Cue SC’s Naushad creates major upset

Moors Six Red Ball Snooker

By M. Shamil Amit

Giant killer W.M. Naushad of Cue SC who defeated M.L.M. Fazal 4-3 in the seven frame pre-quarter final in action yesterday.-Pic by Ranjith Perera.

The seventh day’s play of the Moors Six Red Ball Snooker tournament saw W.M. Naushad of Cue SC create a major upset when he defeated fancied and national snooker champion of Sri Lanka two years ago M.L.M. Fazal by four frames to three in a pre-quarter final encounter played at the Moors billiards tables in Braybrooke Place yesterday.

In the early stages it seemed that Naushad was going to be a clear cut winner when he took an early three frame to one lead. He won the first two frames with ease with scores of 31-27 and 49-06 but Fazal fought back to decrease the lead by taking the third frame.

From there on it was a ding dong battle with neither of the two willing to give in. Naushad increased his lead by taking the fourth frame 33-24 to make it 3-1 in his favour. But Fazal using his experience to the maximum came back to equal it by taking the fifth and sixth frames.

The final frame turned out to be a scorching one but Fazal though led made some foul shots to which Naushad took the advantage and pull off the match in a nail biting finish.

In the other pre-quarter encounters played for the day the battle between club mates of Moors SC Z.A.M. Fawmy and P.A.M. Badurdeen ended in a an easy 4-0 win for the former while two other cueists from Moors SC M.I. Isham and M.J.A. Thasleem advanced to the quarters with wins over M. Jiffrey of YMBA Galle and Asela Tennekoon of SSC respectively.

The final pre-quarter final match between Prasanna Pushpakumara of YMBA and A.A. Kareem of MSC ended in a close 4-3 win for Pushpakumara.