DOWN THE AGES

Well done to Barry Stark who, at the age of 65, won a couple of matches in the prelims for the 888.com World Championship.

Snooker has come a long way since the great Fred Davis reached the Crucible semi-finals at the age of 64 in 1978.

At 50, Steve Davis is the oldest player on the 96-man main tour. There are only a handful of players above 40.

But there’s no reason, health obviously permitting, why players shouldn’t carry on playing at some sort of level into old age.

Snooker is not a physical sport, although a degree of physical fitness and stamina can be very useful.

At the other end of the age scale, congratulations to 9 year-old Shane Castle who made his first competitive century, 101, in the Rushden Snooker Club under 19 grand finals.

Shane, who made a century in a practice match last November, was 81 days off the record as the youngest player to compile a competitive century set by Michael White. Ronnie O’Sullivan made his first century in competition at the age of 10.