YOUTH got the better of vast experience as the ‘young guns’ of Paddock C & BC, winners of the SMileS Huddersfield Open League Division IV title, defeated Premier champions Lindley WMC in the final of the Team Championship.
Paddock had the benefit of handicap advantage, and they certainly made it count as for the second year in succession, Lindley found themselves as runners-up to a team from Paddock.
Twelve months ago it was Paddock’s A team who took the final honours, this year it their B team who lifted the Bass North Trophy at Newsome WMC.
Charlie Walker (21) led Paddock off against Naeem (owes 39), and with a 59-point advantage effectively kept his top-flight opponent at bay with some good safety play. Naeem did have one chance to win, but after making 27 the break ended with the pink safe. Walker finally potted it to put his side ahead, winning 77-65.
Matt Barrett (32) was also 57 points to the good against Lucs Landa (owes 25), and although the latter showed glimpses of his potting power, he was unable to produce the sizeable break he needed to overturn the difference, and when he left the blue, Barrett stepped in to take that and the pink to make it 2-0 to Paddock.
The experienced Richard Harradine (14) pulled a point back for Lindley in frame three, when he potted an excellent pink to beat Isa Curran (27) 70-57 in another close match.
Luke Haigh (33) was Paddock’s final man, and with a 41-point start on Andy Boothroyd (owes 8) he was always in command, taking advantage of anything which was left to him and then following up with some good safety play.
In the end, Boothroyd found himself more than 40 points adrift with just one red remaining, and finally had to concede the frame and the match to Paddock.
The previous night, Syngenta’s Conrad Norcliffe (owes 14) edged out Crosland Moor Conservative Club’s Chris Bullock 3-2 to win the final of the Huddersfield Snooker Handicap.
Norcliffe played some consistent snooker to win the opening frame 80-37, but Bullock hit back to level the match, winning the second 63-47.
The Syngenta player was in front again in the third, however, with a 27 break helping him to a 59-40 victory, but back came Bullock in frame four with a run of 23 to send the final into a deciding fifth frame.
Again it was Norcliffe who produced the more consistent play, and by the time the frame was down to the colours Bullock found himself needing a snooker, which he was unable to get, and the trophy was on its way back to Syngenta, Norcliffe winning 71-41.
