A PLAYER whose miscue lost him the chance of pocketing £5,000 for a maximum break this week will be in the star-studded line-up when the UK Snooker Championship comes to York in December.

Stephen Maguire potted 13 reds with blacks in the third frame of his final qualifying round match against Shokat Ali at Burton-on-Trent and looked set to make a 147 break with the two remaining reds in good positions.

But Maguire miscued on the penultimate red, jumping the cue ball, so his break ended at 104.

The world No 52, from Glasgow, went on to beat Ali 5-4 to book his ticket for the final stages of the championship at York's Barbican Centre from December 2-15.

The reward for Maguire, who is a practice partner of seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry, is a first round clash in York with Irishman Fergal O'Brien, the world No 23. The winner of that match will face last year's UK beaten finalist Ken Doherty in the second round.

Maguire has yet to reach the last 16 of a ranking tournament but he has made a 147 maximum in competition, in the Regal Scottish Masters two years ago

Ronnie O'Sullivan, who beat Doherty 10-1 in last year's final at the end of a tournament with several dramatic matches, starts his defence of the title in the second round against the winner of the first round clash between former world champion John Parrott and world No 70 Adrian Gunnell, from Telford.

The first round features an all-Thailand affair between world No 33 James Wattana and Kwan Poomjang, ranked 114. They are good friends and practice together. Poomjang lives in Wellingborough during the snooker season and he also practices with world champion Peter Ebdon.

"If there is one of the venues you want to get to it's the UK Championship," Stuart Bingham, the world No 57, from Basildon, said after beating Patrick Wallace 5-0 to qualify for York, where his first round opponent will be world No 22 Drew Henry.

A break which he said was "the best of my career under pressure" has earned world No 65 Nick Walker a first round match in York with Allister Carter. Walker clinched a 5-4 win over Terry Murphy in the final qualifying round with an 84 break.

"I have never qualified for the UK Championship in ten years as a professional, so I'm really looking forward to it," said Walker.

This is the second year the event has come to the city and all the world's top players are in the field chasing a chunk of the £746,900 prize money. The winner takes home £100,000. The bonus for a maximum break during the televised stages at York is £25,000.

There are 13 new names in this year's first round draw, which has 16 matches, as does the second round when the world's 16 top-ranked players come into play.

Details of when tickets go on sale will be announced in the near future.

UK Snooker Championship

at The Barbican Leisure Centre, York

December 2 to15

First round draw: A - John Parrott v Adrian Gunnell, B - Marco Fu v Gerard Greene, C - Drew Henry v Stuart Bingham, D - Anthony Hamilton v Mark Selby, E - Fergal O'Brien v Stephen Maguire, F - David Gray v Mark Davis, G - Steve Davis v Paul Wykes, H - Allister Carter v Nick Walker, I - Anthony Davis v Nick Dyson, J - Chris Small v Leo Fernandez, K - James Wattana v Kwan Poomjang, L - Dominic Dale v Euan Henderson, M - Michael Judge v Barry Pinches, N - Nigel Bond v Robert Milkins, O - Tony Drago v David Roe, P - Dave Harold v Ian McCulloch.

Second round: Ronnie O'Sullivan v winner of A, Quinten Hann v winner B, Jimmy White v winner C, Stephen Lee v winner D, Ken Doherty v winner E, Paul Hunter v winner F, Mark King v winner G, John Higgins v winner H, Mark J Williams v winner I, Joe Perry v winner J, Graeme Dott v winner K, Stephen Hendry v winner L, Matthew Stevens v winner M, Joe Swail v winner N, Alan McManus v winner O, Peter Ebdon v winner P.

Updated: 11:25 Saturday, September 21, 2002