Game Week 1 of the 8Ball Elite League kicked off in style, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. With a new format, high-quality players, and professional, TV-style conditions, there was a real buzz around the opening fixtures—and the standard of play more than lived up to expectations.
The opening match of the league set the tone perfectly. It was tight from the very start, with both teams trading frames throughout the singles. Heading into the final doubles match, just a single frame separated the sides.
When it mattered most, Shepherd/Wilshaw held their nerve, capitalising on key moments to secure the win for LSP A.
Full Set Scores:
Shepherd 3–1 O Brookes
Lightfoot 2–2 A Brookes
Hughes 2–2 Blurton
Wilshaw 1–5 Cooper
Hughes/Lightfoot 4–1 Brookes/Brookes
Shepherd/Wilshaw 7–2 Cooper/Blurton
A match that told the story of momentum swings. Dishers Ladies came out flying, building an early 4–0 lead and extending it to 6–2, putting Players under serious pressure.
However, led by Ultimate Pool Professional Liam White, Players produced a remarkable comeback. White’s dominant 6–1 performance in the final singles match completely turned the tide, as Players powered through to a convincing overall victory.
Full Set Scores:
Proctor 4–0 Bailey
Lomax 2–2 Hough
Davies 1–3 Rathbone
Cragg 1–6 White
Cragg/Lomax 0–5 Hough/Bailey
Proctor/Davies 0–9 White/Rathbone
If there was a match that summed up the competitiveness of the league, this was it. With the clock ticking down and everything on the line, the result hung in the balance until the very final moments.
45 Club had a chance to snatch victory with a last-second opportunity but couldn’t quite convert, leaving the match to end in a hard-fought draw.
Full Set Scores:
Wharne 3–3 Raybone
Jones 1–3 Weller
Longson 2–2 Allcock
Fletcher 1–3 Blurton
Longson/Fletcher 4–0 Weller/Allcock
Wharne/Jones 4–4 Raybone/Blurton
The standout performance of Game Week 1 came from Plaza, who delivered a commanding display against LSP B. Racking up an impressive 11 dishes, they dominated from start to finish in a 36–10 victory.
Andy Cragg was the star of the night, recording four break dishes—setting the benchmark for the league going forward.
Full Set Scores:
Cragg 3–3 Symons
Bowler 4–2 Rogers
Whitfield 5–0 Morgan
Adams 3–3 Nicolaou
Cragg/Whitfield 8–0 Rogers/Morgan
Bowler/Adams 13–2 Symons/Nicolaou
Game Week 1 delivered everything you’d want from a new league—drama, comebacks, high-quality performances, and a glimpse of what’s to come.
With the bar already set high, the 8Ball Elite League is shaping up to be something special. As teams settle in and momentum builds, it’ll be fascinating to see who rises to the top in the weeks ahead.
