Flimby’s Kevin Kirkham Wins Third Cumbria County Singles Snooker Title
Flimby’s Kevin Kirkham has won his third Cumbria county singles snooker title after another successful championship campaign.
The 2026 Cumbria Snooker Championship concluded following three weeks of competition involving players from across the county. Kirkham entered the tournament as defending champion and produced a series of strong performances on his way to finals day. His successful campaign eventually culminated in a demanding final against Carlisle player Mike Griffiths, with Kirkham showing his composure to secure the title.
Kirkham began his defence at the Buffs Club in Carlisle with a convincing 4-0 victory over Mally Shaw. The Flimby player also produced an 81 break during the opening match, providing an early indication of the standard he would bring to the championship. His father Richard Kirkham also made a winning start, defeating Carlisle's Eddie Patrick by the same scoreline.
Other first round matches produced a mixture of convincing victories and closely fought contests. At Upperby Social Club, Rob Woods defeated Archie Walker 4-1, while Adi Shaw edged past Matt Lowrie after winning the deciding frame. The Workington matches saw Alan Moore beat Kane Harper 4-0, while five time champion Kevin Basnett and two time county doubles champion Peter O'Hagan also recorded 4-0 victories.
The successful players then progressed into the last 16, with places at finals day available to those who continued their winning runs. Kirkham faced a particularly interesting contest against his father Richard, but maintained his progress with a 4-0 victory. Rob Woods also secured his place at finals day by beating team mate Simon Towns 4-0.
Martin Goodhead produced one of the notable performances of the last 16 by recording his first county level victory. Goodhead defeated Adi Shaw 4-2 to reach the next stage, while Andrew Blenkharn also progressed after beating John Metcalfe 4-1. Mike Griffiths advanced with a 4-2 victory over David Wilcock after an unusual run of the balls helped him in a match that also produced one of the tournament's standout shots.
Wilcock produced what was described as the shot of the tournament during the fifth frame of his match against Griffiths. He played an impressive offset plant along the full length of the table before producing a screw back into baulk. Despite the quality of the shot, Wilcock was unable to complete the comeback and Griffiths continued through to finals day.
The last 16 also produced a dramatic comeback involving Dale Milton and Peter O'Hagan. Milton fell 3-1 behind before recovering to win the final three frames and complete a 4-3 victory. His ability to respond under pressure secured his place among the players competing for the county title on finals day.
Cleator Moor's Adam Clarke also produced an impressive turnaround against Alan Moore. Clarke found himself two frames behind but then won the next four frames consecutively to complete a 4-2 victory. Kevin Basnett made his own progress in more straightforward fashion, defeating Adam Sowden 4-0 to complete the finals day line up.
Finals day was staged at Upperby Social Club, with supporters travelling from Workington, Flimby and Carlisle to watch the remaining matches. The quarter finals began with Dale Milton producing a strong 4-0 victory over Martin Goodhead. Mike Griffiths matched that scoreline against Kevin Basnett to secure his place in the semi finals.
The other quarter finals were much closer. Andrew Blenkharn established a two frame advantage over Rob Woods, but Woods responded strongly during a safety dominated contest. He eventually completed a 4-3 comeback victory to reach the last four. Kirkham also faced a demanding quarter final against Adam Clarke, but won the deciding frame to keep his title defence on course.
The first semi final saw Griffiths fall two frames behind against Milton before producing another comeback. Griffiths used solid safety play to regain control of the contest and eventually won 4-2. The result put him into the county final and set up a meeting with Kirkham, who had just defeated Woods 4-1 in the other semi final.
Kirkham's semi final victory over Woods included some fortune, but it ensured that the defending champion remained in contention for another title. With the day's matches taking place over several stages and the schedule running late, the final between Kirkham and Griffiths followed directly on the main table.
Griffiths made the stronger start to the final by compiling a break of 61 in the opening frame. He moved 1-0 ahead and appeared to be building momentum, while the second frame also looked promising for the Carlisle player. A missed black changed the situation, however, allowing Kirkham to produce a substantial break and level the match at 1-1.
Kirkham then established control by winning the next three frames. One of those frames featured a respotted black after Griffiths had completed a nervy clearance, while another included the highest break of the entire championship. Kirkham produced an impressive 84 break to move into a strong position and leave himself only one frame away from securing another county title.
Griffiths refused to allow the final to end without a fight and responded by winning the next two frames. His comeback increased the pressure on Kirkham and ensured the championship remained undecided heading into the eighth frame. Griffiths appeared to be in a favourable position again, but an ambitious attempt at a pink gave Kirkham another opportunity.
Kirkham took advantage of the opening with a composed sequence that included a difficult red played along the baulk cushion. He then completed the clearance through to the blue, leaving Griffiths requiring a snooker to stay in contention. After several attempts, Kirkham eventually sank a long pink to secure the frame and complete the victory.
The result gave Kirkham his third Cumbria county singles championship and his second consecutive title. His successful defence followed a campaign in which he overcame a number of challenging matches, including close contests against Adam Clarke and Rob Woods before facing Griffiths in the final.
The championship also produced strong performances from several players who reached the latter stages. Griffiths recovered from difficult positions in both the semi final and final, while Milton, Woods, Clarke and Blenkharn all produced notable runs through the competition. Goodhead's first county level victory also provided one of the personal highlights of the tournament.
The tournament committee thanked John Metcalfe and Lindsay Currie for their work refereeing matches throughout the championship. Appreciation was also extended to the venues that hosted the competition, including Upperby Social Club and ROAB in Carlisle, the Vets Club and United Club in Workington, and the Albion in Kendal.
Kirkham's victory brings the 2026 Cumbria Snooker Championship to a conclusion after three weeks of competition. The Flimby player leaves the tournament with another county title and the distinction of having successfully defended the championship he won previously, while the final provided a fitting conclusion to a closely contested event.
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