New Mill B have been crowned champions In the Huddersfield Snooker and Billiard Association’s billiards league.

They took the crown by a single point from Upper Hopton B and the winners of the Norman Hargreaves trophy for the best results over the last six fixtures are Marsh Lib B.

In the final round of this season’s Billiards League matches five breaks of 25 or more were recorded.

Ben Whitehouse of Springwood BC made a 27 on his way to narrowly beating Frank Wrathall of Meltham Lib, both Roy Head and Steve Holmes of Upper Hopton A recorded a 28 but still lost to John Wilson and David Firth of the B team.

Frank Griffin of Moldgreen Lib made a 35 break twice, but still lost to Alan Bottomley of Brockholes BC, while David Peaker made a splendid 53 break but it wasn’t enough to beat Jeremy Ford of Moldgreen Lib.

Rob Armitage of Marsh Lib A made a superb 60 break which helped him beat Lindley Lib A player Dave Stuart, however the highest break of the week belongs to Brian Cousen who struck a magnificent 73 unfinished break which was enough to beat Tony O’Hara of Marsh Lib A in a match won 2-1 by Lindley Lib.

And things are looking bright for the competition next year and and league secretary Jon Wilson said: “The future of billiards appears to have taken on a new lease of life with a number of new teams having registered interest in entering teams for next season.

“The perception of billiards appears to have been that it is an old man’s game, so it is particularly refreshing that if these new teams do enter next season the average age of the League will drop considerably!”

In the Open Snooker League there were 14 breaks of 25 or more recorded.

Three players recorded a 25 break, Ryan Bodsworth of Lockwood Con A, Dave Crosbie of Marsden Social and Mark Bentley of Broad Oak BC D.

Lee Moseley of Netherton Con B had a 28, Andrew Smith of Marsden Con made a 29, Chris Thorpe of Marsh Lib A recorded a 30.

Mohammed Naeem of Lindley WMC A had a 33, three players recorded breaks of 36, Robert Read of Lindley WMC A, Dave Percival also of Lindley WMC A but he also had a further break of 29, and Mick Stocks of Golcar Con B who also had a further break of 33.

Trevor Liversidge of Golcar Con B had a 41, but the highest break of the week belongs to Tony Proctor of Lindley Lib B with a fine 42 when beating Graham Whitehouse of Marsh Lib A in a match drawn 2-2.

This coming week sees the last fixtures of this season and a lot depends on the outcome of the matches for teams hoping to gain promotion or avoid relegation, in view of the re-structuring of the league for next season, quite a few teams are facing the uncertainty of what section they will end up in.