Another collaboration of random snooker shots – enjoy!

Cliff Thorburn vs. Terry Griffiths (1983 World Championship)

For most snooker fans, you will know what this is all about and why this shot is so special. For those who do not, here it is in a nutshell: this is the marvellous shot that results in the first ever 147 at a World Snooker Championship.

There are a number of wonderfully characteristic things about this maximum, as well as seeing players watching the match while smoking like a chimney. First of all, this 147 started with a fluke on the first red. Yes, it was nowhere near the fastest of breaks, but what do you expect when you were in the process of making history. Snooker always take pride in its sportsmanship and this is one of the prime examples of this. Whilst completing the break, play stopped on the tournament’s second table because Thorburn’s friend and fellow Canadian Bill Werbeniuk wanted to watch him complete the break!

The memorable moments of commentator Jack Karnehm uttering “Oh, good luck mate!” followed by Cliff sinking to his knees after potting the final black was a sight to behold. The Grinder went on to win 13-10 against Terry Griffiths in the second round and went on to the final. But this is now in the history books!

Xiao Guodong vs. Ding Junhui (2013 Shanghai Masters)

The final itself was quite significant. This is the first final featuring two players from mainland China. And how fitting to have it in a Chinese ranking event?

Of course, Ding Junhui was going to be the favourite, the hero and the poster boy – he did manage to win this final 10-6. It was quite difficult to see who was going to even be close to the Chinese No. 1. By this stage, Liang Wenbo hadn’t reached a ranking final since 2009. Enter Xiao Guodong. This exhibition shot is so clever by not only potting the yellow. He found a tight gap around the pink ball near the pocket and managed to bring the green into play! It’s quite an unusual and perfect shot.

Interestingly, this is the first of three consecutive ranking finals between Asian players, all of which were won by Ding. The next was the Indian Open (where Ding whitewashed Indian Aditya Mehta 5-0), followed by the International Championship where Ding beat Marco Fu from Hong Kong in the decider 10-9!

Robbie Williams vs. Joe Perry (2015 UK Championship)

Robbie Williams seems to be one of the few players in the current circuit that is safety-laden, in my opinion. Quite slow and relatively anonymous, Robbie is a very good player who qualified to the World Championships three times in a row.

I had to put this in for many reasons. Robbie Williams is not widely known to mainstream snooker fans. It was a fantastic escape not only to touch the brown from the tightest of angles but to snooker Joe Perry too. Described as ‘out of this world’, this was his first attempt as well, which makes it more remarkable.

While Williams described it as the best win of his career, Joe Perry was surprisingly ungentlemanly-like. He criticised Williams’s style of play, calling it ‘negative’ and ‘the most bored I’ve been in a snooker match.’ Thankfully, Perry apologised for his comments and all of that was quickly put aside between the pair. It’s a shame people don’t sort out disputes quickly like that!

Willie Thorne vs. Alex Higgins (1982 World Championship)

This was during the quarter-final between Alex Higgins and Willie Thorne. Though Alex Higgins did go on to win the match at 13-10 and indeed went on to win the World Championship, Willie Thorne won the consolation prize. This is the ninth frame, where unseeded Thorne managed to score the highest break of the World Championship of 143 when he was 5-3 behind.

There’s not much else to say, to be honest. Let’s admire how it goes up and down using three cushions and being so perfectly judged – right on the black!

Shaun Murphy vs. Ronnie O’Sullivan (2017 World Championship)

It’s the World Championships. It is not often you see a trick shot played there when the frame hasn’t even been one yet.

In this position, Shaun Murphy can only see the one ball over the middle pocket but obviously couldn’t pot it straight. The only other option would probably be a two cushion escape. He could’ve hit a red to the bottom left of the cluster of reds to get the cue ball back to baulk.

It was an audacious and brilliant shot. This shot also won the best shot of the tournament of the 2017 World Championships. Unsurprising, really!