The Betway UK Championship quarter-final between world No1 Mark Selby and the in-form John Higgins delivered on each stage – and in addition sparked a brand new storm over how reside snooker is roofed on the BBC.
Beginning at simply after 1pm the gamers, together with an interval and breaks between frames, had held the viewers spellbound for nearly 5 hours at York’s Barbican Centre.
Reigning world champion Mark Selby surged right into a 3-0 lead, earlier than letting Higgins off the hook and permitting the current China Championship and Champion of Champions winner to claw his manner again.
So profitable was Higgins, a three-time UK winner, at this he took the lead at 4-3 and 5-4, earlier than the 33-year-old Selby, the 2012 UK champion, compelled a decider.
This gripping, gruelling denouement lasted over 46 minutes however with two reds left on the desk and Selby seemingly getting ready to victory the BBC2 protection left the motion, to go to the schedule Strictly: It Takes Two programme hosted by Zoe Ball.
The truth that it was in any case Musicals Week on the smash hit mild leisure present minimize little ice with livid snooker followers who took to social media to voice their ire.
Feedback resembling “BBC slicing away from the snooker actually two seconds earlier than Selby performs the matchwinning shot at 5-5. Take all the game off them”, and “BBC You’re an absolute joke slicing off the snooker at this second” lit up Twitter.
Now this isn’t the primary time this has occurred, with protection beforehand disappearing for an eclectic mixture of programmes together with Coast, Eggheads and The Furry Bikers.
And it ought to be identified that the on-site manufacturing firm IMG, who present in my very own view wonderful protection and manufacturing values, wouldn’t have wished this to occur. While you work as arduous as they do on the bottom for 9 days in York, you don’t need the match of the match taken off air with minutes to go together with so many viewers gripped.
Finally although it isn’t their name, however that of the community bosses and schedule controllers at BBC2, and for them this choice gave the impression to be a no brainer. Replying to at least one indignant viewer on Twitter, BBC presenter Jason Mohammad stated: “By no means straightforward Chris however we needed to go away for Strictly. Thanks for writing.”
However it isn’t what Jason wished, what IMG wished, what the commentators wished, or the tv viewers wished. Everybody has been let down.
It ought to be famous protection continued on the crimson button, however not everybody watching has entry to that.
And one key query is, in fact, would the identical factor have occurred if it had been an Andy Murray match in tennis. I believe not.
A fuller response was requested from the BBC press workplace by this correspondent and one other colleague.
When it arrived it shed little mild on the choice. A BBC spokesperson stated: “We’re clearly disillusioned that we weren’t in a position to present the conclusion of this match on BBC Two however after extending protection for a couple of minutes we needed to change to the scheduled reside Strictly It Takes Two so we continued protection of the snooker on the crimson button.”
Again to the match and Higgins was in no temper to speak afterwards, replying sarcastically to at least one query and noting: “I’d somewhat have misplaced 6-0 than 6-5 like that. How do you suppose I really feel after that finish to the match? Who cares if I confirmed combat, I nonetheless misplaced.”
Selby, who now performs Shaun Murphy on Saturday afternoon, stated: “John may be disillusioned, however I’m undecided I’d be too disillusioned in his place if I had gained nicely over £300,000 within the final month as he has.
“I don’t learn about 33, I really feel about 53 after that. And admittedly if I had been the BBC I feel I’d have taken it off after that lengthy!”
