WAYNE Whitmore beat Neil Beckley in the Stourbridge and District Snooker League's over-45s handicap singles final.

Both players had played well in earlier rounds to reach their first final of this normally very competitive event, but, conceding 28 points start, Beckley, from Hotshots Snooker Club, struggled for form and Whitmore, from Kingswinford Cons, ran out a convincing winner - a fine achievement for a player who has represented his club for almost 30 years.

Stuart Barker refereed the final at Stourbridge Institute.

team knock-out plate final: Baggeridge Social (handicap 168) 383 Kingswinford RBL A (120) 401. There was little to choose between these teams which was hardly surprising as they had tied for the runners-up position in the First Division.

Steve Small, Gregg Reece and Dave Reece gradually clawed back the 48 point start, but both sets of players missed chances to make a real impact on the match.

Martin Collingridge gave Baggeridge a chance by beating Tony Davies, joint winner of most wins with 19/20, by two points, leaving his colleague Frankie Bennett to try to retrieve 20 points in the last frame. Andrew Brown looked certain to win it on the colours for the Legion, but missed the brown. Frankie looked sure to clear up but missed the pink, and Andrew made no mistake to claim the Plate to cap a successful season for the Legion, and due reward for a team which, with Martin Wilson in support, has been together for some 20 years.

Worcester Inter-League Semi-Final first leg: Stourbridge B 261 (A.Ness, A.Aston) Stourbridge A 274 (G.Williams 71, L.Higginbotham, B.Sembi)

Second leg: Stourbridge A 400 (K.Ashmore 25, 46, G.Williams 24, 27, L.Higginbotham 40, D.Green 32, B.Sembi 32) Stourbridge B 168.

There was very little between the teams in the first leg at Norton Social, with Geoff Williams’ 71 break offsetting the 45 point win for Adam Ness in an otherwise extremely tight contest, but two days later at Brandhall Labour Club the A team produced a resounding victory. Karl Ashmore played really well against Rob Pitt and cleared with a 46 break, but Steve Mason looked likely to keep the B team in with a chance, until an untimely “kick” on the yellow on 35, enabled Geoff Williams to clear up. Luke Higginbotham played well too, with an impressive 40 break, and Dave Green fought back to win after Adam Ness’s 33 had given him the edge.

Stourbridge A will play either Kidderminster or Redditch, who have home advantage to assist them in their bid to retrieve the 41 point first leg deficit, in the final.

John Betton, Taylor Fish, with a break of 45 and Andy Smith, with a 76 break, all won for Kidderminster, with Mark Weafer and Ian Drake replying for Redditch.