1992 AND ALL THAT

There's been much talk of the 1992 World Championship during this year's event, largely due to the fact that it's been 20 years since eight seeds lost in the first round.

Snooker Scene of June 1992 called that year's tournament event a "vintage championship." It was packed with incident, new and old faces doing well, and ended with a thrilling final.

There were 25 centuries made in the whole championship, a mark we have long since passed this year.

A total of 20 players have made centuries at the Crucible already. In 1992, only 11 did. Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White, the finalists, made six apiece and so accounted for just about half of all the tons made.

So we can already deduce that the overall standard has risen and that more players are capable of better performances.

Hendry in fact did not make a century in the 1992 World Championship until the 12th frame of his semi-final against Terry Griffiths but compiled four more in the final, three of which came in the final session.

There was a real international flavour to the championship 20 years ago with 11 nationalities represented.

Of these, New Zealand's Dene O'Kane reached the quarter-finals for a second time. He had trailed Steve James 9-6 in the first round but beaten him 10-9 before a 13-10 victory over Chris Small, then an 18 year-old who had won eight matches to qualify before beating Doug Mountjoy in the first round.

Another ex-quarter-finalist, Jim Wych of Canada, made it through to the last eight again with wins over Dean Reynolds and Willie Thorne.

The first day saw an historic win for John Parrott, the defending champion who defeated Eddie Charlton 10-0. This remains the Crucible's only whitewash.

Dennis Taylor was beaten by a debutant, Mick Price, in a match best remembered for a dispute Taylor had with the referee, Len Ganley, over the miss rule, which had not long since changed to the version we know today.

But the most infamous first round match in1992 saw Peter Ebdon, a 21 year-old with a ponytail and fast, free flowing style of play, beat Steve Davis, who had won the last of his six world titles three years earlier, 10-4.

This was a sensational debut from an assured newcomer clearly confident in the heat of the Crucible.

Ebdon defeated Martin Clark in the second round but his run was ended by a resurgent Griffiths, 44 years old and evoking memories of his heyday.

Alas, Griffiths would be drubbed 16-4 by Hendry, who in fact led 10-0 before the veteran Welshman won a black ball frame to stave off the dreaded whitewash.

White found it difficult to shake off Alain Robidoux in the second round, eventually winning 13-11, but otherwise made reasonably serene progress to a fourth world final.

The highlight of the championship for White had come in the opening round when he made the second Crucible 147 against Tony Drago.

This was not shown live on the BBC. There was no red button, no Eurosport coverage, no online stream. The break was shown hours later on Sportsnight. Back then TV coverage was piecemeal: you got what you were given with no alternative options.

Hendry opened a much anticipated final with a century, 105, but trailed 4-3 at the conclusion of the session and lost a black ball frame to kick off the evening.

By the end of the night he was 10-6 down and White was heading for his heart's desire.

What could possibly go wrong?

Not much, it would seem, when they resumed on bank holiday Monday for the grand finale. Hendry did not pot a ball in the first two frames as White arrived at 12-6 with the aid of a 134 break.

At 14-8, it looked all over, but Hendry won the next before a pivotal final frame of the afternoon.

Hendry potted a brown at the end of this frame which almost defines his career: it was do or die, it was audacious, it was brave, it was brilliant.

Furthermore, it made the difference between a 15-9 lead for White - surely insurmountable - and 14-10.

The first two frames of the evening session were close and Hendry won them both. As the pressure grew, the Scot became stronger while White, seeing his lead eroded, was able to make only one half century break all evening.

Another century, 128, brought Hendry level at 14-14, he dominated the next two frames and finished with efforts of 134 and 112.

This completed a ten frame winning streak, an awesome run which gave him a second world title and planted serious mental scars in White, which would become apparent when the pair met again in the final the following two years.

The 1992 World Championship is generally remembered for this final and for Hendry's comeback.

It capped a fascinating 17 days in Sheffield. Hard to believe, then, that 20 years on the man who won is still creating more memories at the most hallowed venue of them all.


This was the BBC's musical montage of the 1992 championship, one of the best they ever put together.