O’Shay claims first Silver tournament win

O’SHAY Scott has won his first regional snooker tournament – at the age of ten.

The Eastleigh potter beat clubmate Mason Wilson (Basingstoke) 2-0 in the final of the tenth leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour on home tables at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.

Scott, who finished the season in fourth place in the rankings, defeated third-placed Louie Leighton (Basildon) 2-1 in the last-eight of the event sponsored by Pitman Training.

And he then prevailed 2-1 in a “very hard” semi-final clash with tour champion Shane Kearns (Swindon).

Known as The Angry Wasp for the way he moves around the table, Scott was runner-up in the previous leg in Salisbury last month.

He said: “I really wanted to win it because it was my second final. I just had to try my best.

“I feel very happy.”

Scott, whose highest break in competition is 56, made his Bronze Tour debut in Havant in February, 2017 at the age of eight. He was promoted to Silver this season.

As well as competing on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South, he has collected a host of titles at his home club.

Last year, the two-time Eastleigh & District Under-13 Premier League champion pocketed a whopping £450 for topping the six-month-long handicapped Open Series and he has won seven of the school-holiday competitions.

Following a titanic battle all season with Kearns, Leighton and Richard Hillgrove (Southend), his clubmate Riley Ellis finished second in the rankings after losing 2-0 to Wilson in the last-eight.

Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the end-of-season finals day with special guest Robert Milkins on Sunday, May 19.

For more information about the event sponsor, visit www.pitman-training.com.

BREAKS

Shane Kearns: 39.
Richard Hillgrove: 38, 34, 31.
Samuel Laxton: 36, 30.
Zak Truscott: 30.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 2nd, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC); 2nd, Mason Wilson (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 4th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Laxton 2-1 Truscott, M Wilson 2-0 Ellis, Kearns 2-1 Hillgrove, Scott 2-1 Leighton.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): M Wilson 2-1 Laxton, Scott 2-1 Kearns.

FINAL (25/18 points): Scott 2-0 M Wilson.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)