The Premier League is the place to be for any aspiring female pool player who wishes to test their skill against the very best players in the country. 16 players take to the baize at each of the 5 tours and with both National and World Champions involved it takes both skill and consistency to come out on top. This year that accomplishment was realised by Sharon James.
James, 51, was a late starter in the pool world having only started playing at a serious level 6 years ago, representing West Midlands at county before then going on to qualify for England. Her rise to the top has been swift as she won the National Singles title in 2012 and also came runner-up to arguably the best ladies player of all time, Sue Thompson, in the same year. In 2015 she made the finals of both the Champion of Champions and the National Singles. This pedigree clearly stood her in good stead this year as she notched up wins in 14 of her 15 games, losing out only to 2015 World Champion Amy Beauchamp 5-3 at the 3rd tour of the season. The final tour saw her needing 3 wins to guarantee her place at the top and a nail biting first game saw her come out on top 5-4 against Jodie Lockett before moving on to more convincing wins against Dawn Wright, 5-2, and Kate Hillman, 5-1, thus edging Cheshire’s Lyndsey Roberts into second place. Roberts, who had the best frame difference with a string of 5-0 and 5-1 victories, will no doubt be one to watch for next year, but for this year all the plaudits go to Walsall’s Sharon James, a deserving Premier League Champion!