Fifth win of season for rising snooker star Ryan Hughes on Cuestars' Silver Tour

The 15-year-old from Chandler’s Ford takes a 12-point rankings lead into the final event in Salisbury later this month.

Hughes, who won the Bronze rankings last season, was forced to battle hard against Pringle in the ninth leg on home tables at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

He took the first frame, lost the second on the black from a winning position but broke the back of the decider with a 38 break.

Reflecting on the pressure of playing a third frame, he said: “I was still confident. I just made sure I played as well as I had all day and didn’t really think about it.

“I feel quite good. I didn’t play very well at all (the previous day) and nothing felt right. Then I played really well all day.”

It was only the second frame out of 12 that Hughes dropped in the event sponsored by Pitman Training Winchester. The first was to Ally Pollard (Alderholt) in his first group-stage match - thanks in no small part to a couple of well-taken flukes on the colours.

Pringle, 15, topped his group, despite losing 2-1 to Nat Kidner (Ferndown), and compiled runs of 55, 45, 41 and 30 before dispatching Pollard 2-0 in the last-four.

In the second semi, Hughes overcame third-placed David O’Callaghan (Bournemouth), who had won the seventh leg in Fareham.

Hughes’s previous tournament wins were in Woking, Salisbury, Coulsdon and Swindon.

Meanwhile, joint-second placed Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) lost 2-1 in the Gold Tour semi-finals to Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth).

Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) recorded the highest Gold break of 75 in his 2-1 last-eight defeat by Mickey Joyce.

Steven Hughes (C/Ford), no relation to Ryan Hughes, made a 55 against Callum Browne (Trowbridge) following a personal best 64 in the previous day’s Open Series.

Four young potters from outside the region who are coached at Chandler’s Ford SC or compete in the club’s highly successful junior section had something to celebrate.

Joyce (Basingstoke) beat Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 3-0 in the Gold Tour final.

Riley Ellis (Wootton Bassett) was runner-up in Bronze - despite losing to eight-year-old O’Shay Scott (C/Ford) in the group stages - and clinched the rankings title with a leg to spare.

Olly Gibbs (Gosport) lost in the Plate final to Kaine Petty (Fordingbridge).

And 13-year-old Jamie Wilson (Havant) compiled a personal best 83 break in the Plate quarter-finals against Premier Junior Tour player James Budd (Fareham).

The tenth and final leg is on Sunday, April 30, at Salisbury Snooker Club.

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GOLD RESULTS

Group A: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth); 2nd, Adam Stacey (Leytonstone); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Eastleigh); 4th, James Budd (Fareham); 5th, Mike Trigg (East Wellow).

Group B: 1st, Anthony Rice (Fordingbridge); 2nd, Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford); 4th, Jamie Wilson (Havant).

Group C: 1st, Dan Sykes (C/Ford); 2nd, Steven Hughes (C/Ford); 3rd, Callum Browne (Trowbridge); 4th, Olly Gibbs (Gosport).

Quarter-finals: Stacey 2 Hughes 0, Cowdroy 2 Browne 0, Joyce 2 D Sykes 1, Benzey 2 Rice 1.

Semi-finals: Cowdroy 2 Benzey 1, Joyce 2 Stacey 1.

Final (£70/£30): Joyce 3 Cowdroy 0.

SILVER RESULTS

Group A: 1st, Charlie Pringle (C/Ford); 2nd, David O’Callaghan (Bournemouth); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Ferndown); 4th, Drew Hampshire (Swindon); 5th, Harry Jones (Coulsdon).

Group B: 1st, Ryan Hughes (C/Ford); 2nd, Ally Pollard (Alderholt); 3rd, Keegan Reed (Salisbury); 4th, Kaine Petty (Fordingbridge).

Semi-finals: Pringle 2 Pollard 0, Hughes 2 O’Callaghan 0.

Final: Hughes 2 Pringle 1.

BRONZE RESULTS

Group A: 1st, Riley Ellis (Wootton Bassett); 2nd, Ronnie Sullivan (Coulsdon); 3rd, Thomas Saunders (Braintree); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (C/Ford); 5th, O’Shay Scott (C/Ford).

Group B: 1st, Shane Kearns (Swindon); 2nd, Chloe White (Havant); 3rd, Callum White (Havant); 4th, Will Forster (Gosport).

Semi-finals: Ellis 2 Chloe White 1, Sullivan 2 Kearns 1.

Final: Sullivan 2 Ellis 1.