KEN Taylor of Bootham Conservative Club won the York Conservative Clubs' Les Hawkins Memorial Snooker Trophy for the second time in four years when he defeated Clive Whyte (Heworth) in the final at Bootham Conservative Club.

After Whyte had gone in-off the pack Taylor built a 31 break (five reds, three blacks and a blue) to lead 35-0.

Whyte replied with a red and a black but rattled the next red in the pocket jaws to let Taylor in again. This time Taylor compiled a four-blacks 32 break to increase his lead to 67-8.

After several safety shots Taylor was forced to move the reds near the pink spot and with five reds left Whyte was still in with a chance of winning. He potted two reds with blacks then missed a straight red while using the rest and trailed 24-67.

Each player took a red but failed on a colour before Whyte took the last red but needed a black to keep in the game. With black safe he was forced to pot the brown, which made the scores 30-68 with only the colours left.

Whyte required three snookers but Taylor tightened up the game and put his opponent in trouble. After two fouls Whyte conceded with Taylor leading 79-30.In the semi-finals Taylor beat Ken Slee (Fulford) 60-12 and Whyte defeated Kevan Ventress (Acomb) 74-53.

Taylor took a 40-8 lead while making a 30 break (five reds, two blues, two pinks and a green). Slee, playing off scratch, hardly had a chance and his eight points were from fouls by Taylor. Slee conceded when 60-12 down.

Ventress, playing off a handicap of plus 21, tried to reply to Whyte's two early blacks and potted a red but went in-off the blue which levelled the scores at 23. Whyte, playing from hand, took an easy red and made a 29 break (two pinks, a black and a blue) to lead for the first time at 52-23.

After potting a red and a black Ventress left a red which Whyte sank to lead 59-31.

Ventress got the last red but went in-off again. He then got five points from a snooker and with the scores 36-59 he needed all the colours.

He potted yellow but missed green then gained eight points from snookers to trail by 17 points with 22 points on the table.

Ventress potted green and brown but rattled the blue and Whyte took it and pink to win 74-53.

Mark Darley and Colin Robinson were the match officials. The trophies were presented by Bernard Willey, president of Bootham Conservative Club.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.