The first semi-final was played between two players in the world's top 70 and the high standard of snooker played reflected this. Despite a lack of his big breaks that have they become accustomed to throughout the tournament, the packed audience were enthralled with a superb encounter.

Peter Lines getting off to an excellent start to go into a 2-0 lead. Mike Dunn responding with a 41 and 64 break to make it 2-1. Peter Lines went in at this interval 3-2 in front and quickly made it 4-2 with Dunn coming back to go one frame behind at 4-3.

Then a cruel piece of bad luck for Dunn gave P Lines a 5-3 lead.

The best frame of the evening then followed with Dunn looking as if he had pulled another frame back with a superb 689 break. Peter Lines made a brilliant 70 clearance to win the frame and match 6-3.

Michael Rhodes caused a major shock in the second semi-final in beating the favourite to win the title. Ian McCulloch six frames to two, the amazing fact is Ian McCulloch made two centuries to win his two frames. Michael Rhodes playes his finest match having been in the previous two tournaments. He will now meet Peter Lines of Leeds in what promises to be a memorable final. There has been a record ten centuries doubling last year's five centuries. the final is best is 11 frames on Monday July 22 at 7.30pm.

Worthington Durham County CIU Summer Team Knock Out

Leeholme A shook off their lowly position in Division Three when they entertained First Division, Spennymoor A and came through to a good victory. The home side had 104 points start but this was cut to 79 after Ronnie Bateman and Karl Welsh took the first two frames for the Moors. The shock results came in the next two frames when Barry Shaw and Lawrence Jones beat both visiting scratch players, Paul Biddle and Paul Atkinson respectively. These two wins moved Leeholme 123 points ahead, leaving the Moors, John Wilson no chance of overtaking Adrian Forster.

Wingate gave the visiting Hunwick forty-seven points start but moved thirty ahead when John Bourne, Steve Allen and Joe Hennessey took the first three frames. Geoff Howe killed off the game when he won the fourth frame for Wingate by sixty-one points leaving Hunwick's Tom Ward no chance of catching Dave Hammond in the final frame.

John Jackson extended Meadowfield's start on their visit to Old Shildon when he beat Steven Bennett in the first frame. However from that point the home side took over with wins from Billy Goggins, Jossie Aldworth, Michael Pratt and Andrew Aisbitt to go through to a comfortable victory.

Durham City had eighty-five points start of the visiting First Division, Brandon and were able to extend it by twenty-seven points after Eric Wright won the first frame. Brandon fought back with wins from Colin Goodrick, Kevin Sample, Brian Graham and John hall but they could not accumulate enough points to catch the home side.

Wheatley Hill B received twenty-two points start when they visited Sherburn Village but these were lost after Adrian Twist won the first frame. The game was swung in complete favour of the home side when Scott Mallaburn won the second frame by ninety-three points. Jock Frost managed to take a frame for the Hill but it was not enough to make up the massive leeway.

Fishburn A, past masters of the team handicap format, gave the visiting Crowtrees forty-two points start but had moved eighteen points in front following wins by John Griffin, John carter and Brian Quest. Peter Laverick managed a one-point win for Crowtrees but Charlie Hirst took the final frame to put Fishburn A through to the next round.

Jim Dufton put in a 52 break to start Stanley Central off on the winning road when they visited Ferryhill. Frank Foster followed with another win for the visitors. Ian Roddam and Bernie Jones won for the home side by Walter Cornell clinched the Central's victory.

Leeholme B visited First Division, Newton Aycliffe and never managed to get into the game. The home side took all five frames through Richie Young, Ron hall, Simon Tweddell, Michael Hewitt and Bill Barrigan.

Results: Durham City 300 Brandon 247; Old Shildon 336 Meadowfield 223; Ferryhill 216 Stanley Central 271; Wingate 271 Hunwick 240; Newton Aycliffe 337 Leeholme B 299; Sherburn Village 328 Wheatley Hill B 200; Fishburn A 277 Crowtrees 255; Leeholme B 341 Spennymoor A 278.

