Snooker: Hotshots stay on course for league and cup double

Hotshots remain on course for a West Midlands Snooker League double after overpowering Bilston Bowling Club B to reach the Challenge Cup final.

The newly-crowned Division One champions comfortably overturned a 176-point handicap against Bilston, who have themselves enjoyed an excellent season after winning promotion from Division Three.

Nik Smith got them off to a great start by winning the opening frame by six points.

But his efforts were quickly wiped out by Karl Ashmore, who won the next by 127 points for Hotshots to cut Bilston’s lead to just 55 with three frames to play.

Wins for Luke Higginbotham and Callum Downing, the latter of whom rattled in a break of 79, gave Hotshots a lead of 76 points heading into the final match of the night.

It proved more than enough of an advantage, Paul Deaville putting the result beyond doubt with a break of 87 as the champions won through 429-290.

Hotshots will face Dudley Ex Service in the final after they beat Division Four rivals Poets Corner F.

The latter were given a 44-point head start and things were tight, as expected, with wins for Dudley’s Sean McIntosh and Poets’ Scott Smith in the opening two frames barely moving the points differential.

Things then began to heat up. Elliott Price won by 38 points for Poets but the decisive win of the night was secured on the adjacent table by Kelvin Burton.

His victory by 117 points saw Dudley fly into the lead and Darrel Payne held his nerve in the final frame to see home the win.

Q Bar Juniors will face Woodfield B in the Consolation Cup final after a semi-final win over Poets Corner B.

Riley Walker got Q Bar, who began with a 60-point advantage, off to a good start adding a further 22 points to their lead.

Mick Neill, Lee Peach and Josh Peach then all won for Poets but Q Bar were still 51 points ahead going into the final frame, where they were guided home by Bobbie Wilson who hit a break of 38 to beat Brad Peach.

Oliver Spooner and Simon Hickman will meet in the Individual Plate final after both secured comfortable last-four wins.

Spooner recorded a 4-0 victory over Chris Ward, with Hickman dropping only one frame in his win against David Hall.

Wednesfield RBL secured their Division Four survival with a 4-1 home win over Kingswinford, a result which meant the latter missed out on promotion.

Both teams went into the match knowing two points would be enough to clinch their respective goals.

Wins for Jason Perks and Dave Wilton eased Wednesfield fears of the drop early on, confirming Fordhouses Cricket Club were relegated instead.

Yet there was despair for Kingswinford, who needed to win two of the final three frames but could only find one, through Wayne Powell, meaning Bentley Moor claimed the final promotion place.