Garden Farm

Details of the quality of pool on show at the Garden Farm in Chester-le-Street from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1 are now emerging and all point to a fantastic weekend.

Besides the very serious encounters the key organiser, Lee Holdsworth is taking two unusual challenges when on the Saturday he takes on Gary Nicholson, the current Disabled World Champion to a match, where Lee also plays from a wheelchair and then on the Sunday, Lee takes on the a leading star from the EPA Ladies Tour, Vikki Flemming but for this match he has to dress as a woman.

The star of the men's matches is likely to be Darren Appleton, who is the current European Champion and also reached the quarter finals of the World Championships. Darren currently holds over 100 pool titles. He will be joined by Mick Hill, the only player to win three consecutive Professional Tour Events, Tom Singh from the EPA tour and many key local players, led by Michael Rhodes, who reached the last sixteen of the World Pool Championship qualifiers and Chris Bowron, a key player in the Interleague as well as Steve Bradley, Ian Staines, Paul Henderson, Adrian Danniels and Matty Green, who could turn the tables on anyone on their day.

The ladies will be represented by Linda Leadbitter, the four times World Champions, Vikki Layton, the Irish Champion and the EPA Ladies Tour players, Helen Littlewood and Helen Sharpe.

Darren Appleton and Mick Hill will each have a challenge table to take on all comers. The ladies will not be left out for top player, Vikki Layton will have a challenge table to take on any ladies who fancy their chances.

On the Saturday, following the flyers and money matches on the Friday evening, the big Pro/Am event will begin at 1.00p.m. The entry fee for this is £20 with amateurs getting one frame start from the professionals. The prize fund for this competition is £500. A similar event for amateurs, also beginning at 1.00p.m., has an entry fee of £10 with a prize fund of £250.

On the Sunday there is a ladies event, again starting at 1pm, with an entry fee of £10 with a prize fund of £250. Besides these matches all games will be played through from the quarter finals to the finish.

Entry can be made on the day by anyone who fancies they have the skill and bottle to match the best. The entire event will be sponsored by Leisure Link, who provide the eight and nine ball tables, as well as the gaming machines.

Bishop Auckland and District League

Tow Law Station moved up to fourth place in the table after they recovered from a poor start at home to Bishop Auckland Derby. In the first game of the night the points were shared between Stephen Turner of the Station and Michael Richardson. The second game saw the Station's Lee Cullinan share the points with Andrew Delve. The third game followed a similar pattern as Shaun Umpelby and Stephen Lowther shared the points.

The Station came into their own from that point when David Craggs took two points to be followed by Malcolm Umpelby with a similar result. Andrew Burrows and Lee Cullinan then added the doubles point to the Tow Law score before David Craggs finished in style by taking both captain's point against Andrew Deleve. This win for Craggs, brought about by an unbelievable thin cut on the final black, takes him to the top of the Captain's Table.

Bishop Auckland Cumberland Arms made their second victory of the season when they visited Ferryhill Greyhound and won by three points. The home side had two points from Chris Donald and one each from Craig Meek and Steve Watson. The Cumberland's singles points came from Tony Roe and Geoff Proud with two each and one each from Chris Husband and Don Walton. The visitors took the doubles through Geoff Proud and Chris Husband before Tony Roe and Paul Archer shared the captain's points.

Crook Olde Horse Shoe, who postponed their game because of holidays, lead the table by seven points from Crook Coach and Horses, who have played an extra match but are nine points clear of Bishop Auckland Snooker Club B. Tow law Station are nine points adrift of the Snooker Club B.

Results: Crook Coach and Horses 11 Bishop Auckland Football Club 2; Toft Hill Three Tuns 3 Bishop Auckland King's Head 10; Spennymoor Ashtree 8 Spennymoor Weardale 5; Bishop Auckland Snooker Club A 2 Henknowle Manor House 11; Witton Park Rose and Crown 4 Bishop Auckland Snooker Club B 9; Tow Law Station 10 Bishop Auckland Derby 3; Ferryhill Greyhound 5 Bishop Auckland Cumberland Arms 8.

