Kick up the backside takes Wayne top
A “KICK up the backside” propelled Wayne Muddiman (left) to top spot in the Cuestars South of England Seniors (40+) Tour rankings.
Muddiman, from West End in Southampton, hit champion’s form in the deciding frame of the third-leg final at Salisbury Snooker Club.
“I had a great day but I was not playing too good, to be honest,” he said.
“Trev did give me a scare in the final which probably gave me a kick up the backside as I did play well in the final frame.”
Indeed. Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club), who posted a 40 break in his 2-1 last-four victory from 1-0 down against Neil Herd (Player’s, Westbury), added a 37 to take the first frame of the final.
But Muddiman levelled and took the decider with a 42 and a 44 clearance.
The Chandlers Ford Central Club cueman, who also won the first leg at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club in October, recorded 2-0 wins over Darren Howard (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) in the quarter-finals and Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC) in the last-four.
Carnage in Group C
‘Group of death’ has been a much overused phrase since the World Cup draw but who could have predicted that John Hunter (Salisbury SC) and Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) would miss out on quarter-final spots?
The pair have both appeared in 16 Seniors Tour events and both had failed to progress to the knockout only once previously. Hunter is chasing a hat-trick of rankings titles. He won last season’s Championship while Birney collected the trophy in 2011/12.
Thorn topped the group from Howard, who was appearing in only his second event and lost to Muddiman in the last-eight. Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC), who finished last, may consider himself unlucky.
The fourth leg of seven is at Fareham Snooker Club on Sunday, January 26.
BREAKS
Nick Birney: 58.
Martin Wallace: 58.
John Hunter: 57.
Neil Herd: 47, 45.
Wayne Muddiman: 44, 42.
Trevor Thorn: 40, 37.
Darren Howard: 33.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading); 2nd, Steve Allen (Totton Recreation Club); 3rd, Nick Miles (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 4th, Alan Childs (Salisbury SC); 5th, David Volante (Jesters, Swindon).
GROUP B: 1st, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central); 2nd, Stephen Hills (Traders Club, Northfleet); 3rd, Dharmendra Patel (Crucible, Newbury); 4th, Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon).
GROUP C: 1st, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club); 2nd, Darren Howard (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 3rd, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 4th, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 5th, Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC).
GROUP D: 1st, Neil Herd (Player’s, Westbury); 2nd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC); 4th, Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).
KNOCKOUT RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS (£10): Ashton beat Wallace 2-1, Muddiman beat Howard 2-0, Thorn beat Hills 2-0, Herd beat Allen 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (£20): Muddiman beat Ashton 2-0, Thorn beat Herd 2-1.
FINAL (£60/£40): Muddiman beat Thorn 2-1.
Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.