Planet Snooker Premier League: Mike Dunn, the first and the only North-East professional snooker player to qualify for the final stages of the World Championships at Sheffield, continued his winning ways with another good win over Hartlepool's Michael Rudd.
Redcar-based Dunn took a scrappy first frame at 61-52 but knocked in a few good short runs to take the second 75-12. Rudd managed to reduce the deficit after knocking in a break of 78 to win 78-17 but Dunn kept up the pressure taking the fourth at 85-1with a 68 break. After the interval Dunn clinched a scrappy fifth to take a four frame lead but Rudd managed an 84 break to win the sixth 84-23 and comfortably took the final frame at 82-28 to get a 3-4 result, which was well deserved. However, Dunn made an ominous move for all the rest as he went up to second place in the table.
An impressive Michael Rhodes of Durham coasted past the visiting Anthony Parson of Guisborough for the loss of only one frame. This result did no look possible as Parsons knocked in a 56 break to take the first at 76-53 but from that point Rhodes took over. He compiled breaks of 61,46, 79 and 64 to outplay the visiting Parsons to move to equal top of the table with an unbeaten record.
Gary Wilson, just home from the European Under-19s Championships, was hardly out of his seat in opening three frames in his away match to David Craggs at Tow Law Workingmen's Club. Craggs took the opening in style with a 75 clearance and went on to take the second with a 51 break. In the third, Craggs developed an early lead with a 50 break but Wilson immediately replied with a break of 47 and went on to win the frame at 55-69. Both players missed chances in the fourth but Wilson was happy to level with a 72-32 win. A similar frame saw Craggs win at 67-34 to restore his lead. The sixth saw Wilson edge into a narrow lead but Craggs came with a 42 clearance to take it at 88-48. Wilson was not happy with his game and conceded the final frame at 53-20 with one red remaining. This result moved Craggs up to share top spot with Rhodes but with an extra match played.
Paul Davison of Spennymoor made the trip to Newcastle to the Fairholme Social Club to meet England's most crowned amateur player, David Lilley. Lilley, the 28 year old from Hebburn, certainly proved his capabilities when he amassed three 60 plus breaks in the first four frames to quickly take a 4-0 lead. However, he could only watch as Davison's opened with a 74 frame winning break after the interval. Honours were even in the last two frames, with Lilley taking the much needed last black in the seventh to win the match 5-2 and move up into fourth place.
Having given up after the fourth frame last week with no explanation when playing in his match against Anthony Parsons, the league officials waited in anticipation to see whether Chris West, the 20-year-old from Whitley Bay, would make the trip to Stanley Central to play Andy Craig. The home player began in style with wins in the first two frames at 62-27 and 51-28 and looked to be on course to take his first victory in the league. However West showed his quality with a 50 break in the third to win 66-25 and a 69 break to level with a 73-6 win. After the interval Craig went ahead with a 54-23 win and then didn't do much wrong in the final two frames but West levelled with a 61 break to win the frame 74-32 and then clinched his first win in the league hen he put in a 49 break to take the deciding frame at 62-12.
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