It’s just like playing Spain
A CUESTARS Seniors Tour player’s team was likened to Euro 2012 winners Spain after clinching a hat-trick of Riley Shield titles.
The Southampton & District Billiards & Snooker Association’s snooker team final ended with a resounding 4-1 victory for Terry Azor’s Chandlers Ford Central Club against billiards league champions Churchills.
It was the third year running Azor’s side had seen off the Eastleigh outfit in the final.
Losing skipper Paul Adams was philosophical in defeat.
“We can all play snooker,” he insisted. “But you’ve got to realise that we’re mainly billiards players. They’re like Spain and we’re like Kazakhstan/England.
“They are exceptionally good snooker players so you have to try and change your game, like they do when they play billiards against us.”
And billiards league runners-up Chandlers Ford, even with the advantage of home tables, were certainly made to battle for the victory.
Former snooker professional Danny Zagaroli did not have things all his own way in the first frame of the night, eventually fluking the yellow to leave Dave Baker chasing snookers.
Adams – who had “really fancied a game of chess on the baize” – was checkmated by Satpal Hans despite some excellent safety play and fiendish snookers.
Hans cleared brown to pink to double the advantage for the title holders.
And Chandlers Ford’s ageless skipper Azor eased past Simon Green to clinch the title-winning third frame.
Sid Reid did pull one back for Churchills against left-hander Mark Shirley but Wayne Muddiman, who finished third in the Cuestars Seniors ranking, made it 4-1 against 82-year-old Peter Green.
Azor, who sees himself first and foremost as a billiards player, said: “It’s been a good season.
“I tell people, who want to play billiards and are interested, that it will definitely make them a better snooker player.
“If you seriously want to progress in snooker, you do need to know how billiards should be played and get a feel of the cue-ball.”
Frame scores, C/Ford first: Danny Zagaroli 75-47 Dave Baker, Satpal Hans 57-41 Paul Adams, Terry Azor 48-9 Simon Green, Mark Shirley 20-47 Sid Reid, Wayne Muddiman 70-13 Peter Green.
Picture by Kevin Legg: Chandlers Ford Central Club, from left: Danny Zagaroli, Mark Shirley, Terry Azor (capt), Wayne Muddiman, Satpal Hans, Tony Hannam.