Bingham Is Championship League King
Stuart Bingham won the eighth annual Championship League Snooker event by beating Mark Davis 3-2 at Crondon Park in Essex in the internet-streamed event.
In total 27 players competed in this year’s event but it was the most local, Bingham, who scooped the honours and with it an accumulated cash total of £28,500.
In addition, the win guarantees Bingham a spot in the starting line-up of the exclusive Champion of Champions tournament which takes place in Coventry in November.
The Basildon potter said: “I am over the moon. It is a great field of players here and a long tournament if you stay in a few groups. It isn’t just about winning this; it is getting the Champion of Champions spot too.
“I lost a couple of matches at the start of the group and ended up having to beat Barry Hawkins 3-0 to get into the play-offs, I managed that and so maybe the writing was on the wall.
“It can be an endurance test and in the end there wasn’t much to separate myself and Mark but it’s a great one to win.”
Davis had led the best of five final 2-1 to look favourite for the victory. A break of 126 by Bingham in the fourth frame, the second best of the final group, levelled things before a run of 79 sealed the win.
Hastings-based Davis hauled off a total of £24,650 for his efforts.
Earlier, the experienced duo saw off young pretenders Matthew Selt and Ben Woollaston in their semi final matches.
The Championship League Snooker event is a venture between Matchroom Sport and Perform where 25 of the game’s elite players compete with all matches broadcast on a host of betting websites.
Results
The Final
Stuart Bingham 3-2 Mark Davis
84-1 (72), 7-86 (30, 40), 10-68 (43), 126-2 (126), 79-0 (79)
Semi-Finals
Matthew Selt 1-3 Stuart Bingham
64-20, 0-110 (110), 18-58 (34), 41-63
Mark Davis 3-2 Ben Woollaston
24-75 (45), 38-85 (38, 85), 67-28 (57), 80-0 (80), 58-25
Thursday Group Results
Matthew Selt 1-3 Mark Davis
8-69 (59), 119-0 (47, 72), 34-80 (34, 80), 0-88 (79)
Barry Hawkins 3-2 Ben Woollaston
80-0 (80), 39-79 (67), 105-5 (105), 22-55, 57-8
Stuart Bingham 0-3 Xiao Guodong
43-55 (Bingham 30, Xiao 35), 43-68 (43, 43), 1-63 (55)
Allister Carter 1-3 Ben Woollaston
0-84 (57), 1-76 (60), 57-29, 0-52
Barry Hawkins 3-0 Mark Davis
60-39 (40), 70-0 (70), 79-0 (34, 45)
Matthew Selt 3-0 Xiao Guodong
58-9 (42), 71-67 (Selt 36, Xiao 30), 139-0 (139)
Matthew Selt 3-2 Ben Woollaston
68-42 (45), 1-88 (52), 71-0 (49), 1-101 (101), 66-2 (35, 31)
Allister Carter 2-3 Mark Davis
71-52 (Carter 50, Davis 52), 40-87 (Carter 40, Davis 43), 102-0 (102), 31-61, 51-63 (51, 58)
Barry Hawkins 0-3 Stuart Bingham
40-70 (40, 70), 14-63 (34), 9-77 (50)
Centuries
139 – Matthew Selt v Xiao Guodong
126 – Stuart Bingham v Mark Davis (F)
124 – Matthew Selt v Barry Hawkins
118 – Stuart Bingham v Ben Woollaston
116 – Matthew Selt v Allister Carter
110 – Stuart Bingham v Matthew Selt (SF)
105 – Barry Hawkins v Ben Woollaston
103 – Allister Carter v Matthew Selt
103 – Mark Davis v Stuart Bingham
102 – Allister Carter v Mark Davis
101 – Stuart Bingham v Mark Davis
101 – Ben Woollaston v Matthew Selt