SOME of the star names came into play today in York after a opening day of revenge, tight finishes and sore limbs in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship.

All eight of yesterday's first round winners were straight back into action today, with former world champions Peter Ebdon and Ken Doherty, as well as Leeds glamour boy Paul Hunter joining the fray.

Nigel Bond, beaten finalist in the world championship eight years ago, gained sweet revenge over Robert Milkins, who last year in York came from 7-1 down to oust the Derbyshire man at the first hurdle. Bond won comfortably 9-4 after having led 7-2 going into last night's play at the Barbican Centre.

This is the first time for three years he has reached the second round, but today he was up against Doherty, the Dubliner who has lost in the UK final for the past two years.

"I kept saying to myself, don't let it happen again," Bond said after his avenging victory.

Stuart Bingham, the world number 43, from Basildon, made the highest break of the championship so far, including qualifying rounds, with a 143 in the eleventh frame of his 9-7 first round win over world number 20 Anthony Hamilton, who fired back with 104 in the next frame and 100 in frame 14 but to no avail. Bingham faced a tough match today against Ebdon for a place in the third round.

There were ten century breaks in yesterday's 16 matches, eight of which were being completed this afternoon.

Two first round winners were suffering all day, Chris Small from a sore back and Dave Harold from a cricked neck.

Small, the world number 18, from Edinburgh, who knocked out Andy Hick, from Devon, 9-6, said the problem was nothing to do with the spinal injury for which he receives pain-killing injections.

"I've never had this back injury before," he said. "It was really bothering me all day and my legs were really sore as well."

He was due back at the table today against Australian Quinten Hann.

Harold, who completed a 9-6 win over Mark Davis, the world number 35, from Sussex, at two minutes to 11pm in front of a dozen late-night spectators, said he couldn't get down comfortably to play shots because he cricked his neck a few days ago. He had physiotherapy on Monday but was still in pain yesterday. Today he was up against world number five Stephen Lee.

Hunter's opponent today was world number 41 Stephen Maguire, 9-8 winner over Anthony Davies, the world number 31.

The big surprise yesterday was the defeat of Marco Fu, the world number 19, from Hong Kong, trounced 9-1 by Barry Pinches, from Norwich, ranked 36.

Tony 'Tornado' Drago was made to battle hard for a 9-8 win over Jamaican Rory McLeod, neither player gaining more than a one frame advantage after Drago had pulled back from losing the first two frames.

This afternoon former world champion John Parrott started the second session of his best-of-17 first round match trailing Barry Hawkins 5-3.

Big names in the frame tomorrow are former world champion Steve Davis against probably Allister Carter, leading 7-1 going into the second session this afternoon of his first round match against Bjorn Haneveer, and Jimmy White against either Drew Henry or Michael Holt, who were tied 4-4 after yesterday's play.

The championship, which has a prize fund of £615,000, with £84,500 for the winner, finishes with the final on Sunday, November 30.

Updated: 11:21 Wednesday, November 19, 2003