Crook League

Crook Olde Horse Shoe landed the League Championship and avoided their first defeat when they took the final two points against the visiting second placed, Crook Travellers Rest B to force a draw. The Shoe's early points came from David Stephenson with two points and Chris Raine, Ian Armstrong and Cliff Owen whilst the Travellers put themselves one short of victory with two points from Michael Burke and one each from Jimmy Singlewood, Doug Bowey and Aaron Cowan with the doubles from Jimmy Singlewood with Doug Bowey and Michael Burke with Aaron Cowan. Chris Raine then marked his Shoe debut by taking a second point and Gerald Parkin took the last point for the Shoe to force the draw and keep their season's unbeaten record in tact. This result left the Shoe 17 points ahead of the Travellers Rest B.

Crook Jelly's Bar A lost their chance of landing the Second Division Championship when they were held to a home draw by Crook Queen's Head B. This allowed Willington Market to move one point ahead with a match in hand. Jelly's A had two singles wins from Kevin Carter and Andrew Heyes and one from Steven Dawson to add to the doubles from Joe McCabe with Stephen Carter and Steven Dawson with Keith Dixon. Jelly's A finish as runners-up with Crook White Swan seven points behind in third place.

The date of the League Finals and Presentation Evening has been moved to Wednesday, September 4 at 7.30pm in Crook Spitfire Club.

Results: Crook Coach and Horses A 6 Crook Royal Sun A 8; Crook Olde Horse Shoe A 7 Crook Travellers Rest B 7; Crook Belle Vue 11 Crook Surtees 3; Crook Travellers Rest A 7 Crook Olde Horse Shoe B 7; Crook Mill House 7 Crook Spitfire Club 7; Croft Social Club 3 Willington Market 11; Crook Jelly's Bar A 7 Crook Queen's Head B 7; Crook Royal Sun B 5 Crook White Swan 9; Crook Queen's Head A 9 Crook Jelly's Bar B 5.

Bishop Auckland Area League

The annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 20 (8pm) in Bishop Auckland Manor. All teams intending to compete must be represented. There are vacancies for new teams and any applying must also be represented. The league plays on Wednesday evenings and it is hoped to start the new season on September 18.

The Presentation Evening for the last season will be held on Wednesday, September 4 (8.30pm) in Bishop Auckland King's Head. The awards will go to Bishop Auckland King's Head as the champions with Bishop Auckland Derby the runners-up. The same two teams will share the Overall Winners and runners-up awards.

The Captain's League winner is Shaun Reynolds of Bishop Auckland Grand Hotel with Brian Cable of Bishop Auckland Aclet Hotel in second place. The A Doubles League was won by Andrew Tuesday and David Jacomb of Bishop Auckland King's Head with Geoff Brown and Steve Horner of Spennymoor Wheatsheaf the runners up. The B Doubles League was won by Chris Blenkin and Terry Mould of Spennymoor Penny Gill with Karl Cranswick and Ian Cranswick in second place. The most Singles wins in the season went to Derek Cooper of Bishop Auckland Aclet.

The Team Knock Out winners were Spennymoor Penny Gill with Spennymoor Voltigeur the runners-up. The league Doubles Championship was won by Andy Mole and Kelvin Anderson of Spennymoor Wheatsheaf with Steve Bainbridge and warren Stamp of Bishop Auckland King's Head the runners-up. Andrew Delve of Bishop Auckland Derby beat team-mate, Stuart Milne to win the League Singles Championship.

CIU Pairs Championship

Second round results: C. Cornell & G. Manning (Quarrington Hill) lost to S. Defty & T. Briggs snr (Southwick); D. Turnbull & M. Turnbull (High Fell) beat J. Wray & R. Hornsby (Ferryhill); K. Wilson & T. Bainbridge (Fencehouses Comrades) beat F. Bartosiak & A. Hill (Quarrington Hill); W. Robinson & J. Robinson (Easington Colliery) beat D. Craggs & C. Donaghy (Tow Law); K. Stobbs & G. Swayer (Easington Colliery) lost to S. Wray & S. Webster (Ferryhill); A. Spedding & R. Riddel (Hylton Castle) beat M. Branton & A. Wright (Southwick); D. Bromley & T. Wray (Ferryhill) lost to T. Mullen & M. Loxley (High Fell); M. Stephenson & S. Sedman (Whitehill Park Tenants) beat S. Hann & P. Laverick (Crowtrees).

