Snooker Season 2025/6

Away Team Report:
Our best result of the season so far as we doubled our Premier League points tally!

The opening two frames between Gavin and Andy were mirror images. In each case, whoever started well went on to lose.

Andy made a solid start to lead 25-0 in the first frame of the night, before Gavin overturned the deficit through consistently picking balls off and leaving minimal chances. Andy found himself 21 behind on the yellow but with a chance. He cleared to the blue but went in-off and Knaphill went into a 1-0 lead.

The momentum remained with Gavin in the early part of the second frame. He led by 20 but - just like the previous one - saw this overturned by a spell of astute tactical play by Andy. He led on the colours with green frame ball and brown on the cushion. Gavin played a clever safety shot on the green to simultaneously move the brown but was unlucky to leave the green up. The frame turned decisively in Andy's favour and he levelled the match.

Paul looked sharper in the balls in the third frame and sealed a straightforward win over Chris by potting the yellow down the side cushion.

Chris then started to find that lovely touch and rhythm he's associated with - illustrated by a break of 24 in the fourth frame. Neither player could break free, though, and it eventually came down to the black. We'd lost all previous black-ball finishes this season, but fortune favoured us this time. Paul's long potting has always been one of his great strengths, but a very difficult black eluded him and Chris got us level once more.

The frame of the night was undoubtedly between Jasmine and Kelvin: another black-ball finish that went our way. Like Paul, Jasmine's long potting is terrific and there was a real sense that she was just on the cusp of converting chances into sizeable breaks. Kelvin was in good touch, too. An early break of 21 put him almost 30 ahead with three reds remaining.

There then followed a captivating period of play in which Jasmine laid a fine snooker on the last red: it was behind the yellow and brown tucked together in baulk. The white was near the black spot. Kelvin's only escape route was up-and-down off the baulk cushion. He missed by a whisker three times, also leaving a free ball on each occasion.

Eventually, the tables turned: Kelvin potted the red from open play and then immediately snookered Jasmine on the yellow! She missed and was accidentally knocked the black in. Something dramatic was happening on every shot. Kelvin went in-off the green before fluking it and Jasmine then needed all remaining balls. One of her trademark long straight pots (on the pink) took us to what felt like another pre-destined black-ball shoot out. It was settled by Kelvin's excellent long pot of his own.

Unfortunately for us, I couldn't convert a match lead into our first win of the season - despite playing pretty well in spells. My frame with Jasmine was much more open than the previous one (and also much quicker). Potting was generally good from both of us. I took a long yellow and thin green to keep in the game on the colours. I was quite pleased with my safety on the brown but Jasmine turned the frame decisively in Knaphill's favour with another superb pot from distance and went on to win on the pink.

A really absorbing night of snooker. Knaphill made us all feel very welcome and Gavin also kindly provided a tray of tasty home-made rolls.

PV