Snooker: Blinders move to the top as Hurricanes slip up

Former leaders beaten by last year's champions

Report by Mike Crook:

Cue Zone Blinders maintained the unbeaten home record to return to the top of the Mann Crane Hire Snooker League, replacing The Hurricanes who slipped up at Finch Hill Rockets.

Finch Hill Rockets 4-1 The Hurricanes

The Hurricanes, leaders going into this week’s matches slipped to their heaviest defeat of the season at the hands of the 2025 champions. Rockets move up to eighth, nine points behind the new leaders and with 10 weeks of the season remaining would need to go on a good run to defend their title. Frame scores: Leon Martin 68-29 Jamie Wilson, Paddy Delaney (22 break) 63-25 Nialls Wilson, John Spellman 23-75 Rob Cowin, Marc Bolton 54-28 Paul Westhead and Doug Kinrade 61-38 Danny Kane. 

Cue Zone Blinders 4-1 The Cue Ballers

Report by Scott Campion:

Harry Ellis 40-49 Matt Monks - Harry was in control and looked comfortable. Mark brought it back towards the end, taking a very fortunate black to win. Conor Mahon 58-30 Alex Sinclair - Conor looked sharp, a 24 break was well taken and Alex struggled to get going. In the end a fairly easy for Conor. Scott Campion 78-41 Lee Gale - Both players missed easy chances as Scott gradually went ahead. Lee had had enough before snookers were required but reluctantly continued until the inevitable conclusion. David Hill 79-36 Dave Welsh - Hill was mostly ahead and despite missed chances to finish it earlier he managed a very difficult brown to black clearance at the end. Darryl Hill 81-80 Kam Virk - Kam's long potting was quite the spectacular as he made a number of difficult but exceptionally risky long pots. With his 63 start this tactic very nearly paid off but he took one too many risks letting Darryl in. Darryl, (23 break) needing the lot, ran out of position on the pink but came back after a safety exchange to slam home a lovely long pink and a tough black off the spot to win by a point. 

Snooker Bar-barians 4-1 Cue Zone Masters

Another heavy defeat for equal-bottom Bar-barians as the Masters brought back in Ross Samuels and the Clague brothers for their first games since December to great effect. Ivan McMaw’s victory in frame one was his 11th win in 15, putting him alone in second place in the individual standings. Only frame five was close, which resulted in a consolation point for the home team via Andy Moore. Frame scores: Chris Reynolds 18-63 Ivan McMaw, Chris Lawless 30-69 Ross Samuels, Mark Davenport 26-64 Brendan Clague, Paul Mackie 39-79 Tommy Clague and Andy Moore 54-43 Les Briggs. 

DSB Wannabes 1-4 Port St Mary Legion

Report by Terry Boyle:

With the Legion chasing lots of points from the off, patience was the order of the night. The first two frames were shared, David Callister 78-55 Andrew Hutchison and Steve Cowin 78-91 Phil Joynes. Marc Morley played well to put the Legion ahead, defeating James Teare, James Teare 64-88 Marc Morley. Paul McKinstry 86-93 Dave Pickersgill - Four balls left Dave was 18 behind but was very unlucky to go in-off the brown. Needing everything for a re-spot he took brown and blue, but left a thin cut on the pink in the jaws. However, Paul was on the bottom cushion 12 feet away it stayed up, but to be fair to him on the night we all missed apparent sitters on a very tight table. Dave took pink and black for the re-spot and after a prolonged struggle made a good pot for frame. Michael Creer 43-55 Terry Boyle - Michael and I finally got on the table at 11.10 pm, I had the run and when potting the yellow was 27 ahead. After I escaped some snookers Michael was forced to take green, brown and blue. Then I had a brain storm, attempting to cut the pink with side, missed it completely and it was game back on! Michael potted the pink but after a few safety shots on the black I was very fortunate to fluke it into the middle pocket! A great result for us but it could so easily been five zip the other way. 

Finch Hill Musicians 1-4 Finch Hill Mob

Musicians were on an eight-week win streak and had beaten the Mob on their last five meetings, but tonight the Mob showed their class. Steve Finnegan hit breaks of 33 and 25, Lee Hunt 23 and best of the lot, Peter Kirkham 55 against Matt Dodd. Kirkham’s break may have started with an outrageous fluke but the rest was superb. Dodd wasn’t finished though, potting brown and blue before Kirkham snookered him behind the black. Kirkham now has two of the top three highest breaks of the season, he and Calum Gardner, both with 63 being the best. Only a late fightback on the colours from Musicians’ Vic Rigby saved them from a whitewash. Frame scores: Vinny Dale 41-77 Steve Finnegan, Vic Rigby 51-40 William Hogg, Dave Hanlon 22-70 Lee Hunt, Paul Tangeman 36-79 Jonny Hogg and Matt Dodd 78-90 Peter Kirkham. 

The Miscues 2-3 St Olave's

There was potential for a David Kelly vs Dave Kelly pairing here, but they just missed out in the draw. Luca McDermott 62-80 Stuart Sandford - A battling performance from Sandford, the individual league leader, closing from 49 behind for a pink ball win. Rob Dolby 93-51 Geoff Hall - Hall started and finished 42 points in arrears, too many fouls and according to him he was rubbish, (or words to that effect). Dale Walker 34-71 Dave Kelly - Kelly won a cagey game, he had the run and took the last four colours to make it look more comfortable than it was. David Kelly 73-80 Paul Smyth - Smyth closed in with a couple of teen breaks but Kelly made some good single pots on the colours to force a black ball fight. Kelly knuckled a straight pot to the middle, sticking it up for Smyth, for frame and match St Olave’s. Ben Peach 51-48  Anthony Bayle - A second consolation point for the Miscues, courtesy of Peach, their winning most player after another black ball affair against a below par St Olave’s super-sub. 

Port St Mary Strollers 3-2 Malew

A fifth win in six for the Strollers and once again Ian Brookfield was in fine form, hitting breaks of 39, 22 and 22 to make light work of Jimmy Goodwin’s 56 start. Mike Boyle also had a 24 in the decider as the two respective captains went head-to-head. Frame scores: Harry Boyle 40-63 Tony Cubbon, Ian Brookfield 110-66 James Goodwin, Garey Ellison 33-57 Tony Pring, Max Barnes 69-53 Mark Quinn and Mike Boyle 99-70 Alec Oates.