Lancashire’s senior players made a strong impression at the 2013 UK National Senior Singles Championship, with Steve Crane reaching the final after a notable run through the field.
Three Lancashire players in Nottingham
The championship was held at the Phoenix Centre in Nottingham and began with eight groups of six players. Lancashire was represented by Steve Crane, Ian Ingham and John Birkett, each drawn into separate groups.
Ian and John narrowly missed progression to the last 16, both falling short by the odd frame. Steve Crane went significantly further.
Steve Crane reaches the final
Crane defeated four established England players during his run. The most notable scalp recorded in the original report was Keith Brewer, described at the time as one of the country’s leading senior players.
Steve eventually faced Russell Burgess in the final. The Lancashire player could not quite get over the line, but finishing as national runner-up completed an excellent championship.
A memorable Lancashire senior performance
The original first-person report also captured the endurance involved in the event: an early start, a full day of competition and a finish after midnight before the long journey back to Lancashire.
Rather than relying on the old EPA PDF link that accompanied the 2013 article, this updated version preserves the key Lancashire result directly on the page.
Follow more county senior history in Lancashire Seniors Intercounty and browse major events in Lancashire Pool Competitions.
Historical record: originally published 23 September 2013.