Carter leads the way after day one at Crondon Park - 04/01/2011

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LATEST SCORES: FINAL MARK SELBY 3-2 ALI CARTER.

SF: HIGGINS 3-1 SELBY, WILLIAMS 0-3 CARTER

Day one of the 2011 Championship League Snooker completed today at Crondon Park Golf Club in rural Essex and Championship League specialist Ali Carter leads the way with three wins from his three matches.

Carter, who made in excess of £22,000 in the inaugural event in 2008, despite not even reaching the winners’ group, recorded wins over Stephen Maguire, Mark Selby and Graeme Dott.

There are seven players competing and they each play the others once, with a point for a win. All matches are the best of five frames.

Others off to a good start to today are John Higgins with two wins from three starts, and Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby who both have two wins from their four matches. At the other end of the table Dott, Williams and Maguire have a single point although Dott has played a game more.

Play continues tomorrow at 10.30am and there are a further nine league matches before the semi-finals and the final.

Players earn £100 per frame won. The top four players after the remainder of the group matches tomorrow then play in best of five semi-finals. The money increases to £300 per frame won and the winner receives £3,000, the runner-up £2,000 and the beaten semi-finalists £1,000 each.

The winner then goes through to the final group on March 23rd & 24th where big money as well as a spot in the Sky Sports-televised Premier League Snooker is up for grabs. The two bottom players are eliminated from the competition, while the remaining four move forward to Group Two to be joined by three new players.