John Hunter Claims English Over-55 Crown

John Hunter defeated Gary Miller 3-1 to win the Next Chapter Financial Planning English Over-55 Championship for the first time in his career.

• Results

The 59-year-old came through a field of 25 cueists at The Crucible Club in Newbury to win his maiden national championship crown.

Hunter began his campaign on the Saturday with a clean sweep of group stage victories over Rory Bateman (3-0), Dennis Tristram (3-0) and George Apperley (3-1) to reach the concluding day.

He comfortably swept aside Mike Lucas to reach the semi-finals where he then faced 56-year-old Ian Desmier.

The eventual champion looked comfortable as he raced into a 2-0 lead, but his opponent hit back to take back-to-back frames with a top break of 32 to force a decider.

It was Hunter who ultimately held his nerve, however, taking the fifth and final frame by a 52-32 scoreline to set up a title match meeting with Miller.

The 60-year-old had impressed en route to the final as he dropped just two frames in five matches and ran out a whitewash victor in both the quarter and semi-final matches.

Miller took the opener in the best-of-five frame final before Hunter restored parity by winning the second by just a two-point margin.

A break of 31 in the next put Hunter one away from the title and he duly forged on to win frame four and secure the Championship title in Newbury.