.

Woods, 16, chalked up breaks of 33 and 44 in 3-0 wins over 12-year-old Craig Wilson and Jack Hyom, 17.

Botley’s Winbourne, 11, knocked in a 38 in a 3-2 win over Suzie Opacic. Jason Hildyard, 14, led 2-0 but Peter Maraziotis (West End) served up a 60 in the third and won 3-2.

Dan Hildyard, 16, hammered in a 96 clearance in a third-frame decider to beat brother Jason in the Plate semis. After a first-round exit, Lee Ashbolt (Mansbridge) beat Jordan Sainsbury with a 50 but lost 3-2 in the final to remain third.

Picture: Kevin Legg