WITH seven weeks remaining in the Northern snooker rosters, the only team safe for the finals is the A reserve side Works Green, which won nine straight matches early in the season.

However, handicaps have now reduced to a level where the team has drawn twice in the past four weeks and lost 5-7 on the other two occasions. 

This week it drew six-all with Exeter. Rowan Phelps and Glen Johansen won for Green, Greg Reid and Derek Peart (WO) won for Exeter. 

Amber drew with Red. Adam Gurr and Tracy Saltmarsh won for Amber, Alan Armitage and Barry Glover won for Red. 

Longford RSL and Navy also had a draw. Adrian White and Wayne Purdon won for Longford, Alan Legg and Steve Collins won for Navy. 

The A reserve ladder is: Green 115, Amber 91, Red 88, Navy 87, Exeter 85, Longford 80. 

A grade sides in finals race 

THE A grade roster is delicately poised with the top three teams all winning 3-1 last week and looking safe to play in the finals. 

Black defeated Blue. Bruce Lockley (2-0), David Bates (2-0) and Rodney Martin (2-1) won for Black, John Stevenson ((2-0) won for the Blue team. 

Exeter RSL beat the Devils 3-1. Adam Bindoff (2-1), Ben Swain (2-0) and Derek Peart (2-1) were Exeter's winners, Andrew Rainbow (2-1) won for the Devils. 

Launceston RSL also won 3-1 over Gold, Roydyn Bishop, Harley Stebbings and Terry Adams all won (2-0) for the RSL, John Fraser also won 2-0 for Gold. 

The ladder is: Black 32, Exeter 32, Launceston 30, Devils 22, Blue 22, and Gold 18. The best breaks were 39 from Rolf Stevenson and 38 from David Bates. 

Pickett Shield 

TASMANIA'S premier snooker event, the E.A. (Ted) Pickett Shield will be held at the Launceston Working Men's Club, Elizabeth Street, Launceston this weekend. It is played in honour of the late Ted Pickett, a sporting legend of Launceston, who died aged 99 years in January, 2009. 

Well known in many sports, Pickett was a Tasmanian champion in both billiards (1950, 55, 60) and snooker (1955), winning the Australian snooker championship the same year beating Jack Harris, of South Australia, in the final. 

The Northern team of Graeme Pickett, Gary Bjarone-Elliott, David Bates, Peter Donati, Roydyn Bishop, Robin McEnnulty, John Fraser and Terry Adams is defending the shield it won at Penguin last year and will start favourite to beat the Southern team, which is missing state champion Les Higgins and the North-West team also missing veteran Kerry Keygan. 

Play starts at 10am Saturday, on three tables, and has continuous play during Saturday and Sunday ending about 3pm with the presentation of the Ted Pickett Shield. Spectators are welcome and entry is free. 

NORTH-WEST TEAM: Gerrad Wicks, Michael Kelly, Kerry Keygan, Geoff Lehman, Chris Sutton, Denny Mayne, Grenville Brown, Joe Bonnici, Emergency Tim Wright. 

SOUTHERN TEAM: Steve Carroll, Brendan Milburn, Anthony Adams, Jeremy Cowie, Wayne Stokes, Luke Webb, Dennis Watts, Steve Cowie, emergency Barry Milburn. 

For more information go to www.nteba.com.au or call the secretary on 0419113528.