The Championship League Snooker competition continues on Sunday with two more first stage groups offering up the chance for eight more players to attempt to book their place in the second phase of the tournament.
We have seen a mixture of big names making it through and some being knocked out so far in the tournament and on Sunday we have two top 16 players looking to progress inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
The Format
The whole tour were invited into the tournament with it now getting ranking event status. The 128 man field have been split into 32 groups of four in the first round. Each group is a round robin with everyone playing everyone else over the best of four frames with two points for a win and one for a draw. The player who tops the group goes through to the second stage where the 32 remaining players are split into four more groups of four over the same format. Those eight winners then go into two more groups where the winner of each will battle it out in a best of five frame final for the title. Two groups will be played on each day until the final day when the Championship group and final is played. The first stage of the tournament is on Free Sports.
Day 14 Recap
It was another day where there was an element of farce about proceedings with Daniel Wells being withdrawn from the main table group because of a positive Covid-19 test. That left Kyren Wilson as a heavy favourite to make it through and he didn’t disappoint. He ended up playing four matches but never dropped a frame in any of them. On the other table there was a minor shock where Mark Davis was the main to progress at the expense of Ali Carter who didn’t have his best snooker with him.
A few technical issues means that we haven’t had any previews for the last few days so we are looking to pick up some good form on Sunday to make up for the disappointing push that we picked up in the last bet that we had. That was on Peter Lines who was 2-1 up on a Lee Walker who was there for the taking then annoyingly the Welshman turned into Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final frame.
Group 20
Fixtures
Stuart Carrington vs Jordan Brown
Yan Bingtao vs Michael White
Yan Bingtao vs Jordan Brown
Stuart Carrington vs Michael White
Yan Bingtao vs Stuart Carrington
Jordan Brown vs Michael White
Preview
There is a pretty open looking group on show on table two on Sunday as the Riga Masters champion Yan Bingtao looks to showcase his credentials and make it through to the next stage. If he is going to get there he will need to see off three competent challengers. Stuart Carrington might not be the hardest second seed he could have drawn but he shouldn’t be underestimated whereas Jordan Brown is one of the tougher third seeds after his run to the Crucible at the end of last season. Michael White was the fourth seed that nobody wanted to draw as he has top 16 talent when he is on song.
Group 29
Fixtures
Joe Perry vs Steven Hallworth
Elliot Slessor vs Kacper Filipiak
Elliot Slessor vs Steven Hallworth
Joe Perry vs Kacper Filipiak
Kacper Filipiak vs Steven Hallworth
Joe Perry vs Elliot Slessor
Preview
Joe Perry will be the other member of the top 16 who is looking to progress on Sunday. He gets the TV table treatment and will be looking to use his experience to the full. Elliot Slessor is the second seed in this group assuming he has isolated long enough having left the European Masters due to a Covid-19 issue. Those two look the standouts in a group which looks quite weak in depth. Kacper Filipiak is a capable performer but his best doesn’t come along as often as it should, while Steven Hallworth is here as an invitee as he is not currently on the tour.
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Group Betting
I’m not that interested in getting involved in the group betting, especially with a few Covid cases appearing recently which means the group dynamic could change at the drop of a hat. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if on the streamed table that Yan Bingtao doesn’t make it through. He looks to have drawn a bit of a group of death with Michael White an underrated runner there, especially with the bit between his teeth after he was forced to miss the European Masters through no fault of his own.
In the group on the main table it is hard to oppose Joe Perry given the troubles of Elliot Slessor in recent times and the lack of depth in the section but at the same time it doesn’t feel right to be backing him at odds on over the course of the day either. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Perry dominates the group. That is what should happen but it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if he gets found out somewhere. I’ll leave this one alone too.
Match Betting
I’m going to take a chance on Michael White in one of his matches on Sunday. I’ve a feeling he will have a point to prove and a run in this tournament could fund him and make up for missing out on his tour card. I think White will be desperate to show his worth here having not had the chance to play in the European Masters and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is competitive in all three matches over the course of the day.
The reason I like him against Carrington is because the Grimsby man isn’t in the best of form at the minute, and in truth he hasn’t pulled up any trees since the Riga Masters last season which is 15 months ago. He wasn’t great in the European Masters and it might be that he is coming in here low in confidence. Apart from inactivity there is enough to like about White here and given that this is his second match of the day he should have his cue arm going enough to win this. He looks a good bet on the draw no bet market.
Tips
WON – Back M.White to beat S.Carrington (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 2.25 with Coral
Back him here:
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