Bradfords Isa and Mohammed Ishtiaq and Sheffield’s John Large and David Dalton make it through to Pairs final.

After a gruelling 10 hours of Play its Isa and Mohammed Ishtiaq who will face John Large and David Dalton in this season’s Yorkshire Pairs final which is scheduled for Thursday 25th May-7:30 start. With several matches lasting over 3 hours (longest 3 hours 45 mins), it was as much a test of stamina as skill as the day went on.

In the 1st round, Ishtiaq/Ishtiaq scraped through 3-2 against Keith Hartley/Martin McArdle before overcoming multiple Pairs title winners Kev Firth & Wayne Cooper 3-1 in the quarter-final. The semi-final was another tight affair, a 48 break by Isa in the 4th frame proving decisive in a fine 3-1 victory against Mick Stocks & Chris Edley.

Large/Dalton started with a 3-1 victory over Dave and Daniel Boyes, before overcoming Bob Patterson/Dave French by the same score. In the semi they went 2-0 up against Craig Butler/Luke Drennan before breaks of 68 and 81 by Butler made it 2-2. Despite gaining a 40-point lead in the decider, Large/Dalton found themselves pegged back once more and it finally came down to a black ball fight. Luke Drennan agonisingly watched as he played what looked like an excellent safety shot on the black, only to see the white trickle slowly into the yellow pocket on the super-fast tables.

Scores in full

Preliminary Round

Whaley/Walker 3(73)-1 Wootton/Portman
Hodgson/Bailey 3 (44,48)-1 Gaughan/Pamment
Miller/Dunn 3-1 Hall/Hall
Edley/Stocks 3-1 Godfree/Harper
Firth/Cooper 3-2 Hart/Broadhead
Brookes/Pearson 3-2 Doherty/Barlow

1st Round

Whaley/Walker 3-0 Hodgson/Bailey
Edley/Stocks 3-2 Miller/Dunn
Firth/Cooper 3-1 Brookes/Pearson
Ishtiaq/Ishtiaq 3-2 Hartley/McArdle
Pears/Crofts 3-1 Parlour/Rennison
Drennan/Butler 3-0 Clarke/Hardy
Patterson/French 3-2 Binns/Cassidy
Large/Dalton 3-1 Boyes/Boyes

Quarter Finals

Edley/Stocks 3-0 Whaley/Walker
Ishtiaq/Ishtiaq 3-1 Firth/Cooper
Drennan/Butler 3-0 Pears/Crofts
Large/Dalton 3-1 Patterson/French

Semis

Ishtiaq/Ishtiaq 3(48)-1 Edley/Stocks
Large/Dalton 3-2(68,81) Drennan/Butler

FINAL

Yorkshire Pairs final which is scheduled for Thursday 25th May-7:30 ALL Welcome to support.

Thanks to the NSC for use of the facilities and to Andy Kitson our “roaming referee”.

Paul Marlow
Assistant Secretary & Tournament Director