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| JUSTIN WELLER ... breakthrough victory |
Although the scoreline showed 4-0 at close of play, it was a much tighter encounter than the outcome would suggest with each frame going down to the wire before eventually falling to the Belper cueman.
The opener saw Berry maintaining his early advantage throughout most of its duration, until Weller stepped in to take pink and black and snatch it 56-50.
A scrappy encounter in the next could have gone either way but it was 2-0 after an opportunity on a mid range straight black was accepted with aplomb.
Berry appeared to have pulled one back in frame three but after a great pot down the bottom cushion, the cue ball somehow found its way into the middle pocket for a foul and you began to feel it was not to be for the Crich cueman.
And despite Berry holding a good-looking 40 point advantage in the last, a steady compilation of 25 brought Weller back into contention and at the conclusion he gained excellent position from the blue to snick the pink into the middle pocket from a tight angle to complete the victory.
He now bids for a double in the OMYA Cup scratch final where he takes on a formidable opponent Ben Monk of Alfreton Palmer Morewood.
Crich Comrades No 2 reached the final of the Jaeger Trophy play offs with a 3-2 success at Bolehill Institute No 1, a repeat scoreline of their league encounter a couple of weeks previously.
Graeme Wood had a slice of luck when fluking the blue and landing perfectly to convert the pink in the opener before Ricki Slack equalised with an 84-44 salvo.
Simon Zoppi, struggling with a back injury, notched a 21 break to pull level in frame three but it was Dale Shaw who got over the line 67-47 before Ady Lowe made the game safe for the Tramwaymen after Andrew Brough had rattled the final black. The home side took the academic doubles leg at the end.
Crich No 2 now meet Alfreton No 2 in the final next week at Edgefold Club as Matlock Golf Club unfortunately had to pull out of their semi having been unable to raise a team in the fortnight set aside.
The final pair of T & M Motors Snooker League contests also took place as Crich No 1 defeated Bolehill No 2 4-1 with Paul Trevett and Nick Berry in great form for the hosts before Mick Bunting and Keith Robertson secured the pairs contest at the end.
And Alfreton No 1 came out on top against Whitworth Institute by a 3-2 scoreline as Andrew Haggarty ensured victory in frame three before a late fightback from the Darley Dale visitors saw Mick Ferguson successful in each of his singles and doubles legs.
Jaeger Trophy play off semi final: Bolehill Institute No 1 2, Crich Comrades No 2 3.
T & M Motors Snooker League: Crich Comrades No 1 4, Bolehill Institute No 2 1; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 3, Whitworth Institute 2.
Open Individual Handicap final: Justin Weller (Belper Strutt Club) 4, Nick Berry (Crich Comrades No 1) 0 (at Bolehill Institute): 56-50; 58-56; 63-56; 68(25)-60.
Breaks: J Weller 25; S Zoppi 21; D Smith 20.
T & M Motors Snooker League P W L Pts
Alfreton P Morewood No 2 18 14 4 63
Bolehill Institute No 1 18 13 5 54
Crich Comrades No 2 18 12 6 50
Matlock Golf Club 18 11 7 49
Belper Strutt Club 18 11 7 49
Crich Comrades No 1 18 7 11 43
Bolehill Institute No 2 18 5 13 38
Edgefold Matlock 18 6 12 36
Alfreton P Morewood No 1 18 7 11 35
Whitworth Institute 18 4 14 33
Leading breaks: S Donner 120; S Dobney 74; Gavin Shirley 70..
Leading wins: A Lowe 13/18; A Beardsley 12/14; B Monk 12/18.
