Personnel changes bring a new look to snooker's top flight
THE T&C Roofing Premier Division has had one of its biggest shake-ups ever, as league action returned with more than half of the sides seeing a change in personnel.
With a number of players taking some time away from snooker, movements between teams caused some late scrambling to get a side – largely driven by the Sledgehammers and La Villette replacing Adam Shorto and Darren Hughes.
La Villette were fastest out of the blocks when they were hosted by last season’s First Division champions RAF Reds, only dropping the one frame as new signing Mark Gauvain lost his opener on the black.
That came at a time when Seb Priaulx and Adrian Holley had already established a 6-0 lead without any alarms, but it was Steve Le Poidevin who posted the Reds’ first, beating Gauvain 55-54.
The remaining five frames mirrored the opening half as Gauvain and Martyn Desperques hovered around the 70 points mark in each, leaving last season’s runners-up comfortable winners despite a highest break of just 30 by Priaulx.
For the champions, it was an even better start as John Skillett – aided by an opening 48 – and new Sledgehammers captain Glenn Le Prevost also forged a six-frame advantage against Ex-Service Stunners, who drafted in Island women’s champion Kate Le Gallez against the latter.
As with La Villette, the Sledgehammers’ new signing played next but, unlike Gauvain, Jamie Le Cheminant took his first frame with a fine 33 clearance to win by two points and make it 7-0.
It was a bitter-sweet debut for Le Cheminant, though, as he was well beaten by Roscoe Cloarec in the next two, and it was a vastly improving picture for the Stunners as Paul Le Sauvage contributed half of their four-frame rally – but Danny Marquand’s 40 closed out an 8-4 win for the Sledgehammers.
An Ex-Service meeting between the Hot Butts and Imperium Strokers saw half of the players making their team debut, with Clayton Le Noury’s side smiling the most at the end.
Le Noury opened up with the other established Hot Butt, Tristan Ozanne, with both winning 2-1.
It was a scoreline to be repeated in the second half as well, with new signings Kelvin Du Feu and Clint McGrath taking the first four frames between them.
Du Feu will strengthen the Hot Butts following his seventh place finish in the aggregates last season, while McGrath was an 11th hour addition having not played for 12 years.
Both dropped their final frame, with McGrath missing out to Tom Brock, who has joined the Strokers alongside Miles Plumley from the disbanded North Legionnaires.
