WEST Midlands Police have been crowned Stourbridge Snooker League’s Premier Division champions after a play-off victory over Norton Social A.

A play-off was needed as the teams had tied on the same number of points won, being only the second occasion this has been required in the 36 years since the Premier Division was created.

There were around 70 spectators to watch the action unfold, and the snooker was occasionally brilliant, often error-strewn, but made for compelling viewing on the single table allocated for the match.

Ashley Aston began well for Norton but Gavin Sloan drew level, only for his opponent to go ahead with a run of 25, missing pink when looking sure to win. Gavin looked set to take advantage but missed the blue and Ashley clinched the frame 58-39.

Both second-frame players made mistakes until a snooker laid by Pete Gibbons yielded 12 points, and the three pinks which followed put him 28 ahead with the colours remaining. He failed to get out of a snooker himself, however, but Steve Mason couldn’t capitalise and an unlucky in-off followed for Gibbons to level the match 74-39.

Norton’s Rob Pitt then played some of the most fluent snooker of the evening, hardly giving his opponent, Maria Catalano, a chance and she conceded on the colours.

Norton – who won the 2015 championship with the assistance of Andy Smith’s 62 break while he was playing for Pockets SC A in their last match against Norton’s closest rivals – had invited Smith to join their team this season and, taking advantage of a rare slip by Eliott Bastable, Smith gave Norton’s supporters much to cheer as he constructed a fine break of 36 to lead 58-12 with two reds remaining, despite missing the black which would have put him 53 ahead. Bastable responded with a red and pink, but failed to pot a colour off the last red. He managed to lay two difficult snookers, however, as Smith’s attempts to clinch the match kept hitting the jaws of the pockets. Smith went in-off with an attempted pot on green and Bastable, in his first season for the Police, seized his chance to clear up, taking the frame 58-57.

In the final frame, Kev Franklin of the Police couldn’t quite shake off the attentions of Adam Ness. Franklin tried to double the last pink but, in a rare misjudgement, went in-off; Ness potted pink but ran up too tight to the black. Both failed with attempted pots before Franklin cut the black into the centre pocket to give West Midlands Police their first championship, the cup being presented to their captain, Carl Southwick, by league president Mike Pritchard.

Meanwhile, in the Premier Division individual event, Eliot Bastable beat Maria Catalano.

In the over-45 individual handicap, Kev Franklin (West Midlands Police) h/c -18 lost 3-0 to Tony Kidd (Pockets Snooker Club) h/c +21.