Hunter closes the gap to Wallace

JOHN Hunter has taken a massive chunk out of Martin Wallace’s lead at the top of the Cuestars Seniors (40+) Tour rankings.

The five-time champion from Andover collected maximum points in the fifth leg on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club.

Two days before his 56th birthday, Hunter beat debutant Clive Cormack 2-0 in the final and pocketed £110 in prize money.

And he knocked in the day’s only century break, 103 against Robert Toulouse (Camberley) in the last-16.

Hunter, who now trails Wallace (Wokingham) by just five points, said: “I was pleased to bring Martin back within reach after missing the Bournemouth event.

“It was nice to make a century too.”

Earlier, he enjoyed close 2-1 victories over the improving Carl Groves (Bournemouth) and Nigel Phillips (Farnborough) in the last-eight and semi-finals respectively.

Runner-up Cormack (Shaftesbury) collected £60 after an excellent run in his first outing on the Seniors Tour. In the last-four, he defeated Nick Birney (High Wycombe), who is joint third in the rankings with Phillips.

Another big turnout of 27 returned 22 breaks of 40 or more.

Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the sixth leg of eight on Sunday, April 17.

BREAKS

John Hunter: 103, 50, 50, 46, 40.
Carl Groves: 60.
Alex Greenham: 57.
Martin Wallace: 49, 44.
Nick Birney: 47, 45.
Shane Hatfield: 47, 44, 40.
Clive Cormack: 45.
Steve Wheatland: 44.
Nigel Phillips: 42, 42.
Nick O’Sullivan: 42.
Alan Harvey: 40, 40.
Wayne Muddiman: 40.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS

GROUP A: 1st, Martin Wallace (Crucible, Newbury); 2nd, Alex Greenham (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Robert Toulouse (Sovereign SC, Farnborough); 4th, Will Brown (Salisbury SC).

GROUP B: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Clive Cormack (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Frank Gumbrell (Salisbury SC); 4th, Steve Read (Chandlers Ford SC).

GROUP C: 1st, Steve Allen (Totton Rec); 2nd, Simon Peacock (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Neil Herd (Salisbury SC); 4th, Darren Johnson (Petersfield Bowls & SC).

GROUP D: 1st, Steve Wheatland (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central); 3rd, Phil Vowels (West Byfleet SC); 4th, Shane Hatfield (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 5th, Kevin Collins (Jesters, Swindon).

GROUP E: 1st, Nick Birney (High Wycombe Liberal Club); 2nd, Carl Groves (Bournemouth); 3rd, Paul Lawrence (Park Gate RBL); 4th, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC); 5th, Graham Leech (Crucible, Newbury).

GROUP F: 1st, Alan Harvey (Chertsey SC); 2nd, Nigel Phillips (Sovereign SC, Farnborough); 3rd, Neil Carroll (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Nick O’Sullivan (Crucible, Reading); 5th, Nick Miles (Cue T’s, Marchwood).

KNOCKOUT RESULTS

LAST-16 (10 pts): Carroll 2-1 Wallace, Cormack 2-0 Muddiman, Harvey 2-0 Peacock, Birney 2-0 Herd, Allen 2-0 Lawrence, Phillips 2-1 Wheatland, Groves 2-0 Greenham, Hunter 2-0 Toulouse.

QUARTER-FINALS (12 pts, £10): Cormack 2-0 Carroll, Birney 2-0 Harvey, Phillips 2-1 Allen, Hunter 2-1 Groves.

SEMI-FINALS (15 pts, £30): Cormack 2-1 Birney, Hunter 2-1 Phillips.

FINAL (25/18 pts, £110/£60): Hunter 2-0 Cormack.

Picture: Clive Cormack (left) and John Hunter