Wales’ leading lady player, Sharon Dickson from Newport, paired up with up and coming junior, twelve year old Michael White from Neath, to win the World Snooker organised International Challenge, staged in the Welsh Open match arena, at the Welsh Institute of Sport.

The new innovation by World Snooker provided an opportunity for four of the World’s leading lady players to pair up with two of Wales’ best juniors and two of England’s young guns and display their talents on the same table that, just a few hours later, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis played out a nail-biting final of the Welsh Open.

The players were decked out in World Snooker Polo Shirts and matches were officiated by two of Wales’ most experienced international referees, Brian Pennell from Bridgend and Alan Collis from Newport.

Pairings were drawn at random, but it soon became apparent that Dickson and White would be the favourites.

They set out with a semi final win over English pairing of Katie Henrick, from Kent, and England’s finest junior player, fourteen year old Judd Trump, from Bristol.

Dudley’s Maria Catalano, cousin of Ronnie O’Sullivan paired up with Jack Trump, the twelve year old brother of Judd, and they progressed to the final with a fine win over Neath’s Jamie Jones playing alongside England’s Reanne Evans.

Some fine potting was on display, but as was only to be expected, all players struggled with the extremely fast match table, so break building was negligible, but that necessitated a display of some cagey safety play.

Catalano and Trump took the opening frame in the final, on the colours. White and Dickson shared the potting duties to level and the deciding frame was hanging in the balance until White stepped in to take a very good green, brown and blue to clinch victory for the Welsh pairing.

All participants were presented with commemorative medals by Welsh Open semi finalist Dominic Dale, and the winners also received vouchers, with which to enjoy a bit of retail therapy.