Worthington Durham County CIU Summer League

The leading individuals at the halfway point of the season are: First Division - 1st P. Hickman (Shotton Palms) played 9, won 8, lost 1, points scored 506; 2 G. Jackson (Brandon) 9, 8, 1, 504; 3 A. Hall (Wheatley Hill A) 8, 7, 1, 414; 4 P. Biddle (Spennymoor A) 9, 7, 2, 553; 5 C. Hirst (Fishburn A) 9, 7, 2, 482; 6 J. Griffin (Fishburn A) 9, 7, 2, 475; 7 K. Sample (Brandon) 9, 7, 2, 438; 8 W. Oliver (Fishburn A) 8, 6, 2, 470; 9 N. Spender (Ferryhill) 8, 6, 2, 377; 10 B. Goggins (Old Shildon) 9, 6, 3, 531.

Division Two - 1 J. Maddox (Newhouse) 9, 8, 1, 543; 2 J. Warriner (Crook Belle Vue) 9, 8, 1, 499; 3 R. Coates (Langley Park) 9, 8, 1, 461; 4 S. Mallaburn (Sherburn Village) 9, 7, 2, 529; 5 A. Fleming (Crook Belle Vue) 9, 7, 2, 505; 6 I. Dinsdale (Newhouse) 8, 6, 2, 419; 7 K. Keers (Langley Park) 8, 6, 2, 402; 8 G. Ward (Durham City) 9, 6, 3, 483; 9 S. Mountain (Newhouse) 9, 6, 3, 475; 10 J. Bower (Sherburn Village) 9, 6, 3, 436.

Division Three - 1 G. Howe (Wingate) 8, 8, 0, 467; 2 S. Johnston (Crowtrees) 8, 8, 0, 436; 3 S. Hann (Crowtrees) 8, 7, 1, 444; 4 D. Payne (Coundon) 7, 6, 1, 351; 5 C. Donaghy (Tow Law) 8, 6, 2, 451; 6 N. Blenkinsopp (Hunwick) 8, 6, 2, 380; 7 J. Evans (Sacriston) 6, 5, 1, 342; 8 B. Shaw (Leeholme A) 7, 5, 2, 361; 9 W. Nixon (Sacriston) 7, 5, 2, 350; 10 T. Cairns (New Durham) 7, 5, 2, 342.

South West Durham Association

Darlington Snooker Club A moved seven points clear at the top of the First Division with a two points victory at Barnard Castle Glaxo. Hopetown are in second place with a score to be added from the match at Tindale Crescent, who failed to send in the result.

The Second Division is very tight with three teams level on points. They are Darlington Snooker C, Bishop Auckland Cricket Club and Darlington Rileys.

Results: First Division: Darlington Cricket Club 3 Northgate 1; Harrowgate Hill 4 Darlington Railway Institute 0; Barnard Castle Glaxo 1 Darlington Snooker Club A 3; Tindale Crescent v Hopetown no result.

Second Division: Shildon Elm Road 1 Darlington Snooker Club C 3; Bishop Auckland Gents B 0 Bishop Auckland Cricket Club 4; Darlington Snooker Club B 2 Bishop Auckland Gents A 2; Old Shildon 1 Darlington Riley's 3.

Worthington Durham County CIU Summer Team Plate

Tow Law pulled off one of their rare victories when they beat the visiting New Durham on the final pink. The Lawyers received eighty-nine points start but Terry Patterson reduced this by twenty-six points after he won the first frame. Heppell Hodgson won the second frame by seven points to push the home lead up to sixty-nine points. Two close frames followed with Alan Spence just losing by five points to the visiting Thomas Cairns and then Tommy Williams winning for the home side by two points against Phil Garr. This gave Arthur Henderson sixty-six points start of New Durham's Gary Bowes. Bowes played a tremendous game and got right back into contention but needed a snooker on the final pink. He made a valiant attempt but just left the slightest part of the ball visible. Henderson managed to hit the ball and fluked it across the table for victory.

Coundon travelled to Witton Gilbert and received fifty-eight points start. Good wins by the visitors Gary Goulbourn and Frank Nicholson extended this lead to 126 points. However John Rooney senior and Paul Nord took the next two frames for the home side, reducing the arrears to thirty-eight points in the process. In the final frame Ian Renwick of Witton closed the gap by beating Dennis Payne but the visitors scored enough to take Coundon through to the next round.

