Maximum breaks send crowd into a frenzy

Just in case there was any doubt surrounding the enduring popularity of snooker or the outstanding abilities of Ronnie O"Sullivan and Jimmy White, the pair combined to produce a remarkable exhibtion of maximum break building at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim on Wednesday night last. The second annual snooker exhibition was organised in conjunction with the Meath Chronicle. Maximum breaks of 147 are as rare as hen"s teeth. Like a nine-dart finish, a 300 game in bowling, a hole-in-one at golf, a royal flush in poker or the perfect hat-trick in soccer compling a maximum break highlights the perfect ability of any snooker player. Very few people have been lucky enough to have been in the presence of greatness when a 147 is achieved. However, on Wednesday night history was made when O"Sullivan complied a 147 in the second last frame and then White emulated the achievment in the final game. It was the most remarkable of sporting landmarks. Rarely, if ever, have consecutive maximum breaks been complied in successive frames, but the 600 snooker fans in attendance in Trim bore witness to history. The enormity of what transpired at Knightsbrook Hotel cannot be overstated and the achievement will live long in the memory of those in the crowd and for the players who were swamped by the audience. All the acion occurred in the final two frames of the night. An auction to play with the two professionals in a special one frame of doubles match was held and local men Seanie Higgins from Rathmolyon and John Tobin from Trim paid €700 between them for the privilage of being involved. Most in the crowd considered the sum to be lunacy, but what transpired was priceless. Tobin broke off in the opening frame and Higgins came to the table next. He missed his pot and left O"Sullivan in a decent position. The good natured banter between the crowd and the amatuers continued until it became clear that there was something special in the air. A scan of the table with just three reds and three blacks downed hinted that a 147 was possible. The crowd hushed and O"Sullivan set about his business with the clinical brilliance that has made him the most talented player ever. There were a few difficult shots along the way. When he broke 100 mark the crowd erupted, after a couple of tough reds more cheers followed. When O"Sullivan cleared to the pink the anticipation was nerve tingling. The Londoner ran slightly out of position and left himself with a difficult black into the middle bag. That was no problem to the 'Rocket" as he rolled it in to a cresendo of noise and was swampped by members of the audience. As 'Ronnie, Ronnie" echoed around the arena the players agreed to give the amatuers another frame and the referee re-racked the balls. Next up Higgins broke off, Tobin left White on and the Whirlwind set about his maximum. While O"Sullivan had the harder shots to his 147, there was more pressure on White to emulate the achievement. He did run out of position on one red, but produced a remarkable pot with the rest to get back on track. When he sank the last black the cheers could be heard throughout the town. Then it was time for the 'Jimmy, Jimmy" chant to start. It was a remarkable end to a magnificent night. Local player James Moore from Navan provided the opposition to White in the opening frame of the night and after a couple of shots each it was the professional who won with an impressive break of 70 that ended when he tried a trick shot on the black. Next up was Trim Snooker Club"s Ken Martin against O"Sullivan. The Trim man broke off and that was his only action as O"Sullivan cleared to the pink for an outstanding 120 break. After the couple of exhibition frames the professional pair started a best of nine challenge. O"Sullivan won the opening frame with a 95 break before White bounced back in the second frame with a 75. The third frame went O"Sullivan"s way with a 78, but after the interval White gave an indication of things to come by making it 2-2 with a 127 break. The next three frames all went O"Sullivan"s way, 79-52, 64-48 and 66-48 as he wrapped up a 5-2 win before taking part in the two most remarkable frames of snooker ever played.