English Finals Weekend by Ryan Watterson

Sanderson Lam U16 and U19 Runners Up

Sanderson Lam 0-6 Joel Walker
English Under 16’s Final

16 year old Joel Walker whitewashed Sanderson Lam 6-0 to win the English under 16’s Championship. Lam, who was also competing in the Under 19’s final, was outclassed by an impressive performance. However, the Leeds player didnt make the best start to the weekend, after getting lost in Sheffield and ended up turning up at the EIS late, which meant he was deducted a frame.

Joel, who was chosen by Ronnie O’Sullivan as one for the future, looked focus and played some great snooker. Starting the match with a one frame advantage, he won a black ball decider to take the second frame and then made breaks of 77 and 101 to give himself a 4-0 lead going into the mid-session interval. Sanderson Lam never really got a look in, Joel played so brilliantly that what he left for his opponent was not easy. Lam was clearly getting frustrated and never really caused Joel any problems as Walker won the next two with breaks of 71 and 52 to win the match 6-0 and take the title.

Joel Walker had previously beaten Adam Bobat 4-2 to book his place in the EASB’s finals weekend at the World Snooker Academy.

After the match he said “It feels really good, I’m just really pleased to have won it, it’s a big help with finding a sponsor.”

On getting chosen by Ronnie O’Sullivan as a star of the future he said “It’s good, Ronnie tipped me to become World Champion and you can’t get that said by anyone better than him”. Joel also added “I want to become a world champion one day...”


Kamran Ashraf 5-1 Ryan Wood
English Club Player’s Championship

Kamran Ashraf beat Ryan Wood 5-1 to become the English Club Players Championship.

The match got off to a slow start, the first frame lasting 42 minutes before finally being won by Ashraf. The players shared the next two frames, but Kamran won the 4th despite Wood making a 33, the highest break of the match.

After the interval Kamran Ashraf took both frames quite easily to win the Championship 5-1.

“It feels really good to win it at my first attempt. I think I played quite well but winning is all that matters so I’m happy.”

Ashraf plays Sanderson Lam in the Under-19’s final tomorrow. “I’m ready for it” he said



Leo Fernandez 2-9 Jack Lisowski
English Amateur Championship
 
Jack Lisowski beat Leo Fernandez 9-2 to become English Amateur Champion and add his name to a long and illustrious list of names.

Jack Lisowski looked impressive in taking a 6-2 lead at the end of the first session of the English Amateur Championship final. Lisowski, who has already qualified for the main tour next season via the PIOS tour, was playing in his last Amateur match before turning professional.

Lisowski won the first frame with a break of 55, and took a close second from 59 points behind. A break of 90 gave Jack a 3-0 lead before Fernandez finally got a frame on the board with a break of 48.

After the interval, Leo started to play a little better and took the 5th frame to make it 3-2. However Lisowski made a 62 break in the sixth frame to take back the advantage and he won the next two to take a 6-2 lead going into the final session.

Coming into the second session, it seemed highly likely that Lisowski would lift the title and that’s exactly how it went. Jack never really looked in any trouble, making 37, 104 and 41 breaks to win 9-2.

After the match, runner up Leo Fernandez said “I could have been 5-3 up at the break, the run of the balls was massively unlucky for me today. It’s a real achievement though, after being told by doctors I would never play again when I broke my ankle a few years ago.”

New English Amateur champion Jack Lisowski said “It feels brilliant to be the champion, I can remember watching the final a few years ago and thinking I would never get that good so to win it is great”
“My main goal for next season is simply to survive and stay on the tour. The scholarship helped me improve massively and finishing top of the PIOS rankings has given me lots of confidence, however all the hard works starts now.



Shane Castle 5-4 Adam Bobat
English Under 14’s Championship
 
12 year old Shane Castle defeated Adam Bobat 5-4 to win the English Under 14’s title.

Castle went behind as Adam Bobat took the first frame with ease. However he fired back quickly, taking the next with a 58 break and then winning frames 3 and 4 to lead 3-1.

The interval clearly did Bobat a lot of good though, as he took the next three frames to go 1 up with 2 to play at 4-3. Castle took a close 8th frame to take the match into a decider.

In the decider Castle looked calm as he made a 59 break, his second half century of the match, to win the Under 14’s title.

Hannah Jones Ladies Winner

Hannah Jones 5-0 Jan Hughes
English Ladies Championship
 
Ladies World number 7 Hannah Jones defeated Jan Hughes 5-0 to win the first ever English Ladies Championship.

The result didn’t do the game justice, neither player really played at their best and most of the frames were close. The game got off to a slow start, Hannah eventually taking the first frame on the brown. She also took the next on the black, after Hughes missed it off the spot and left it on.

Hannah started playing better in the third, taking it with ease, and also took the next by doubling the frame ball blue. This put her one frame away from the title at the interval, and she took the frame to lift the inaugural ladies title.

Champion Hannah Jones said “I feel good, I’m really proud of myself. I didn’t play great early on, but I got a bit better and played well in the last frame which was the important one. “
She also added “My main goal is to play on TV with the men, but until then I just want to continue winning trophies.”


Kamran Ashraf 8-4 Sanderson Lam
English Under 19’s Championship
 
Kamran Ashraf came from 4-3 down to beat Sanderson Lam 8-4 in the English Under 19’s Final.

Ashraf, who had already won the Club Players Championship the previous day, made breaks of 44 and 77 to lead 2-1. He then won the fifth frame to lead 3-2 but Lam won the last two frames of the first session to lead 4-3 at the break.

Ashraf came out of the blocks in the second session though, taking all 4 frames before the interval to lead 7-4 and go one away from victory. He led by 56 points in the next but Sanderson Lam nearly stole it before losing the frame on the blue.

19 year old Kamran Ashraf must be very pleased with his weekend, winning two titles, the Club Players and Under 19’s Championships.
 
 
West Midlands 5-2 Exeter
English Team Championship
 
The West Midlands team of Daniel Ward, Lee Payne and Rob James, beat Exeter (Mike King, Andy Radford and Mike Gold) to lift the last ever Team Championship.

Daniel Ward gave West Midlands the first frame, and a 76 break from Rob James gave them a 2-1 lead.

West Midlands took a 3-1 lead going into the interval, but Exeter’s Mike Gold pulled one back for his team and made the score line 3-2.

However Rob James and Daniel Ward took the sixth and seventh frames to give West Midlands the victory.

by Ryan Watterson, www.ryan147.com