Lancashire’s Jack Crank enjoyed an excellent Wednesday at the IEPF World Eightball Championships in Marrakech, reaching the last 16 of the Under-23 Singles and collecting another win in Men’s Singles qualifying. England B Under-23s also strengthened their challenge with a win over Morocco B before being edged by leaders Australia.
Crank powers into the Under-23 last 16
Crank booked his place in the Under-23 Singles last 16 with a convincing 6–2 victory over Jack Green on Wednesday afternoon.
The confirmed Lancashire representative will now face Joshua Hands at 6pm on Thursday 24 September, with a quarter-final place at stake.
Earlier in the day, Crank continued his Men’s Singles qualifying run by defeating Owen Pearson 7–1. His campaign in that competition then ended with an 8–3 defeat to Giuseppe D’Imperio, but two emphatic wins across the day’s singles programme underline a strong individual showing.
England B beat Morocco before narrow Australia loss
England B Under-23s, featuring Crank, opened Wednesday’s team action with a 7–2 victory over Morocco B. They came within a single frame of following it with another win in the evening, but Australia held on for a 5–4 victory.
After 12 completed matches, England B sit fourth on 18 points with nine wins and three defeats. Their frame record stands at 66–42, a difference of +24. Australia lead the standings, while England B are level on points with Morocco A, Malta and South Africa in a tightly packed race.
Strong Wednesday for England teams
England recorded several notable team results elsewhere in the championships. The Men’s team defeated Reunion Island 16–5, while the Over-50s produced a commanding 12–3 win over Australia.
England A Under-23s recovered from a 6–3 defeat by Australia to edge Northern Ireland 5–4. In the Under-18 section, England A beat Morocco 5–4, while England B were beaten 6–3 by Ireland B.
Thursday: a major day for Lancashire interest
Crank and England B face three important team matches on Thursday before and after his Under-23 Singles last-16 tie. All times below are those listed by AllScores:
- 12pm: England B v Northern Ireland — Under-23 Teams
- 4pm: South Africa v England B — Under-23 Teams
- 6pm: Joshua Hands v Jack Crank — Under-23 Singles, last 16
- 8pm: England B v France A — Under-23 Teams
The wider England programme includes Men’s team matches against India, France and Algiers; Over-50s fixtures against Malta, New Zealand and Belgium; and Ladies team matches against New Zealand, Northern Ireland and France.
Sources and live scores
- Official IEPF AllScores Live scoring
- EPA player profile: Jack Crank
- English Pool Association
- EPA ICR26 records
- International Eightball Pool Federation on Facebook
- English Pool Association on Facebook
Results and fixtures checked against AllScores on Wednesday 23 September 2026. Fixture times and tournament schedules may change; please check the official live scoring page for the latest information.