DARRYL Fallows defeated two of the country’s best players during the latest round of matches in the UK Pool Tour’s Premier League at the weekend.

He continued his fine run of results against England captain Lee Kendall, winning their head-to-head 8-5 at Birmingham’s Hilton Metropole on Saturday.

Earlier in the day the debutant had proved too strong for another current international in Robert Wharne, a former national amateur champion, to extend a winning streak in the series to three matches.

That sequence ended on Sunday following an 8-4 reverse against Giuseppe D’Imperio, third in last season’s Tour rankings.

It leaves Fallows occupying eighth position in the table after six matches. The Rudheath-based star, who plays for Owley Wood in the Northwich and District League, prepared for the weekend’s action by winning the Division One singles final on Wednesday.

Defending a title he won for the first time last term, Fallows came from 2-0 down at Gladstone Club to beat eight-time former champion Fred Backhouse of Rudheath.

Nigel Massey (Greenbank A) came from behind to beat Martyn Raistrick, of Hartford A, by 4-2 in the Division Two singles final the same evening.

The most exciting encounter was between Division Three rivals Sam Littler (Beech Tree A) and Darren Walton (Davenham Legion), with the former recovering from 3-1 adrift to win a tense and tactical decider.

Favourites Carl Gibson and Adi Faulkner, from Castle Private, were made to work for their win in the Division Two doubles final against Bowling Green’s Karl Mills and Liam Bailey.

In Division Three, Andrew Pickering and Joe Tomkinson of Chapels won 4-1 against Beech Tree tandem Paul Fletcher and Mike Hale in a contest that was closer than the result suggests.

Gladstone duo Steve Moores and Dana Henderson recovered from a slow start to win the mixed doubles final against ladies’ singles champion Lisa Edwards and George Abbott (Owley Wood).

The remaining individual prize of the campaign went to Hartford B’s Stewart Leese, who lifted the Pauline Peach Memorial Cup for captains following a 4-2 win against Bob Holness (Owley Wood).