TEENAGE hotshot Dan Hildyard emerged from Salisbury SC after a dramatic day of twists and turns with a tie for top spot in the Senior Cuestars rankings.

At the end of a long season covering 16 tournaments spread across Southern England, Fair Oak's Hildyard went into the last event neck-and-neck on 177 points with Aldershot's Ryan Mears.

The Toynbee schoolboy won his first match and edged into a one-point lead as Mears lost his.

But defeat in the next meant Mears, 16, could catch up in the plate, the competition for first round losers.

Needing to reach the last four to go joint top Mears battled his way through to the semis but his chance to go clear at the top was ended by Reading's Phil Wildman.

The pair will receive a trophy each and a cheque for £125, which takes 14-year-old Hildyard's earnings this season to £620.

Mike Finn's slim chance of catching the top two also ended in first round defeat but younger brother Jason made his own headlines.

The newly-crowned under-12 Cuestars champion won his first senior event with the best snooker of his life, coupled with some intelligent match play, to pick up the £150 first prize.

Jason came back from two frames down to knock out West End's Peter Maraziotis and went on to beat Winchester's Wayne Muddiman in the final, which didn't finish until 10pm.

Trainee plumber Ollie Davidson was flushed with success after winning his first roll-up tournament.

The 17-year-old from Bitterne took a year out from snooker to concentrate on college work but returned to Chandler's Ford SC for the new £1,000 under-21 series.

Davidson won a marathon quarter-final match against Dan Hildyard, 14, on a fifth frame black ball and eased past Peter Maraziotis in the semis before whitewashing Lee Roling in the final.

The plate final was a repeat of two weeks ago and again Eastleigh's Phil Arnold, 16, saw off 14-year-old Joe Finch.

Otterbourne's Jennings, 13, had the best break of the day, an excellent 51 clearance in the last four.

Newly-qualified referee Steve Hildyard took charge of his first ever final as Mike Finn and Mark McLean took on Arran Newman and Alex Dunkley in the Winchester League doubles.

England international Finn's fine potting and McLean's expert safety play saw off the youngsters and the pair ran out 4-0 winners.

l Billiard league champions Hythe Social have won the prestigious Riley team snooker shield.

They defeated Sarisbury Social 3-0 in the best-of-five man team event.

Hythe's Brian Price beat Norman Bradfield 81-30, Alan Roberts made it 2-0, overcoming Dave Leeworthy 64-49, and Wayne Chiverton sealed the fine victory as he beat Geoff Knapp 46-33.

Sarisbury had some revenge as Alex Dunkley beat Hythe's Wayne Crotty 3-0 (51-38, 72- 31, 55-28) in the individual final.

The Frank Judd team snooker doubles final will be between 147 Executive B and Sarisbury Social while, in the Usher Cup team billiards semis, Hythe Social beat Wool-ston Cons 959-824 in the 200-up, five-man team, total-aggregate format with 147 Executive A overcoming Aerostruc-tures A 966-557.