Worthington CIU Team KO Final - Newhouse B landed the Team Knock Out Cup after they beat Willington in a tense final played at Tow Law. The Newhouse team had 15 point start of the team that had just won the Second Division Championship, losing only one match.

In the first frame, David Jackson of Newhouse got away to a great start against Tommy Parkin and opened out a big lead. However Parkin came with a good run to close the gap but then slipped up on the late colours to go down by thirty points.

Colin Lomax moved Willington ahead after the second frame, where he put in an early 32 break and kept John O'Driscoll safe throughout. The final margin of sixty-six points moved Willington into a twenty-one points lead.

However Alan McCluskey pulled the game back to its starting points when he beat Arthur Goldsborough by 36 points. Glen Morton stepped up for Newhouse against Gordon Parkin and ran in breaks of 33 and 23 to win by 26 points.

In the final frame Paul Atkinson of Willington, who had already won all three major singles tournaments in the League, was giving away 41 points start to Brian Eltringham. The Newhouse man realised that he had to keep everything safe, while Atkinson was forced to take chances to try to overhaul the massive gap. Eltringham only made one mistake with Atkinson quickly getting to 22 but then unfortunately cannoned into the pink while going for position from a potted black to get position on the last open red. This ended the break and Eltringham went back to his fine safety and then picked off the balls to win by 18 points, taking Newhouse to the title by 300-241.

Worthington CIU Team

Plate Final

Fishburn B took the Team Plate Championship after they beat Crowtrees in the final played at Willington. The Third Division Fishburn team received 45 point start from their Second Division opponents and they were reduced to 27 after Peter Laverick beat Keith Binks.

The state of the match was completely changed in the second frame when Fishburn's George Whitelock went through to beat Martin Wolf by 68 points. Crowtrees 94 points deficit was greatly reduced when Sonny Hann beat Micky Bell by 53 points.

Sean Johnston then won a tight frame for Crowtrees against Winston Hodgson by only six points. This pushed Wayne Oliver into the final frame with 27 points start against Keith McLauchlan. Just when it looked as if the Crowtrees man could close the gap, Oliver stepped up his game to win the frame by thirteen points and take Fishburn to a 295-255 victory.

South West

Durham Association

After only two matches, Darlington Snooker Club A are the only team with a 100 percent record following their home win over Albert Hill for the loss of only one point. The Snooker Club share the top spot in the First Division with Hopetown, who whitewashed their hosts at Bishop Auckland Cricket Club. These two lead Harrowgate Hill and Darlington Cricket Club by one point.

The Second Division sees Barnard Castle Glaxo, Shildon Elm Road and Darlington East End sharing the top spot. Shildon Elm Road, who whitewashed the visitng Darlington Snooker Club B, were the only Second Division winners as the other games all finished as draws.

Results: Harrowgate Hill 3 Old Shildon 1; Bishop Auckland Cricket Club 0 Hopetown 4; Darlington Snooker Club A 3 Albert Hill 1; Darlington Cricket Club 2 Barnard Castle Folly's 2; Shildon Elm Road 4 Darlington Snooker Club B 0; Bishop Auckland Gents Club B 2 Bishop Auckland Gents Club A 2; Ferryhill 2 Barnard Castle Glaxo 2; Northgate 2 Darlington East End 2.

l Any team or individuals who have not already made entries to the competitions and wish to do so, must telephone the secretary, Jossie Aldworth on (01388) 777362 as soon as possible.

Cleveland League

The first semi-final in the Reg Boyle individual snooker handicap featured Neil Grey (Redcar Lakes SC plus 5) and Richard Beckham (Redcar WMC minus 40), played at Carlin How WMC and refereed by Brian Magor.

After a cautious start, Beckham chipped away at Grey's points advantage. After a long spell of safety play, Grey left Beckham an opening and he took the bull by the horns when compiling a 46-break. The scores were now 55-54 in Beckham's favour. Grey regained the lead with a 22-break but Beckham came back with a 14 and after Grey made a mistake on the colours Beckham cleared up from the brown ball with a 22. Beckham ended winner of the first game by 91-81.

