English Amateur Final 2009

Jimmy Robertson, Bexhill on Sea defeated David Craggs, Tow Law Town 9-8 on the pink in a dramatic English Amateur final, World Snooker Academy, English Institute of Sport, Sheffield at the EASB finals weekend.

Jury’s Inn sponsored the weekends play and provided accommodation for the players and officials.

Frame scores Craggs first :
52(52-76)56, (51-53)35cl, (8-114)108, (38-73), 48(88-4), (64-51), 54(72-53)48,
(34-60): 3-5.

(1-87)41, 55(67-40), (9-72)54, 45(87-22), (67-36), (48-60), (75-58), 46(68-63)48,
(51-68): 8-9.

Robertson won the first four frames to the first interval two of which Craggs should, could have won.

Robertson who won the Pro Ticket Rankings broke down on 20 in the 1st frame, Craggs fired back with 52 missed and his opponent cleared to the pink with a break of 56. 

The 2nd frame was scrappy Craggs led by 36 with one red left, Robertson laid four snookers, Craggs missing on the 4th escape to set up a 35 clearance by Robertson.

With his 2nd chance in the 3rd frame Robertson cleared the table with the highest break of the final 108 adding the 4th frame for 4-0 when Craggs missed the green on 22.

At the resumption Craggs opened his account to set up a three frame run with a break of 48 to win the 5th frame easily adding the 6th frame on the pink after an early run of 37 and nearly donated 7th frame after a break of 54, Robertson back in the frame on 48 snookered himself on the final red.

Both players missed blacks off the spot in the final frame of the session Robertson taking a 5-3 lead on the latter balls with 23 points.

Both squandered two chances in the 9th frame and first game of the concluding session, Robertson taking his 3rd opening with breaks of 41 and 33.

In the next frame the eventual winner missed a forced red along the top rail on 39 and Craggs stepped in with 55 for 4-6.

Robertson extended his lead again to three frames winning the 11th with a break of 54 after Craggs left a red to middle from a poor safety shot at the black end of the table.

With the reds well spread in 12th after a bout of safety Craggs pounced with a break of 45 when Robertson failed with a long risky plant.

Robertson three times got away with mistakes when in trouble in the next game Craggs making a run of 32 mid frame but went in off out of a snooker on the final red
leaving Robertson a good chance somehow he missed a simple brown and Craggs clawed back to one frame behind 6-7.

The 14th frame was a poor effort reds again spread all over the place, Robertson rolled up to the brown after finishing nowhere Craggs with only one shot on smashed in a long straight red missed on 24 and again went in off on the final red giving Robertson
chance to clear with 26 to the pink 6-8.

The 15th frame built up the tension after chances and errors from both Robertson missed a dolly brown for the match Craggs took brown and blue then laid a perfect snooker behind the black, Robertson conceding 19 points in misses leaving Craggs
needing the pink only for 7-8.

Unflustered Robertson rolled in a long red first shot in the 16th frame to set up a 48 break played safe adding 12 more points to lead 0-60, Craggs back in the frame with 46 finishing out of position on the green then twice Robertson had a chance to win on the demon brown ball.

Craggs won the frame with 22 on the black with brilliant pots on the pink and the final ball to force the at one time unexpected decider, Craggs omitting a loud roar after leaving the match area.

The drama of the last two frames was exceeded in the clinching frame Robertson in with a long red early again missed the spotted black on 38, Craggs miscued, Robertson missed, Craggs also in with 38 missed a straight black as well.

With two reds left Craggs led (42-38), Robertson took one red and finished wrong side of the blue resulting the long final red being missed, Craggs also missed but left a fortunate snooker, Robertson a miss and a free ball even the scorer got in on the act by giving the foul to the wrong player.

Everything sorted Craggs still took on the red in baulk but finished nowhere attempted to roll up to the green and failed to reach, Robertson enforced the play again rule, Craggs hit the yellow and set the ball up Robertson potted it and half snookered himself on the green and from the next shot went in off. (51-50)

From in hand Craggs missed the green plus another chance, Robertson potted the green but knocked the blue safe, Robertson knocked in a long brown and played a good safety shot on the blue which eventually he potted along with the pink to end his amateur career on a very shaky high note.



Ian Williamson from EASB’s main sponsor Northern SC presented the trophies along with Teresa Snell, Jurys Inn.