2016 Cumbria County Doubles Championship (13/03/2016)

Basnett & Sim Claim 11^th County Doubles Title

Workington’s Kevin Basnett and Whitehaven’s Robert Sim have successfully defended their Cumbria County Doubles Snooker Championship to claim their eleventh title in the last sixteen years with a nail biting 4-3 victory over Workington brothers Peter and Stephen O’Hagan at the Portland Club, Carlisle this week.

The tightest final for many years produced some great breaks interspersed with some fine safety play as the multiple champions added to their tally in dramatic fashion.

The first frame saw Basnett and Sim make a series of small contributions to take a 1-0 lead but a break of 53 from Stephen O’Hagan allowed the brothers to pull one back.

A scrappy third frame enabled Basnett & Sim to take the third frame but with an equally resolute performance the O’Hagan’s pulled it back to 2-2.

Frame five saw the current champions use their experience to take the match lead again but a superb break of 51 from Peter O’Hagan took it into a decider at 3-3.

The final frame went back and forth but a telling safety by Sim on the last red yielded an opportunity for Basnett and with a subsequent clearance to the pink it was enough for the defending champions to take the title yet again to the cheers of the Portland crowd.

In the first of the semi finals the O’Hagan’s were in imperious form as they took out the fancied Carlisle pairing of Paul Wright and Mally Lancaster 3-0.

The second semi final saw Basnett and Sim also go through 3-0 against Barrow’s Tony Mason and Danny MacDonald. The highlight of the match and indeed what proved to be the turning point came in the second frame of the match. A 51 break by MacDonald that went awry after he ended up slightly out of position was immediately counter by Sim in the shape of a fantastic 86 clearance to take what ended up being a crucial 2-0 lead.

Thanks to Ron and to Ron & Mary Wilson of the Portland Club, Carlisle for providing an excellent venue.

Results (breaks in bold – over 50)

First round

Mason & MacDonald (Barrow-in-Furness) beat Thwaites & Peet (Keswick), 3-0.

Brown (82) & Hill (Barrow-in-Furness) beat Todd & Dawson (Whitehaven/Workington).

Griffiths & Barbour (Carlisle) beat Ismay & Barker (Maryport), 3-2.

Basnett (60) & Sim (Workington/Whitehaven) beat Garroway & Graham (Workington), 3-0.

P O’Hagan & S O’Hagan (Workington) beat Newton & Thompson (Workington/Whitehaven), 3-1.

Forrester and Carruthers (Carlisle) beat Warwick & Ryan (Workington), 3-0.

Tatton & Mostyn (Workington) vs BYE.

Quarter finals

Mason & MacDonald (Barrow-in-Furness) beat Brown & Hill (Barrow-in-Furness), 3-0.

Basnett & Sim (Workington/Whitehaven) beat Griffiths & Barbour (Carlisle), 3-1.

P O’Hagan & S O’Hagan (Workington) beat Forrester and Carruthers (Carlisle), 3-1.

Wright & Lancaster (Carlisle) beat Tatton & Mostyn (Workington), 3-0.

Semi finals

Basnett & Sim (86) (Workington/Whitehaven) beat Mason & MacDonald (51) (Barrow-in-Furness), 3-0.

P O’Hagan & S O’Hagan (Workington) beat Wright & Lancaster (Carlisle), 3-0.

Final

Basnett & Sim (Workington/Whitehaven) beat P O’Hagan (51) & S O’Hagan (53) (Workington) 4-3.