A MINOR mishap in the trouser department forced last season’s Cuestars South of England under 21 Gold Tour joint rankings winner into dashing to a clothing store halfway through a snooker tournament.

Suitably attired, Bradley Chappell, 20, sped back to Salisbury Snooker Club and scooped the £50 first prize after edging Amesbury player James Bolton 3-2 on the black in a pulsating final.

Having not dropped a frame in three group-stage matches, Chappell left the club at 3.40pm to compose himself as usual before the quarterfinals by listening to classical music.

Taking up the story, he said: “My trousers split right down the middle. It was bad, it was really bad. Thank God for Matalan, they open until half four on Sundays.”

Chappell returned to inflict a 3-1 defeat on Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport), with whom he shared the 2013/14 title.

And he then avenged a 2-0 local league loss the previous Monday by knocking in an 87 break, the highest of the day, in a 3-0 victory over his Greenbaize clubmate Rikki Moore.

Paying tribute to 19-yearold Bolton, from Amesbury, after clearing the last few colours in a fifth-frame decider in the final, Chappell said: “I just said to James, ‘you’re the first player in four years to make me shake’. I felt pressured. It could’ve gone either way. We both played really well.

"You’ve got to beat the best to be the best. He is a fantastic player."

The second leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, November 2.