Cardiff Open Pairs Final
Brian Rees & Jason Hewett 3 v 2 Dave Earls & Ryan Bowgen
Congratulations to Brian Rees and Jason Hewett after they won 3-2 against Dave Earls and Ryan Bowgen in the final of the Cardiff Open Pairs at Taff’s Well Ex-Serviceman’s Club.
It was the fourth successive season that Rees and Hewett have won the title, but they were pushed all the way by the County Cons’ pair in a tense and hard-fought match. The opening frame was the most dramatic of the night as it was dominated by snookers and miss calls, before Earls and Bowgen went a snooker ahead on the blue. However, a cross double from Bowgen resulted in the white travelling the length of the table and in-off in the corner pocket to give Rees and Hewett a lifeline, but Bowgen redeemed himself to win the frame on the pink and take a 1-0 lead.
Rees & Hewett drew level in the next, but it was a scrappy frame with no one player finding any fluency or managing to take control of the frame. It was level as it approached the colours but good safety play and solid potting was enough for Rees and Hewett to make it 1-1.
The next frame was hard-fought and neither pairing could establish a sizeable lead, but Bowgen and Earls managed to gain an advantage as the frame reached the midway point. Solid matchplay from them both kept control of the frame as it headed towards the colours and they won the frame on the pink to restore their lead.
Trailing 2-1, the reigning champions knew they had to win the next to stay in the match and they duly responded with Brian Rees making an early 24 break before losing position, before Jason Hewett’s 31 break extended their lead and ensured a comfortable win to take the match to a decider.
The deciding frame was an edgy affair but a 23 break from Ryan Bowgen gave the County pair an early advantage, before a crucial 29 break midway through the frame from Hewett built a lead that Bowgen and Earls were unable to claw back, and the match was completed on the colours to give Rees and Hewett the win and maintain their remarkable record in this competition.
