BATES - NORTHERN CHAMPION
David Bates has retained his Northern Tasmanian Billiards Championship, beating Graeme Pickett 460-437 in a thrilling final at the Works Club on Saturday.
Bates won by just 23 points after trailing by almost 200 points in the early stages of the two hour final. Both players had chances in the last fifteen minutes, with Bates coming out on top to win his sixth Northern Billiards Championship.
Bates held on to win his semi-final against a fast finishing Peter Donati 400-326 and Pickett accounted for Adrian White 522-176 in the other semi-final.
David Bates made the highest break of 96, together with 56 and 44, Graeme Pickett made breaks of 64, 54 and 53.
Bates, Pickett, Donati, White and Gary Bjarnoe-Elliott will represent the North in the State Billiards Championship later in the year.
The “A Res” Billiards champion is Andrew Saltmarsh, who defeated John Saggers in his Semi 258-235 and went on to beat Dean Wilson 243-190, in the Final. Wilson beat Alan Armitage in the other semi-final 229-219.
Saltmarsh, who led by just five points at the half way mark, rallied in the second session to win his first Billiards championship, he has now completed the double, winning the Northern “A Res” Snooker Championship in September last year.
The “B” Grade Billiards championship will be concluded at Works this Saturday.
The 2010/2011 Billiards Roster (400 up from handicap)
Launceston RSL White will finish on top of the ladder when the home and away matches finish in two weeks, and Works Raiders will finish second. Both teams had 2-2 draws last week. However, only seven points separate third to eighth, making the last two rounds very tense for those teams.
RSL White drew with Works Navy, 2-2, Wayne Purdon and Dennis Collins winning for RSL, Phil Page and Ray Skinner scoring for Navy.
Works Raiders, with the benefit of a forfeit, drew with third placed Works Blue, Alan Armitage won on the table and Harley Stebbings won without offering. Ethan Brown and Hans Georgieff both won for Blue.
Fifth placed, Works Black, travelled to Exeter and shared the points with the country Club. Rex Swain and Derek Peart won for Exeter, David Bates and Bruce Lockley were Black’s winners.
The Devils, currently fourth, lost 1-3 to bottom team Works Red and will need to re-group quickly if they are to stay in the top five. In the closest game of the round Red player, Steve Andjelkovic, beat Andrew Rainbow by just two points, Bob Cain and Phil Rowbottom also won for Red. Devil’s Heath Rainbow continued his great season with a close win over Peter Seaman, by four points.
Works teams Gold and Green, both just out of the final five also played a draw, Steve Leary and Rolf Stevenson won for Gold, Dean Wilson and Glen Johansen scored for Green.
While all eyes are on the top of the ladder, Exeter and Works Red are also battling for the wooden spoon, both teams level on points, Exeter on the bottom by less than one percentage point.
Ladder after round sixteen:
RSL White 60, Works Raiders 55, Works Blue 51, Flaming Devils 51, Works Black 51, Works Gold 48, Works Green 47, Works Navy 44, Works Red 37, Exeter Social Club 37.
Leading Players after round 16; Dennis Collins 11 wins from 14 played, Lionel Young 7 from 10, Heath Rainbow 11 from 16, Harley Stebbings 8 from 12, Keith Coomber and John Fraser 9 from 14, Ben Conrades 7 from 11, David Bates 10 from 16, John Fordham 6 from 10, Graeme Pickett, Derek Peart and Dean Wilson 9 from 15.
Last weeks best breaks: David Bates, 98, 48, Keith Coomber 39, 32, Roydyn Bishop 38, Dean Wilson 35, Andrew Saltmarsh 30, Rex Swain 28, 22, John Fraser 26, Gary Bjarnoe-Elliott 26, Bruce Lockley 23.
Please note the 148 break credited to Graeme Pickett in last week’s “Cue News” was not correct.
This weeks games:
Wed Wednesday, at the Works Club, Red v Navy, Green v Exeter.
Thursday Black v Raiders, Blue v Devils at the Works Club, RSL White v Gold at Launceston RSL Club,
Last Week’s Results:
The Flaming Devils 1 lost to Works Red 3, Heath Rainbow (260) defeated Peter Seaman (305), Roydyn Bishop (115) lost to Phil Rowbottom (310), Andrew Rainbow (275) lost to Steve Andjelkovic (285), Josh Rainbow (295) lost to Bob Cain (295).
Works Gold 2 drew with Works Green 2, Rolf Stevenson (275) defeated Rowhan Phelps (280), Gary Bjarnoe-Elliott (175) lost to Glen Johansen (270), John Fraser (180) lost to Dean Wilson (240), Steve Leary (255) defeated George Zammit (265).
Exeter Social Club 2 drew with Works Black, Derek Peart (280) defeated Scott Kopriva ((285), Will Cameron (320) lost to David Bates (-110), Rex Swain (195) defeated Andrew Saltmarsh ((215), Adam Bindoff (290) lost to Bruce Lockley (200).
Works Navy 2, drew with Launceston RSL White 2, Ray Skinner (275) defeated Adrian White (175), Phil Page (285) defeated Greg Williams (270), Alan Legg (295) lost to Wayne Purdon (240), Ben Conrades (290) lost to Dennis Collins (280).
Works Raiders 2, drew with Works Blue 2, Barry Glover (245) lost to Ethan Brown (275), Keith Coomber (150) lost to Hans Georgieff (270), Alan Armitage (255) defeated Graeme Pickett (-110), Harley Stebbings (195) won on forfeit.
Andrews Atkins Shield, (played between Tasmania and Victoria), will be held at the Burnie Club over the long weekend, 9/10/11 th. March.
This year marks the fortieth year of competition between the state teams, which began as the Sim Crawcour Shield in 1973.
The teams and draw, Tasmanian players first: Snooker Les Higgins v Daryl Tippett, Peter Donati v David Cosgriff, Brian Cole v Charlie Chafe, Steve Carrol v Brendan Taylor, Anthony Adams v Dale McKay, Callan Bissett v Harry Andrews. Billiards: David Bates v Ron Cole , Luke Webb v John McKay, Graeme Pickett v Ian Dale, : Womens Snooker: Tracey Baylis v Anna Lynch, Junior Snooker: Cale Barrett v Ryan Thomerson.
Session times: 8.00pn Friday, 10.00am and 7.00 pm Saturday
For more information go to the cue sport website, www.nteba.com.au or call the Secretary on 0419 113 528