A Keighley trio helped to lay the groundwork for West Yorkshire Blackball County Pool men's A team to record a fine victory in the national finals earlier this month, which took place on the south coast, in Selsey.

Chris Melling, Stefan Risidi and Arfan Dad were unable to attend the finals but had been key contributors to the team's run in the competition.

Melling is well-known on the pool circuit and is regarded as one of the finest players in the country. He competed for Europe in the 2011 Mosconi Cup and is the only person in history to be a pro at snooker, pool, and 9-Ball at the same time.

Despite Melling's absence, County Pool performed well in all five of the tournaments that they had qualified for. The men's A, B and C teams, as well as the youth and ladies squads, all reached at least the semi-final stage.

Three of them perished in the last four, but the Men's A and C teams reached the final of their respective competitions. Both sides played opponents from Essex but with differing fortunes.

The C team fell behind early on and could never quite bridge that gap. Although they fought admirably, they eventually succumbed 14-10 to the Southerners.

The A team were struggling badly at 4-1 and 8-5 down in their final, but a storming run of five wins in six frames saw them edge 10-9 in front.

They secured a 14-11 victory, with the cool and experienced Steve Webster earning the final point that they needed. Their triumph made history, as it was the first time a team had ever won the A section while fielding a youth player.

The team are due to start the new county season on April 22, playing from the White Rose in Ossett. They have Men’s A, B and C teams, as well as Ladies, Youths and Seniors sides

They are looking to strengthen their squads, especially the youth team (U18s).

Anybody interested in sponsoring the county should contact Darren Brown, whose email address is dazbrown23@icloud.com.