TRIANGULAR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Newmarket Snooker Club (24th-25th October 1998)

Teams representing England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland gathered at the Newmarket Snooker Club on 24th October
to take part in the inaugural tri-nation competition. The event followed
the same format as the previous England/Northern Ireland competitions
with each team playing a mixture of 2 hour matches and 150 up games.
England demonstrated their strength in depth, to overcome some
excellent individual performances from their opponents, and provide
some of their own, to emerge overall winners.

England No.1 Paul Bennett set the home team off to a flying start with
an impressive performance against Tony Buttimer. Making two
centuries and six further breaks over 50, he dominated the game to
make the highest 2 hour aggregate of the competition with 1,001 points.
The match against Northern Ireland was anticipated to be England´s
hardest test, and when Sammy Clarke levelled the scores with a victory
against Stephen Crosland, the home team where left in no doubt of the
task that lay ahead.

Darren Kell produced a typically solid performance to regain the
advantage for the English team, but this was again cancelled out by
David Elliott´s impressive victory over England No.4, Lee Lagan, which
included breaks of 155 and 117 by the Irishman.

This was to prove the last success for the Northern Ireland team as first
Neal Rewhorn, then Peter Shelley completed the English victory.
Rewhorn staged a fine comeback in his match after Donnelly had started
with breaks of 87 and 109 in his first three visits. Rewhorn replied by
making three centuries himself to win by 154 points.

The Northern Ireland party was only slightly diminished by Victor
O´Gorman who registered a 55 break in taking the Republic´s solitary
game. The comprehensive victory edged Northern Ireland back in front
of England on the overall match scores.

The English campaign against the Republic started a little shakily as
Victor O´Gorman made a string of good breaks to push the English
Champion all the way. This was followed by an even closer match,
where Darren Kell just held off the challenge of Phil Martin by 43
points. After this, England proceeded with somewhat less drama as
David Nichols, Neal Rewhorn, and Peter Shelley, all registered
comfortable victories. 23 year-old Nichols was particularly impressive
in his first international match, making a top break of 129 in his win

against Murray, and Peter Shelley could do no wrong as he put together
three centuries in a two hour aggregate of 938 points. Phil Welham
completed the whitewash to leave the English team in a commanding
position at the end of the first day.

Northern Ireland started the second day knowing that they needed
another comprehensive result against the Republic to keep in touch
with England. In this respect they got off to a good start with Tony
Buttimer and Sammy Clarke recording comfortable wins. Davy Pogue
kept up the momentum, albeit with considerably more difficulty, edging
out Phil Martin by just 17 points.

It was left to the experienced international Dick Brennan to break the
Republic´s “duck” making two centuries in a good win over Northern
Ireland´s No.2 David Elliott. Aiden Murray could do nothing against
the power of Paddy Donnelly, but Larry Drennan gave the Republic
their second victory to round off proceedings.

England, who took eight players to Newmarket had adopted a policy
of rotating the squad, but the omission of their No.1 player Paul Bennett
made no difference to the final result as England completed a second
whitewash over the Republic. Peter Shelley was again in sparking
form as he ran in a break of 141 in one of his 150 up games.

England entered the final match 13 points in front of Northern Ireland
and therefore certain of overall victory. Even so, there were some good
performances to come as Freddie Cahoon made two 50 breaks in taking
the first game against Paul Bennett. Paul managed to level the scores
with a break of 51 himself, but it was fellow Teessider Darren Kell
who put in the performance of the round when he ran to game with
148 unfinished. David Elliott also managed a couple of fifty breaks to
ensure a share of the points with Darren.

The final match score saw the England squad clear winners on 51
points from Northern Ireland, who finished with 32 points, and the
Republic trailing with just 7 points. Northern Ireland´s David Elliott
made the best break of the event with 155 closely followed by England´s
Peter Shelley who made 154. Shelley had a total of five centuries in
the competition, as did team-mate Neal Rewhorn, with three other
members of the England team also getting past the 100 mark.

The event was hailed as a great success by England team manager,
Derick Townend, and looks certain to become a regular fixture on the
billiard calendar.