The EPSB Weekly | Brown and Hughes Claim Titles

Wayne Brown and Ryan Hughes won the final two EPSB events of 2019 last weekend in Halifax and Waterlooville respectively. 

Former professional Wayne Brown became the third different victor on this season’s Seniors Tour after claiming the Event Three title at the Halifax Snooker Club. 

Brown was superb throughout the weekend in Yorkshire, starting his weekend by collecting maximum ranking points after finishing top of his round robin group with three wins out of three. Shaun Wilkes, Nish Joshi, Richard Emery, Anthony Massey and David Brown were the other players who headed their groups at the end of Saturday’s action. 

As one of the top seeds, Brown received a bye into the last 16 of the knockout phase on Sunday where he defeated Andy Turner 3-0 before eliminating both Wilkes and John Welsh by 3-1 score lines in the quarter and semi-finals. His opponent in the final was fellow ex-professional Massey, who likewise had remained undefeated in the event. Massey booked his spot in the tournament conclusion with a 3-2 success over Brown in the other last four tie.   

Straight away Brown made his intentions clear as he chalked up the opening frame with a break of 110 – eclipsing Graham Beardmore’s previous standing 103 to become and stay as the highest of the competition. He doubled his advantage by depositing the second frame and then a run of 52 helped him in the third to seal a 3-0 triumph. 

Ryan Hughes emerged as a new winner on this campaign’s Under-20 Regional Development Tour South as he secured the Event Three accolade at the Waterlooville Sports Bar last Sunday. 

In a tight finish to Group A where three players sat on two wins out of three, Hughes acquired top spot via frame difference. In the knockouts he denied Steven Bubb in the quarter-finals and then Aristos Pampouris in the semi-finals, both by 2-0 margins. 

Namesake Steven Hughes was the other half of the final pairing; his second consecutive final appearance on the circuit having reached the same stage at Chandlers Ford last month. Steven stopped rankings leader Jack Haley – winner of the first two events of the season – 2-1 on the final black in the semi-finals. However, it was Ryan who came through the all-Hughes final with a 2-0 victory. 

Haley constructed the day’s best break with a run of 73. 

For results from last weekend’s events, please visit snookerscores.net here.

Entries Reminder

The first EPSB event of 2020 will be English Amateur Tour Event Four held at the Cueball Derby on the 4th and 5th of January.

Entries for the event close at the end of this week. To book your place, please use the EPSB MemberZone here.