The USA 'C' team performed a remarkable comeback on the fourth day's play of the 2006 IBSF World Snooker Team Championships, as they crawled from a 4-0 deficit to defeat South Africa 5-4 in their Group B meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, California.
Jeff Szafransky, member of the USA 'C' team who owns a local billiard room, has been a relavation in this event and it was he that started the ball rolling after the team fell 4-0 behind by comprehensively capturing frame five with victory over South Africa's Ryan George.
4-1 then became 4-4 with Bay Area resident Andrew Barlow facing South Africa's Mike Hines to score a remarkable victory for the American team. It was Hines however who had much of the early play in what was a scrappy frame where the balls seemed to congregate in awkward positions on the table, but Barlow was given a half chance with the final brown, blue, pink and black balls on the table.
Faced with a sixteen-point deficit he potted the brown and blue, and slow rolled the pink into the bottom right-hand pocket where he set himself up for a safety shot on the final black. Meaning to leave the black ball on the side cushion, it proceeded to go ever closer to the right center pocket, and to the relief of the American team and supporters it dropped in.
The India 'B' team are at the summit of Group B as they decisively defeated Scotland 8-1, with second placed Thailand breezing past Japan by the same result — the USA 'C' team occupy third place in the Group.
In Group A, India 'A' cruised past the USA 'A' team with an 8-1 victory over the local favorites, and the much fancied team from England had little trouble in completing a win over Isle Of Man by the same score.
The was a terrific match in Group A with Sweden finding themselves 4-3 down against the USA 'C' team, only to capture the final two frames for a much required victory to keep their qualification hoped alive.
New Zealand's Dene O'Kane was in terrific form during his Seniors match against India, as the 43-year-old from Auckland fired in a break of 105 against Devendra Joshi. However the Kiwis succumbed to a 5-4 defeat to the Indians, losing the final frame on the final black ball.
