Snooker: John Higgins loses to Ding Junhui

John Higgins, four-time World Champion, made an earlier exit than many people imagined as he lost 13-9 to China's Ding Junhui.

Higgins had led early in the match, but it was Ding, the world number three, who started yesterdays session 9-7 up and then proceeded to take three of the first four frames.  Higgins tried to come back, but Ding continued playing good snooker to win through to the next round.

Some photos from the 22nd frame:

 John Higgins breaks off

 John Higgins takes on a long red

 John Higgins checks the scores

 Ding Junhui checks the angles

 Ding Junhui takes on a long red

Ding Junhui salutes the crowd

Running a bit behind schedule.....snooker action from Thursday 23rd April at the Crucible

Some photos from day 6 of the 2015 Betfred Snooker World Championships

Steve Davis and Ken Doherty  relive the old days while doing an intro to the afternoon session

 Mark Selby and Anthony McGill chat at the start of their first session

 Anthony McGill makes the first break at the start of the first session of the second round match with Mark Selby

 Anthony McGill uses the long rest while Mark Selby looks on in their second round match

  Anthony McGill attempts a long pot during his second round match with Mark Selby

Mark Selby, World #1 and defending World Snooker Champion, considers the table

Anthony McGill takes on the pink during his second round match with Mark Selby

Ronnie O'Sullivan - back on song at the Crucible

Ronnie O'Sullivan came back to the Crucible with a bang - leading Craig Steadman 7-2 after the first session in their first round best-of-19 match.

Ding Junhui on the comeback trail at the 2015 World Snooker Championship

Ding Junhui trailed Mark Davies 0-4 at the mid-session break in this afternoon's first round match.

 Ding Junhui breaks off

Mark Davies checks the scores

 Mark Davies reflects on a missed pot

 After Neil Robertson had completed his 10-2 demolition of Jamie Jones, the intervening screen went up and Ding was able to use his experience to bring the game back to 3-4 with breaks of 66, 109 and 76.

Nine frames should have been played in this best-of-19  first round match but they will have to conclude tomorrow morning.
 

Mark Selby walks out to defend his title on day 1 of World Snooker Championship

Day 1 of the 2015 World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.  Betfred are back as main sponsors (huzzah!).

Mark Selby walks out of the players tunnel to the acclaim of the crowd at the start of the first game in this years Championships which he won with a break of 89.

More photos of this years event can be seen at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_549149.html

And now for something completely different....

In a change to the advertised sports programmes, here are pictures of trams crossing the bridge outside Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

Put on some relaxing music and enjoy.

Sheffield Grand Prix - City Centre Cycle Racing

This year the Sheffield Grand Prix has a new main sponsor - Sheffield Hallam University - and returns on Wed 22nd July 2015.  The 2015 event will be branded as the Sheffield Hallam University Grand Prix and will again be part of the 2015 British Cycling Elite Circuit Series. 

For over a decade, the British Cycling’s Elite Circuit Series has brought together a handful of the very best town and city centre cycle races in the UK under the umbrella of the Elite Circuit Series. Membership of this exclusive group of events guarantees the highest quality field with some of Great Britain’s best professional and Olympic cyclists regularly participating.

2013 race starter Layla Anna-Lee

On Wednesday 22nd July 2015 the series visits Sheffield for the fourth time under the organisational team of Sheffrec Cycling Club, headed by Marc Etches and Mark Barry.

An exciting finish is guaranteed as the evening starts to darken.  This year there will no longer be local hero Dean Dowling who retired last year.

See more info at: http://www.sheffieldgrandprix.co.uk/index.html