Championship League 2012 - Hawkins wins Group Five

Hawkins, the 5th palce in Winners' Group

Barry Hawkins beat Mark King 3-2 to become the winner of Championship League's Group Five. 

The fresh Shoot-Out champion has now a secured place in Winners' Group, next to Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Davis.

It was the evening of January 29^th when Barry Hawkins was lifting the Shoot-Out trophy in Blackpool. Tonight, the man from Kent struck again and earned himself a place into snooker's Championship League Winners' Group after beating Mark King in a match that saw all its frames being consumed.

Hawkins qualified for the play-offs on second-place with a total amount of 4 points, after two days of intensive snooker played here at Crondon Park from Essex, the Englishman beating Jamie Cope 3-0, Mark King 3-1 and both Peter Ebdon and Mark Selby by 3-2.

In the semi-final he faced Ebbo once more, breaks of 34, 38 and 46 winning him the match with a 3-2 scoreline and sending him straight into the final.

Here, Mark King was waiting patiently, the lads engaging in just a few moments in a genuine battle of cues. The first one who broke the ice was King who used a break of 71, but Hawkins was sure to draw level during the next frame with a 41.

Mark King in great form, although not tonight's winner

Once more King put his nose in front, and one more time Hawkins equalised the situation, this time at 2-2. Another decider was coming our way.

The last frame saw King unable to pot one single ball, while Hawkins cleared with a beautiful 107 for a 3-2 victory and a place in Winners' Group.

Mark King along with Mark Allen, Peter Ebdon and Jamie Cope are getting a place in Group Six, all four of them having one more chance to try and win the two-day mini-snooker-event and earn a place in Winners' Group by doing so.

Not so lucky are Ricky Walden and Mark Selby who didn't earned enough points to stay in the competition. Selby played since the beginning of this year's Championship League, always qualified for the play-offs and reached the final no less than three times. However, this time things didn't go his way. 

Still, the Leicester man doesn't need to worry that much because even after the second cut-off point, he is still going to remain in the Top 16, thus getting a place in the 2012 Premier League. Also, he's already won a major ranking event (the 2011 Shanghai Masters) which will definitely count for the selection.

Tomorrow Group Six matches begin, so let's see the schedule:

TABLE ONE
11am - Mark King v. Mark Allen
12.15pm - Marcus Campbell v. Joe Perry
Not before 2pm - Mark Allen v. Peter Ebdon
3.15pm - Joe Perry v. Dominic Dale
Not before 6pm - Mark Allen v. Jamie Cope
7.15pm - Peter Ebdon v. Dominic Dale

TABLE TWO
11am - Peter Ebdon v. Jamie Cope
12.15pm - Dominic Dale v. Mark King
Not before 2pm - Jamie Cope v. Marcus Campbell
3.15pm - Mark King v. Peter Ebdon
Not before 6pm - Marcus Campbell v. Dominic Dale
7.15pm - Joe Perry v. Jamie Cope