Jak Jones claims maiden title after thrilling Championship League Snooker final

Jones ousted David Gilbert 3-2 in a thrilling grand final at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester to lift the first trophy of this fledgling 2026/27 professional snooker season and collect £33,000 in prize money. He is also set to earn a place at the Champion of Champions invitational later this calendar year.

The 32-year-old Welshman - who first turned professional in 2010 - reached his maiden top-flight final just over two years ago, and on the sport's biggest stage of all at the Crucible Theatre during the 2026 World Snooker Championship. Having needed to qualify for the main draw, Jones' fairy-tale run was ended by champion Kyren Wilson.

Since then, Jones briefly spent time within the world's elite top 16 rankings, but failed to make it through to another final on the World Snooker Tour - until his efforts over these past few weeks at the Championship League.

In stage one, Jones qualified from a very tight group on frame difference after finishing on four points alongside Oliver Lines and Michael Larkov. Returning several days' later for the last 32, Jones had to defeat exciting prospect Chang Bingyu in the final fixture of their group to progress to Finals Day, and that's what he did with a 3-1 win.

Lining up alongside seven other players on Wednesday’s ‘Finals Day’ for the conclusion of the £328,000 competition, Jones began in style as breaks of 72, 116 and 64 helped him to a 3-0 success over the in-form Hossein Vafaei.

Following a 2-2 draw with Zhang Anda (Jones made breaks of 66 and 73, Zhang had a 55 and 111), Jones knew that he could win the group with maximum points over compatriot Dylan Emery, and with contributions of 70 and 87 in a 3-0 victory he booked a berth for the grand final later that evening.

Over on table two in the other group, Gilbert - winner of this Championship League crown in 2021 - had to defeat birthday boy Noppon Saengkham in the group-deciding encounter to usurp the Thai cueist at the summit of the pool.

Gilbert went one up although Saengkham levelled with a break of 127. The latter then had a chance in the closing stages of frame three to get the point he desired for qualification, but missed the last remaining red. Two-time Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert took the frame to set up a de-facto decider that he deposited with a run of 140.

Featuring the world numbers 31 and 32, it was the slightly higher ranked Gilbert who made a statement early on in the final, crafting a 104 after Jones missed a long red following his opponent's break-off shot.

Both players missed from close range during the second frame and it was Jones (64) who levelled up, but Gilbert - who was aiming to become the first player to win this title more than once - moved 2-1 up and one away from the finish line courtesy of a run of 66 in frame three.

With his back against the wall, Jones responded with a frame-winning 86 in the fourth to force the contest all the way - the first time in the event's history that the grand final has gone the distance.

In an understandably tense deciding frame, Gilbert initially made 11 before missing with the rest. It looked as if Jones was going to get the job done in one visit, but failed with a pink to a middle pocket whilst on 55.

With four reds left, Gilbert had an opportunity to counter, but when he rattled the third-to-last red, a relieved Jones returned to the baize and polished off the contest to realise a dream of becoming a ranking event champion.