CIU Singles Championship

Second round results: D. Craggs (Tow Law) beat M. Miller (North Biddick); T. Wray (Ferryhill) beat J. Wray (Ferryhill); S. Wray (Ferryhill) beat S. Burnside (Ferryhill); P. Allison (Darlington A.S.E.) beat P. Richardson (Leadgate); C. Turner (Grange Villa) beat A. Spedding (Hylton Castle); T. Mullen (High Fell) beat M. Branton (Southwick); G. Gray (Grange Villa) beat N. Anderson (Shotton Comrades); P. Dodds (Consett Victoria) beat J. Hall snr (Crowtrees); T. Briggs (Southwick) beat S. Defty (Southwick); J. Bambling (Quarrington Hill) beat P. Bland (North Biddick); M. Green (Grange Villa) lost to P. Cox (Darlington A.S.E.); M. Bean (Darlington A.S.E.) lost to A. Wright (Southwick); T. Kay (Darlington A.S.E.) beat D. Riddell (Hylton Castle); M. Stephenson (Whitehill Park Tenants) beat N. Eddy (High Fell); S. Hann (Crowtrees) lost to P. Hickman (Shotton Comrades); S. Thompson (Hylton Castle) received a bye.

World Rules Singles Knock-out

This week saw the final group games being decided and the draw for the quarter-final stages to be held in Thornaby snooker club on Sunday, August 18 (1pm).

Group B was the most fascinating group of all as all players connected had chance of progressing into quarter finals.

First up billards professional Dave Nichols was up against Cleveland's only ever professional pool player Steve Woodier. Woodier had to give his usual 2-0 start and it was Nichols who took first blood to lead 3-0, but fo Woodier, who never gives up, experience came into the reckoning as he then rattled of the next four frames to take a 4-3 lead, before Nichols fought back to 4-4.

In a tense ninth frame Woodier came out the winner for 5-4 this was enough to put Steve into the quarter finals in the fast frame Steve cleared all his seven reds but went in off on his last ball this give Nichols two visits.

Dave then cleared the table for to land a 5-5 draw, this meant Woodier qualified and Nichols was out. The other game saw Gordon Brown against Phil Cox. Cox started the better to lead 1-0, 2-1 then 6-2 with the final score standing at 7-3. It was Cox who joined Woodier in the knockout stages. Group C was wide open but Kevin Pigott held the aces. with Tony Kay away still to play Mark Beaffit was Davy Tobbo's turn to try and produce something, firstly Robbo was up against Mark Bean defeat for either player would mean the end of qualification.

Robbo was on fire as he lead Bean 4-1 with some outstanding potting. Bean took the sixth frame for 4-2 but Robbo again responded to win the match a comfortable 7-3 winner. Robbo was then up against Kev Pigott.

Pigott took frame one before Robbo's potting again came into play to lead 2-1, Pigott then went ahead again 3-2, but Robbo would not be denied and with the game standing at 4-3 to Pigott it was Robbo who showed the form of his last eight placing at Reighton Sands earlier this year, as he reeled of frames eight, nine, ten for a 6-4 victory.

This means that if Tony Kay fails to defeat Mark Bean then Robbo would qualify. Group A seen Mick Shaw and Stuart Richardson progress to the quarterfinals with wins over Joe Mancina and Gary Nicholson. Shaw was an easy 7-3 winner over Mancina.

Group D was sorted last week as reigning champion Terry Allen was joined by Simon Holmes in the quarter-finals Stuart Green and Mark Klyman the shock casualties.

Quarter-final draw: Stu Richardson v Kevin Pigott; Phil Cox v Terry Allen; Simon Holmes v Davy Robbo/Tony Kay; Mick Shaw v Steve Woodier.

George Batey Memorial Shield

The Captain Cook team had a tough match at the Crown, Gary McDermott put the Crown 1-0 up. Paul Myers levelled. Alan Blenkinsopp put Crown 2-1 up. Gary Stevenson got the match level again. Michael Quinn then put Cook in front for the first time 3-2. Ian White got the match back to 3-3 then it was left to the Cook's start player Sid Harvey who is the anchor man and does not know how to lose as he went on to win his frame over Kevin Hudson and the match again for the Cook 4-3 to book a quarter-final place against the Park End.