Newhouse entertained Willington and were awarded forty points start. The home side took the first two frames through John Maddox and Harry Dinsdale to stretch the lead to eighty-six points. Arthur Goldsborough and Jeremy Martin pulled points back by winning the next two frames for Willington but Stan Bennett faced a fifty-seven deficit against Newhouse's Steve Mountain and failed to make up the leeway.

Sacriston received twenty-four points start when they visited Second Division leaders, Crook Belle Vue. Harold Lomax reduced the lead by fourteen points after he won the first frame for Crook but from that point the visitors took over with wins from Dale Evans, Alan Richardson, Gary Barton and Willy Nixon taking them to a big victory.

First Division title challengers, Wheatley Hill A completed a big win over the visiting Second Division, Fishburn B, who only had Winston Hodgson as a frame winner. The Hill had wins from Dave Walker, Alan Hall, Jack Wright and Dennis Clish.

Results: Crook Belle Vue 218 Sacriston 354; Witton Gilbert 303 Coundon 323; Wheatley Hill A 458 Fishburn B 336; Newhouse 284 Willington 214; Tow Law 316 New Durham 293.

Worthington CIU Summer Singles Championship

The results of the Third Round were Adrian Twist (Sherburn Village) beat Terry Patterson (New Durham); Dave Walker (Wheatley Hill A) beat Alan Hall (Wheatley Hill A); John Hall (Brandon) bye; Sonny Hann (Crowtrees) v Gary Bowes (New Durham) delayed; Charlie Donaghy (Tow Law) lost to Peter McGowan (Sherburn Village); Lawrence Jones (Leeholme A) lost to Scott Mallaburn (Sherburn Village); Frank Nicholson (Coundon) lost to Jimmy Evans (Shotton Palms); Kevin Sample (Brandon) lost to Ronnie Peacock (Wheatley Hill A).

Worthington CIU Summer Pairs Championship

The results of the Third Round were George Brown & Mark Brown (Sacriston) lost to Tom Parkin & Gordon Parkin (Willington); Michael Pratt & Jossie Aldworth (Old Shildon) beat Frank Nicholson & Dominic Wigley (Coundon); Keith McLauchlan & Sonny Hann (Crowtrees) v Billy Goggins & Steven Bennett (Old Shildon) delayed; Brian Graham & John Hall (Brandon) beat John Bower & Alan Greener (Sherburn Vilage); Dave Robson & Adrian Jones (Ferryhill) beat John Rooney jun & Michael Peart (Witton Gilbert); John Griffin & John Carter (Fishburn A) beat Lawrence Jones & Adrian Forster (Leeholme A); Terry Patterson & Thomas Cairns (New Durham) lost to Arthur Goldsborough & Jeremy Martin (Willington); Scott Mallaburn & Peter McGowan (Sherburn Village) beat Ronnie Bateman & Paul Biddle (Spennymoor).

Jack Jobson Memorial Handicap Singles

The results of the Third Round were Anthony Forster 45 (Leeholme A) lost to Paul Nord 14 (Witton Gilbert); David Fletcher 45 (Leeholme A) beat Ian Dinsdale 24 (Newhouse); Dennis Dodd 26 (Spennymoor A) lost to John Maddox 16 (Newhouse); Alan Buist 21 (Fishburn B) lost to John Rooney jun 21 (Witton Gilbert); Jimmy Evans 7 (Shotton Palms) beat John Hall 14 (Brandon); Scott Mallaburn 14 (Sherburn Village) bye; Stephen Bainbridge 40 (Leeholme B) lost to Adrian Prest 50 (Leeholme B); Ronnie Bateman 24 (Spennymoor A) beat Stephen Hughes 20 (Meadowfield); Philip Whitfield 30 (Crowtrees) v Alan Greener 24 (Sherburn Village) delayed; Michael Pratt 24 (Durham City) beat Ian Catterson 50 (Leeholme B); Barry Shaw 14 (Leeholme A) lost to Adrian Twist 27 (Sherburn Village); John Paul Wringe 28 (Coundon) lost to Kevin Sample 14 (Brandon); Charlie Donaghy 28 (Tow Law) bye; Lawrence Jones 24 (Leeholme A) lost to Sean Johnston 28 (Crowtrees); Gary Ward 18 (Durham City) lost to Frank Nicholson 10 (Coundon); Karl Thompson 45 (Leeholme B) beat Barry Stoddart 32 (Durham City).