The long hard slog that is the ranking Championship League Snooker continued yesterday with group 1 and group 20. Here is the report shared by WST:

Pinhey Pips Hawkins

Plymouth potter Hayden Pinhey edged past Barry Hawkins by the narrowest of margins to top Group 1 and progress to the second phase of the BetVictor Championship League in Leicester. 

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The pair contested a crucial final game, which decided who went through. Four-time ranking event winner Hawkins came into that with pole position, after a 2-2 draw with John Astley and a 3-0 win over Haris Tahir. Pinhey also drew with Astley, but lost out 3-1 against Tahir. However, a 3-0 whitewash of Hawkins saw Pinhey edge the group by just a single frame. Hawkins and Tahir also ended the day on four points, bowing out on frame difference. 

Group 20 saw David Lilley pip fellow Englishman Ashley Hugill on frame difference. Former World Seniors Champion Lilley top scored with 90 in a 3-0 win over David Grace and 128 in a 2-2 draw with Hugill. A critical break of 86 in his final frame of the day saw him beat Zhou Yuelong 3-1 and top the group by a margin of three frames. 

I didn’t watch a ball yesterday, therefore I have nothing of substance to add.