Encouraged by his near success, Grey totally blocked Beckham out of the second game, winning 91-6. In the third game Grey extended his start of 45-0 to 62-0 before Beckham was even out of his starting blocks but spotting the danger he compiled breaks of 33 and 27, regaining a grip on the game. With only the last three colours remaining, Beckham potted an outstanding blue followed by the pink to win the game 85-67. The fourth frame started with Grey missing several easy chances. Beckham then compiled a 24 break. After a bout of safety play Beckham came to the table, and with what can only be described as an extraordinary shot, potted a red and went on to compile a 44 break. This was the turning point of the game which Beckham won 90-55 and also the match 3-1.

The second semi-final was between Andrew Shelley (Carlin How WMC minus 25 ) and Ian Whittle (Redcar Cons. plus five). The match was held at the Saltburn Conservative Club and refereed by Phil Vaughan and Brian Magor.

There were no real breaks in the first game with both players only managing a 16 each. Whittle managed to hold onto his start and potted a long brown on the colours to stay 19 points ahead. Shelley, needing a snooker, potted the blue and then played an outstanding shot, snookering Whittle on the black. Whittle swerved the cue ball round the black and potted the pink to win the first game 82-51.

With the same tactics Whittle was intent on holding his start but Shelley had other ideas, compiling breaks of 22 and 21. Shelley then fluked a snooker whereby Whittle left him with a chance to take the frame. Shelley potted red and black to level the game at 58 points each but he then rattled, by his standards, an easy pot on the yellow. Whittle grabbed his chance, clearing up from the yellow to the blue opening the lead by 14 points.

With Shelley now requiring a snooker, Whittle managed to seal the frame when potting an easy pink, winning the game 78-58. The third frame was a dour battle with no-one taking a firm grip. Late on Shelley left Whittle with a good chance when he potted two reds and a pink but after potting a black played the cue ball round the angles only to see the same disappear into the centre pocket.

Shelley failed to respond and after missing, by his standards yet another easy chance, conceded the game with one red remaining. Whittle won the third game by 65-28 and the overall match 3-1.

Jack Jobson Memorial Singles Handicap

First round round - to be played on or before May 28: Kevin Davison 24 (Witton Gilbert) v Billy Goggins 10 (Old Shildon); Arnold Fleming 28 (Hunwick) v Paul Nord 14 (Langley Park); Charlie Blake 5 (Old Shildon) v Stan Bennett 21 (Willington); Phil Whitfield 35 (Crowtrees) v Brian Graham 10 (Brandon); Keith Mitchell 28 (Newton Aycliffe) v Adrian Twist 27 (Sherburn Village); George Whitelock 14 (Fishburn B) v John Davies 35 (Durham City); Alan Greener 24 (Sherburn Village) v John Rooney jun. 24 (Witton Gilbert); John Maddox 14 (Newhouse) v Sean Johnston 24 (Crowtrees); Mark Brown 50 (Leeholme B) v Ken Robinson 28 (Tow Law); Wayne Oliver 28 (Fishburn B) v Jimmy Evans 7 (Shotton Palms).

There are 54 byes.

Worthington CIU Summer Pairs Championship

The only two matches in the first round, to be played on or before May 28

Draw: Ian Richardson & Neville Blenkinsop (Hunwick) v Gordon Parkin & Tom Parkin (Willington); Barry Stoddart & John Davies (Durham City) v Dave Taylor & Martin Wolf (Crowtrees).

There are 62 byes.

Worthington CIU Individual Handicap Final

Paul Atkinson of Willington completed the treble of Singles Championships when he beat Sonny Hann of Crowtrees in the Final of the Handicap Singles at Durham City Club. Atkinson had already won the Singles Championship and the Curry Cup Singles.

In the best of five frames the first was very tight with Hann's 18 points start keeping him in front until the final stages when Atkinson got the vital late balls to go one up. In the second frame Atkinson twice got among the balls to knock in breaks of 41 and 28. In the third frame Hann had moved into a 47 points lead but a slack safety shot allowed Atkinson in and he cleared the table with a 49 break to clinch a whitewash victory