Champion-elect Harvey makes it eight on the spin

THERE was an early birthday present for runaway rankings leader Sean Harvey on the Frames Sports Bar Championship Tour.

The Surrey sharp-shooter extended his winning run on the Cuestars circuit to 14 months.

On the day before his 35th birthday, Harvey overcame Ryan Mears 3-2 in a top-notch final of the fifth leg sponsored by Fuller’s brewery at Fareham Snooker Club.

He pocketed £100 prize money after clinching the deciding frame with a 67 break.

Harvey, from Longcross, has won all five legs this season and the last eight events that he has entered.

Aldershot hotshot Mears earlier missed a pink for his highest competitive break.

The 31-year-old had to settle for the day’s best of 120 in his 3-0 last-16 victory over Ollie Douglas (Thatcham), who, of course, sits top of the Cuestars high-break board with a 145 made in October, 2013 in Swindon.

Second-placed Jamie Wilson (Havant) is the only player who can mathematically catch Harvey with three legs remaining. The champion-elect, who is on course to collect the £500 first prize, requires a minimum of 21 points – and those losing in the last-32 collect eight points.

Dale Prout (Newbury), who lost 3-0 to Harvey in the last-four, climbed to third place.

Craig Marsh (Thatcham) made the semis for the first time in nearly two years.

Two days after returning from a quarter-final exit in the World Snooker Federation Junior Open in Malta, Oliver Sykes, 14, lost 3-0 to Prout in the first round but collected £20 after beating Cameron Holt (Reading) 2-0 in the Plate final.

To find out more about Fuller’s, visit www.fullers.co.uk.

The sixth leg of eight is at The Crucible Sports & Social Club, Newbury, on Sunday, February 9.

RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIMS: Neil Clayton 3-1 Neil Herd, Robert Donohoe 3-0 Cameron Holt, Jake Stewart 3-0 Mike Trigg, James Cullen 3-2 Dan Sykes, James Budd 3-2 Olly Gibbs, Anthony Rice 3-1 Christian Chislett.

LAST-16: Sean Harvey 3-1 Raj Puri, Donohoe 3-0 Clayton, Cullen 3-2 Stewart, Dale Prout (51)3-0 Oliver Sykes, Craig Marsh 3-2 O’Shay Scott, Rice 3-0 Budd, Ryan Mears (120, 72)3-0 Ollie Douglas, Jamie Wilson 3-0 Jack Smithers.

QUARTER-FINALS: Sean Harvey (84)3-0 Donohoe, Prout 3-1 Cullen, Marsh 3-2 Rice, Mears (54)3-1(52) Wilson.

SEMI-FINALS (£25): Harvey (64)3-0 Prout, Mears 3-1 Marsh.

FINAL (£100/£50): Harvey (67, 62. 53)3-2(61) Mears.

PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)

SEMI-FINALS: Holt 2-1 Puri, O Sykes 2-0 D Sykes.

FINAL (£20): O Sykes 2-0 Holt.

Picture by John Hunter

Ryan Mears (left) and Sean Harvey

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)