Youngsters show great promise at Lynn's Maltings Q Club

The National Junior Billiards Championships were kindly hosted by Lynn’s Maltings Q Club for the third successive year and local players excelled in this year’s contest.

Finley Brown (13, from Catfield) won the national under-16s title for the second time, defeating Mepal’s William Chambers, 10, 247-107, in great style.

Earlier, Brown had beaten Alec Chalmers (15, Great Bircham) 171-145 in a competitive semi-final.

Chalmers has improved a lot in a short space of time, and the county association has already agreed to work with him in the summer to increase his break building.

William Chambers defeated Danny Overson, of Great Massingham, 182-113 in the other semi-final.

This was the first time that Overson had qualified to reach this stage and, like Chalmers, Overson’s level of play has improved steadily.

Nathan Boughen (West Lynn) retained his under-19s national title, defeating Harley Dyson (North Walsham) 205-158 in the final for the second successive year.

This was Boughen’s third national junior billiards championship crown after winning the under-19s back in 2018 and the under-16s in 2016, and showed what ability the West Lynn man has at the three-ball game.

Hannah Greeno (14, from Narborough) also retained her girls’ national title, defeating her sister Lexie Greeno, 10, who was runner-up, 83-74.

Lexie started this game in great form by recording two breaks of 11 in successive visits, but Hannah’s greater experience eventually told as she clinched a close win.

The under-16s plate event was won by Lewis Bunting (Lynn) 165-151, defeating another Lynn player Max Smith.

Earlier, Bunting had beaten Gabriel Fox (Northamptonshire) 150-113 in the semis, while Smith had accounted for Norwich’s Tyler Curtis 181-106. Bunting and Smith are two more players who have now moved into making 20 breaks in competition this season.

Thanks to the Maltings Q Club, who have been huge supporters of junior billiards and snooker for many years.