Alex Taubman wins his maiden Welsh Amateur Snooker Championship title

First won in 1928, Welsh snooker’s premier domestic event is one of the sport’s longest-running national championships. World champions Ray Reardon and Terry Griffiths are previous winners, as are a plethora of Welsh cueists currently on the professional circuit.

Runner-up in 2013, Taubman’s road to glory began by coming through the north section before victories against Samuel Thomas (4-1) in the last 16 and Alan Hurley (5-1) in the quarter-finals saw him advance to the Finals Weekend at the Penygraig Labour Club in Tonypandy. There, he compiled breaks of 50, 88, 52, 55 and 64 in a 6-2 semi-final win over Craig Bennett.

Emerging from the other side of the draw was south section qualifier Davies, who defeated defending champion Elfed Evans 5-0 in the quarter-finals, gaining a measure of revenge for his loss to him in the title match last year. The 23-year-old - son of former professional player Anthony - top scored with efforts of 71 and 56 as he eliminated four-time champion Darren Morgan 6-3 in the last four to reach back-to-back finals in the event.

With a new champion guaranteed, Davies made a brilliant start to the title match as breaks of 45, 54 and 74 helped him to a 3-0 lead, although Taubman got on the board via the final blue in frame four before runs of 69, 101 and 58 saw him go 4-3 up at the end of the first session.

On resumption in the evening, 35-year-old Taubman made it five on the spin along with a 64 break in frame eight, but Davies stopped his opponent’s sequence, crafting contributions of 54 and 110 in levelling up at 5-5.

In a thrilling climax to the tournament, Taubman ousted frames 11 and 12 to go one away from the target, but Davies kept his hopes alive with the aid of a 74 break in the 13th.

However, having seen his opponent make a 50 earlier in the frame, Taubman was not to be denied the Championship as he won the 14th on the colours to lift the trophy for the first time.

Both Taubman and Davies are set to appear at the UK Q School this week as they aim to reach the sport’s top tier.