No surprises as fab four march into last eight

The four teams currently occupying the top four places in the league standings, all made it safely through to the quarter-

final draw of the Challenge Cup.

League leaders BallPoint were handed their place in the next round due to the fact that Alveley B were able to field just three players.

What little handicap Alveley did have was wiped out by James Brennan in the first frame as he knocked in a 48 break on his way to beating Dave Jones.

Alveley’s Martin Coffey Jnr’s second frame win over Neil Pearson, and his respectable 36 break, proved purely academic. Steve Powell wrapped things up for BallPoint by comfortably beating Arek Ziemkiewicz.

Chelmarsh B’s passage into the next round was not quite so comfortable when playing against Woodfield.

Woodfield started the match with an 11-point handicap advantage.

This was virtually brought to zero by Simon Thomas’s win over Chris Jones.

Chelmarsh’s Gary Smith was on fire in the second frame, demolishing Jason Morris with the aid of a 48 break to give the home team a 76-point lead.

Woodfield were not quite down and out. Both Callum and Neil Drewett did their best to restore parity, respectively notching 36 and 38 breaks when beating Dave Siddons and Chris Lewis.

The deficit was still 37 points going into the last frame where Mike Rogers proved too strong for Richard Castle as Chelmarsh won 362-277.

With a 182 start, Alveley C must have thought they had a chance against St John’s A. But after two frames that advantage had been reduced to five and after three they trailed by 72.

Martin Lippitt, Simon Manning and Josh Summers, who knocked in a 46 breaks, ended the contest. Ash Ward and Tim Steele added the final two frames as St John’s triumphed 441-339.

Shifnal B’s victory over Broseley B, who had a 48-point handicap advantage, was decided by the final frame.

It looked to be plain sailing for Shifnal as John Fellows and Carl Walker put them 57 ahead only for Nick Carson and Owen Hughes to eliminate that deficit.

But Broseley were denied a happy ending when Ian Postans beat Eddie Mullard to see Shifnal to a 291-255 victory.

Broseley A progressed at the expense of St John’s B.

Cameron Barden, Neil Caswell and Gary Watson put Broseley in charge and there was no way back for St John’s despite wins from Pete Williams and Jason Brown.

Match Results

BallPoint 340 (H’c 3), Alveley B 159 (H’c 32): J. Brennan 79, D. Jones 36; N. Pearson 39, M. Coffey Jnr 71; S. Powell 75, A.

Ziemkiewicz 17; Frames 4 & 5 = 72-0 Walkovers for BallPoint’s Dan Morris & Paul Harper. Broseley A 379 (94), St. John’s B 327

(114): C. Barden 61, M. Jones 36; N. Caswell 82, M. Crawley 40; G. Watson 78, K. Smith 47; A. Garbett 36, P. Williams 61; M. Smout

28, J. Brown 29. Chelmarsh B 362 (20), Woodfield 277 (31): S. Thomas 68, C. Jones 60; G. Smith 102, J. Morris 23; D. Siddons 47,

C. Drewett 66; C. Lewis 42, N. Drewett 62; M. Rogers 83, R. Castle 35. Shifnal B 291 (-7), Broseley B 255 (41): J. Fellows 65, A.

Carson 35; C. Walker 94, S. McLeod 19; M. Bailey 37, N. Carson 57; B. Jones 36, O. Hughes 71; I. Postans 66, E. Mullard 32. St.

John’s A 441 (24), Alveley C 339 (206): M/ Lippitt 77, R. Burton 14; S. Manning 132, K. Gill 18; J. Summers 86, N. Jones 9; A. Ward

59, S. Coldecott 43; T. Steele 63, C. Jepson 49.