Warwick Snooker Club pocket more silverware

This weekend saw the university send its fifteen best snooker players to the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds for the only BUCS snooker event of the year. In a format where the strongest and weakest teams are separated out of fairness, past performances had earned Warwick’s three 5-man teams the right to be in the top half of the competition. While the Warwick third team narrowly exited at the group stage, the first team and second team both progressed to the knockout stages of the Championship and the Trophy respectively.

Warwick’s involvement in the top-tier individual tournament was unfortunately short-lived. However, many players in the second and third teams made good progress in the Trophy individuals, with two freshers making it to the last 16 and three players unlucky to be drawn against the eventual runner-up – including one in the quarter-final and in the semi-final.

Many players in the second and third teams made good progress in the Trophy individuals, with two freshers making it to the last 16.

Special mention must also go to club stalwart Guneet Walia. A senior member not only of the team but of the club, Guneet came into form at just the right time and spent any available time practising on free tables, more often than not with one of the freshers in our side, giving them both time outside of serious matches to get used to the tables without pressure. He was rewarded by reaching the semi-finals of the individual event before losing out to a very capable match winner.

In the men’s first team event, with the scores tied at 5-5, the Warwick first team found themselves in a single frame play-off with Manchester Metropolitan for a place in the main final. Ultimately, their champion was unable to overcome his England team mate and the bronze medals were Midlands-bound.

The second team won silver. Guneet Walia (second right) was particularly impressive. Photo: Author’s Own.

Meanwhile, two years on from finishing runners up and boosted by the return of their captain, the Warwick second team made quiet progress through their group. They beat the Oxford first team 7-3, and in the next game were running around the table re-spotting colours against the Exeter firsts (or winning a frame, if you’re Dale Dowdeswell), before going down 6-4 to the Manchester Metropolitan first team.  Warwick then had to face Durham in a winner-takes-all bout, and fortunately emerged triumphant.

In the quarter-final, good runs in the individuals for Zach Roberts, Guneet Walia and this year’s freshers’ champion Stewart Ball paid dividends with the side winning the match 6-1 without the fifth man even getting his cue out.

Warwick faced Durham in a winner-takes-all bout, and emerged triumphant.

In the semi-final, after more strong displays – including a Walia 39 break – the seconds front three had given the team a 5-1 lead in a race to six. Captain Mike Williams was up next. He dropped his first frame but recovered to pip his opponent by notching the winning frame.

The Leeds first team, the home favourites, were waiting in the final, and an unkind draw put the England captain against the Warwick player of the weekend, Guneet Walia. Guneet’s loss was offset by a win for Zach Roberts, but on balance Leeds were good value for a 3-1 victory. However with 4 of this team of 5 still at Warwick next year, this finalist is exceptionally confident for the future!