Lancashire’s Jack Crank and England B Under-23s are through to the semi-finals of the IEPF World Eightball Championships after defeating Malta 8–7 in a dramatic Friday playoff in Marrakech.
England B respond after final group-stage setback
England B began Friday with their final round-robin match against Scotland A. A close contest went against them 5–4, leaving the side fifth in the completed group-stage table.
They finished the league programme on 22 points, having won 11 of their 16 matches, with an 82–62 frame record. That secured a place among the six teams progressing to the knockout phase.
Crank and England B win 15-frame Malta thriller
England B then faced fourth-placed Malta in Friday evening’s playoff, with a semi-final place on the line.
The match went all the way to the deciding frame before England B completed a superb 8–7 victory. Crank was listed in the England B Under-23 squad for the fixture as the Lancashire youngster’s team challenge continued into the medal stages.
The result guarantees England B a place in Saturday’s semi-finals and keeps their World Championship title hopes alive.
Australia await England B in Saturday’s semi-final
AllScores now confirms that England B Under-23s will face Australia at 11am on Saturday 26 September 2026. Lancashire’s Jack Crank and his England B teammates will be playing for a place in the World Championship final.
The Under-23 team final is scheduled for 7.30pm on Saturday. England B must first overcome Australia in their semi-final. Morocco A face South Africa in the other semi-final.
More England teams reach the knockout stages
England’s Men completed their round-robin programme with a dominant 20–1 victory over Senegal before beating Malta 11–7 in their playoff. They have also progressed to Saturday’s semi-finals.
The England Ladies defeated Australia 9–6 and Senegal 12–3 on Friday. They are listed in Saturday’s semi-final programme at 9.30am as their main team campaign moves into the medal matches.
England A Under-23s ended their group-stage schedule with a 6–3 win over India, but finished seventh and outside the six qualification places.
Sources and live scoring
- Official IEPF AllScores Live scoring
- EPA profile: Jack Crank
- English Pool Association
- EPA ICR26 records
- International Eightball Pool Federation on Facebook
- Ultimate Pool Association Morocco on Facebook
- English Pool Association on Facebook
Results sourced from the official AllScores data. England B Under-23s’ semi-final fixture against Australia was rechecked on Saturday 26 September 2026. Times are as listed by AllScores. Tournament schedules can change; please check the official live scoring page for the latest information.