Rising-star Laxton reaches 20-break landmark

The 11-year-old's landmark moment came in the Wednesday Junior Snooker League at Waterlooville Sports Bar.

He knocked in a six-ball run of 21 in his victory over division two leader Billy Reid.

And he went in off the final black against division one front-runner Owen Jenkins.

League organiser and world snooker coach Tim Dunkley said Laxton's breakthrough was always coming.

'˜It's been on the cards for a while,' he said.

'˜George's game has come on leaps and bounds since he made his debut on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour in Swindon last month.

'˜I'm delighted for him.'

Former champion Dean Russell won the top group and moved up to second place '“ three points adrift of Jenkins.

The much-improved Ryan Kneller topped the second six-man group and climbed to fifth. 

Meanwhile, George's brother Samuel won the first group in the Monday Junior Snooker League.

He moved one frame ahead of Jenkins into second place with one week left.

Barring a natural disaster, Zak Truscott will claim the division one title next week and Kneller will secure the division two honours. 

And while the top three were jostling for position in the Junior Pool League, Archie Crump came up on the rails to win the eight-strong round-robin group.

Second-placed Jayden Brookes shaved Keira Hiscock's lead by two points to eight. 

Rhys Pearce is five points further back in third.

George Barber continued his charge up division two.

He won four out of seven matches to close the gap to six-year-old league leader Jayden Hickley to 9.5 points.

Elsewhere, Jamie Wilson remains in second place on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South at the halfway point of the season.

The 15-year-old talent from Havant made a quarter-final exit from the third leg at the Castle Snooker Club, Brighton.

Wilson fired in a 92 break against Londoner Lee Whaley in the group stages.

But he lost 2-0 in the last eight to the eventual tournament winner Marcos Dayao, whom he had beaten in the group stages. 

The final three legs are in Newbury, in March, Fareham, in April, and London, in May.

World snooker coach Dunkley runs snooker sessions for under-19s from 4.30-6.30pm every Monday and Wednesday, and junior pool sessions from 4.30-6.30pm every Thursday.