FOR THE first time in the history of Cuestars, the under-12 title has been won by a youngster from the Southampton area.

Fair Oak's Jason Hildyard, pictured above, travelled to Salisbury for the final event in the series needing to win just one match to guarantee victory.

He did it, to take top spot by 17 points from Gosport's Adam Bobat.

The junior tour consisted of seven tournaments, from High Wycombe to Poole, and attracted 37 of the best under-12s in southern England.

At the end of a nerve-jangling day Jason, who attends Wyvern School, took home a trophy and £200 of sponsorship from the Cuestars organization.

Meanwhile, elder brother Dan was in action in the last 16 of the EASB Under-15s at Ladywood SC in the Midlands, although the 14-year-old nearly didn't get there.

Dad Steve's car broke down as the pair were about to set off, but Avis, based at Southampton Airport, came to their rescue and rented them a car out of hours on Saturday evening.

The delay meant they didn't check in to their hotel in Walsall until 11pm.

Hildyard had won through the qualifiers at Woking to reach this stage and faced Dan Sloane for a place in the last eight. A fine 4-3 win meant he had progressed further in this national competition than anyone from the Southampton area.

Hildyard lost 4-3 against Gloucester's Michael Wasley in the quarter-final but returned home £50 richer.

Back at Chandler's Ford SC, Jack Hyom leapt into third spot in the £1,000 Under-21 Roll-Up with an impressive display that ended with a final win over Aldershot's Ryan Mears.

Hyom, 14, swept past Arron McIntyre, knocked in a 35 break to dispose of current leader Alex Dunkley in the last four and stopped Mears in his tracks.

Mears, 16, clinched the Cuestars Under-21 title last week and moved into joint top spot in this competition with a fine display of break building which included runs of 58, 76 and 62.

Nick Jennings, 13, stroked in a 76 in the first round but lost out in the next to Dunkley, who had a 62.

Newcomer Phil Arnold (Eastleigh) had an impressive first outing. The 16-year-old lost in the first but found his form in the plate, knocking in a 35 and winning all four games including the final against Joe Finch.