FOR those who came to witness top level snooker at the Barbican Centre in York, the sight of David Causier and Peter Gilchrist playing with only three balls instead of the customary 22 used in snooker must have seemed odd. However for those purists who follow professional billiards it was a sight for sore eyes. The final of the U.K. Billiards championship was being played on the infrastructure laid out for the U.K. Snooker championship and after a long time, the game of billiards was being played in front of the television cameras in the U.K.
The venue for the initial rounds was the North Ormesby Institute in Middlesbrough. The best of seven 100-point games with two baulk line crossings was played upto the semi-final. In the semi-final, Peter Gilchrist defeated Nalin Patel 4-2 and Causier overcame Geet Sethi 4-3 in a tense and close finish.
They both shrugged off early rustiness initiated by a three day gap between the semi-final and final and by the shift in venue from the North Ormesby Institute in Middlesbrough to the Barbican Centre in York, and gave a much needed boost to the game with an entertaining contest in front of an audience more attuned to the nuances of snooker. Causier eventually won the contest with a tense 5-4 victory over the 6'4" Gilchrist.
At 4-4 after three hours of some superb billiards and equally supreme tactical play, Causier, the world No.3 reached the finishing line, stumbled and then just fell across it. Gilchrist, the world No.2 and the world champion played gallantly, as only he can, exhibiting characteristic calm even in defeat. But it was Causier, with his curious and intriguing combination of unorthodox shot selection and quick paced hard-hitting style, who carved a decisive 79 in a 25-minute deciding game to emerge victorious. The two provided an interesting contrast. While Gilchrist exhibited the maturity and calmness of nerves throughout the three and half hour contest, Causier displayed his twitchy and edgy nature to trail for most part. Yet remarkably, when it mattered, the 30-year-old discovered an inner calmness though on the surface he was as shifty in his stroke delivery as a boxer trying to duck the firm punches of an overly aggressive and competent opponent.
The 100-point format with two crossings of the baulk line - one between 40-49 and the other between 80-89 in a single break - had thrown up some interesting results and intensely engaging contests. Having reached the final with victories over Thailand's Rom Surin, Roxton Chapman and Geet Sethi in the second round, quarter-final and semi-final respectively, Causier's confidence seemed at an all time high with the added knowledge that he had stretched Mike Russell to the limit in the final of the British Open only a week earlier.
Yet, Gilchrist was first off the mark, a fluent 73 helping him to a 1-0 advantage in the best of nine game final. Causier responded like a wounded tiger and using a wide array of strokes, scraped through a 101-87 winner in the next and levelled at 1-1. In retrospect, the loss of this game in which Gilchrist had at least three reasonable openings eventually cost the world champion the contest.
Breaks of 45 and 30 aided Gilchrist in then taking a 2-1 advantage but Causier once again fought back with gusto and enthusiasm to take the next two, which allowed him the luxury of taking a 3-2 lead for the first time in the match. Breaks of 75 and 51 unfinished once again took Gilchrist to a one-frame advantage and at 4-3 the tall cueist required only one of the two remaining games for a title victory.
That he was denied the privilege reflects Causier's newfound belief that he can beat the best. Allowing Gilchrist to score only 6 points in the eighth game Causier levelled at 4-4 to force the decider. Clearly, the psychological advantage was with Causier at this stage and an early 79 provided him with an 86-2 lead before Gilchrist launched his comeback. However he missed when on a break of 36, jangling nerves clearly instrumental for the unusual lapse and allowed Causier the chance to compile a careful 12 unfinished for the game and match.
Amongst the Indians, Ashok Shandilya provided the initial spark in the event by eliminating Mike Russell, the world No.1 but then went down to Nalin Patel, whose consistency over the last few years has seen him reach and retain the eighth place in the world rankings. Patel accounted for both, Devendra Joshi, the current national champion and Shandilya, the India No.2 providing further proof of the high levels he has attained in the game.
The results: Final: Best of nine 100 point games: David Causier beat Peter Gilchrist 5-4.
Semi-finals: Best of seven 100 point games: Peter Gilchrist beat Nalin Patel 4-2, David Causier beat Geet Sethi 4-3.
Quarter-finals: Best of seven 100 point games: Peter Gilchrist beat Chris Shutt 4-2, David Causier beat Roxton Chapman 4-2, Geet Sethi beat Robby Foldvari 4-1, Nalin Patel beat Ashok Shandilya 4-2.
Second round: Best of seven 100 point games: Ashok Shandilya beat Mike Russell 4-3, Peter Gilchrist beat Paul Bennett 4-1, Robby Foldvari beat Brian Dix 4-0, Nalin Patel beat Devendra Joshi 4-3, Chris Shutt beat Dhruv Sitwala 4-3, Geet Sethi beat Peter Sheehan 4-1, Roxton Chapman beat Ian Williamson 4-2, David Causier beat Rom Surin 4-0.
First round: Best of seven 100-point games: Brian Dix beat Clive Everton 4-3, Rom Surin beat Andrew Sage 4-0, Ian Williamson beat Gary Rogers 4-1, Paul Bennett beat Mark Hirst 4-3, Dhruv Sitwala beat Michael Ferreira 4-2.
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