Stadium were without Ross Wilkin (bad back) and Barry Stark (AWOL) at home and therefore had to draft Alan Ball into the side.
The ever reliable Pete Gormley put Stadium 1-0 up with a good win over Toby Irons and Matt Hearson-Ellis followed that with victory over Mick Salmon. The Braves were forced to call on a friend of Salmon's to play the third frame due to the absence of Shaun Parkinson. As it turned out, the debutant Daniel Wayman appeared fearless as he dispatched Alan Ball in a good quality frame. Gormley and Hearson-Ellis won a black ball pairs frame frame against Salmon and Irons to take the leg 3-1.
At BCI Steve Butler potted a long red straight from Clint Broome's break-off and then proceeded to pot a black and three more red-blacks as a 147 break looked a very strong possibility. He was then brought back down to earth though as he missed a simple red. Broome struggled to find his form after that and Butler did not miss much as he closed out the frame. On the other table Daniel Di Folco narrowly beat Paul Bradley in a frame that swung both ways right until the last ball was potted. Bob Walker struggled against Craig Bradley and you would have put your house on Bradley pinching it at the end as Walker left him an easy pot on the pink. As expected he dispatched the pink with ease and left himself a straightforward pot on the black from its spot. However Bradley inexplicably missed the black and it was Walker who went on to pot it to win a frame that he should have lost. The luck was well and truly on Stadium's side and this continued in the pairs frame. Di Folco looked on course to clear the colours as he potted the brown with the blue hanging over the pocket. But he somehow managed to put the white ball in the only place on the table where he was snookered on the blue and his attempt to hit it failed miserably. Bradley then stepped up to pot the blue as the BCI pair looked odds on to take the frame. Unfortunately Bradley's shot on the pink resulted in the white going in-off into the far corner pocket and the pink was left sitting right over the bag. Butler then sank the pink to take the frame and seal a lucky 4-0 away victory.
Sorry BCI, you woz robbed!
:sorry:
Stadium 3-1 BCI Braves
Pete Gormley 58-33 Toby Irons
Matt Hearson-Ellis 49-20 Mick Salmon
Alan Ball 46-58 Daniel Wayman
Gormley/Hearson-Ellis 40-33 Salmon/Irons
BCI Braves 0-4 Stadium
Clint Broome 25-74 Steve Butler
Paul Bradley 37-46 Daniel Di Folco
Craig Bradley 52-57 Bob Walker
P Bradley/Broome 33-52 Butler/Di Folco