FELIXSTOWE Snooker Club played host to the latest rounds of the Suffolk County Billiards & Snooker ranking tournaments at the weekend.In the billiards event, Newmarket protégé Stevie Kerr took his second consecutive county title with a comfortable win over Peter Hobson (Bury) who was playing his first final.

FELIXSTOWE Snooker Club played host to the latest rounds of the Suffolk County Billiards & Snooker ranking tournaments at the weekend.

In the billiards event, Newmarket protégé Stevie Kerr took his second consecutive county title with a comfortable win over Peter Hobson (Bury) who was playing his first final.

With County champion Scott Nevard absent, Stevie took full advantage, and with breaks of 53, 57, 65 & 77 was largely untroubled on his way to victory. Norfolk ex-pat John Carman came closest to an upset in the semi-final, a break of 57 by Kerr being the deciding factor in his 25 point win.

Peter Hobson overcame an in form Peter Johnson (Newmarket), who had earlier knocked in a break of 51, in the quarters, and county number three Steve Springham (Bury) in the semis. Early fancied casualties included Steve Gammon (Herringswell) and John Davis, who went down to Newmarket compatriot Nik Charalambous, a player who is surely set for an imminent breakthrough in both billiards and snooker.

Davis set about the plate competition as a huge favourite, but Bury junior international Nick Springham had other ideas, and with some inspired play during the latter stages of the final overcame his more experienced opponent 224-202.

The main changes to the county rankings sees Stevie Kerr overtake Scott Nevard as number one, Peter Hobson moves up two places to fifth with Nick Springham and John Carman jumping four and seven places respectively to 14th & 15th.

The snooker event saw another record entry of 49 players, a number which is now up there with the heyday of county snooker events in the 80's. After a Suffolk title drought of almost a year, county number one Phil Mumford finally got back to winning ways with a victory over close rival and county champion Jason Watkiss (Leiston) in the final.

Watkiss had beaten Mumford in two out of the three finals they contested last season, and looked set to up that average by comfortably taking the first frame. It wasn't to be though, as Mumford responded and took the match by three frames to one, a break of 63 sealing the last frame.

Earlier, Mumford had taken care of Jon Wright (Bury) in the semis, recording the highest break of the tournament with 85 in the process. Watkiss had his toughest match in the quarter-final against Kevin Bowen (Felixstowe), a player who is proving a handful for all the top county players.

His narrow 3-2 win set him up for a semi-final clash with Steve Byford (Ipswich) who was making a welcome return to county competition after a break of 12 years. Unfortunately for his earlier opponents he picked up where he left off in 1995, taking out county number two Tom Parry and knocking in several 50+ breaks along the way.

It proved one match too far though, as Watkiss prevailed by three frames to nil. After a first round defeat to Martin Scales (Ipswich) in the main competition, Stevie Kerr went in to damage limitation mode for the plate, winning the final two frames to one from Terry Arnold (Ipswich).

Rankings wise, Jason Watkiss moves back into second spot over Tom Parry, whilst Jon Wright moves in to fourth. Kevin Bowen leaps 17 places up to 14th, and Steve Byford's run to the semis debuts him at 19th.

The next Billiards Ranking event takes place at The Waveney Cue Club in Beccles on Sunday, April 22, whilst the corresponding Snooker event is played at Newmarket Snooker and Bowl on April 29.