Matt Taylor is the 2026 Phyllis Bell Trophy Champion
The Final
Played on Saturday 24 January 2026 at Spot On Hucknall
Matt Taylor (+56) defeated Jim Harrison (0) 3-0 to become the Phyllis Bell Trophy champion. Whilst Matt’s highest break of the match was only 15, some of his potting was terrific and the mini-breaks soon add up when your opponent is giving 56 points start.
Frame 1
Jim missed a few and left Matt some easy chances. Matt made a few mini breaks, the best being a run of 15. Matt ran out a 97-9 winner to take a 1-0 lead.
Frame 2
Jim got in early with a break of 22, however it was a scrappy frame. Jim was 37 behind with 43 on the table. Jim potted a red but missed the blue, meaning he now needed a snooker. To compound matters he left a red over the pocket which Matt potted and Jim conceded. Frame score 81-44.
Frame 3
This was the closest frame of the match. Jim broke off but he went in-off. Jim was left with a good chance in the balls, but after potting red, green, red he missed a pink to the middle. He was soon left in the balls again with the reds at his mercy, but again he broke down after potting a red and a pink, missing a relatively easy red to the corner.
Matt was left in the balls this time and he was looking good, but when his break was on 13 he missed an easy yellow. A break of 24 from Jim meant that Jim now trailed by just 26 points going into the colours.
Jim potted the yellow and after a bit of safety on the green Jim was left with a good chance, but he missed the green. Matt then potted a terrific long green, but snookered himself on the brown! Luckily he managed to hit the brown, so Jim now needed a couple of snookers.
Jim potted the brown and layed a snooker on the blue. Matt performed an excellent escape from the snooker to hit the blue. Jim then made a failed attempt at another snooker, leaving Matt a chance at a long blue, which he potted superbly to take frame and match.
It was an excellent performance from Matt who was playing in his first final.
Thanks to Spot On Hucknall and Anthony Hamilton for the use of their Star table. Also thanks to Paul Gibson for refereeing the match.
Photo Gallery
Results from Previous Rounds
Semi-Finals
Kevin Barlow (40) 0-3 Matt Taylor (56) (Jan 6)
Jim Harrison (0) 3-1 Andrew Diacopoulos (0) (Jan 7)
Quarter-Finals
Rhys Coleman (24) 1-3 Andrew Diacopoulos (0) (Nov 28)
Wayne Martin (0) 1-3 Jim Harrison (0) (Dec 4)
Matt Taylor (56) 3-0 Nick Sharp (48) (Nov 28)
Nav Hussain (0) 1-3 Kevin Barlow (40) (Nov 16)
Last 16
Nav Hussain (0) 3-0 Moe Anyanwu (24) (Nov 2)
Rhys Coleman (24) 3-1 Alan Caulton (24) (Nov 1)
Scott Stephens (32) 1-3 Wayne Martin (0) (Oct 21)
Kevin Barlow (40) 3-2 Andy Wright (40) (Oct 28)
Jim Harrison (0) 2-0 Darryl Clarke (40) (Oct 24)
Matt Taylor (64) 2-0 Jordan Parnham (40) (Oct 12)
Andrew Diacopoulos (0) 2-0 Oliver Turner (16) (Oct 15)
Mick Garratt (40) 2-3 Nick Sharp (48) (Oct 25)
Preliminary Round
Jordan Parnham (40) 2-0 Shane Fella (40) (Sep 17)
Ashley Field (40) 1-2 Matt Taylor (64) (Sep 10)
Darryl Clarke (40) 2-1 Gary Spencer (16) (Sep 18)
Patrick Ashurst (8) 2-3 Moe Anyanwu (24) (Oct 5)
Alan Caulton (24) 3-2 Gareth Clarke (32) (Sep 29)
Wayne Martin (0) 3-2 Keith Holgate (8) (Sep 29)
Nick Sharp (48) 2-1 Paul Bean (8) (Sep 21)
Breaks of 50+
Nav Hussain: 72,50
Jim Harrison: 69
Andrew Diacopoulos: 55
Wayne Martin: 55
Prize Money
Matt Taylor £100
Jim Harrison £50
Kevin Barlow £25
Andrew Diacopoulos £25
Matt also gets his name engraved on the Phyllis Bell Trophy and receives free entry into the end of season Alan Cunningham Trophy.
Previous Recorded Winners
2023: Oliver Turner
2022: Wayne Martin
2020: Steve Burrows
2019: Joe Reynolds
2018: Andy Teale
2017: Bash Maqsood
2016: Sean Bowers
2015: Tom Goldstein
2014: Chris Winter