IT MAY have included a fluke but it was yet another new high break for Waterside wonderkid Shane Castle.
Still aged only 14, the England international from Marchwood posted a monster 144 in the third leg of the EASB Premier Junior Tour.
Even more remarkably, the break was made on the tight professional tables at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester.
Castle’s total clearance came in the third frame of a 4-0 last-16 victory over Sheffield potter Will Lemons.
“I started off well,” said Castle. “Then I missed the yellow on the (colours) clearance and fluked it in the middle (pocket). “I had a difficult blue and pink. I got them quite easily then landed perfect on the black and (Lemons) said ‘144’.”
It was Castle’s seventh tournament ton in the past four weeks and a 33rd in total.
However, the rankings leader dropped to third after a 4-3 quarter-final defeat by Clayton Humphries (Liverpool).
Meanwhile, Hedge End’s Jordan Winbourne, 16, topped his round-robin group but was knocked out 4-1 in the last-16 by Sanderson Lam (Leeds).
Fareham’s Adam Bobat, 16, failed to qualify for the knockout.
GROUP-STAGE RESULTS Castle: 3-1 Steven Hallworth (Lincoln), 3-0 Mackenzie Haigh (Wakefield), 3-0 Luke Smith (Dudley, West Mids), 3-0 James Pearson (Leeds).
Winbourne: 3-1 Bradley Chappell (Poole), 3-0 Harry Green (Harlow), 3-1 Harvey Chandler (Wellingborough).
Bobat: 1-3 Will Lemons (Sheffield), 1-3 Brandon Sargeant (Stoke), 1-3 Oliver Lines (Leeds).
Snooker review in today's Daily Echo
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