Group favourites Shane Thompson and Tom Cousins somehow managed to win Group 15 of the Eative Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup in the most bizarre week of the competition so far.

Ultimate Pool professional number one Thompson teamed with former back-to-back world champion Cousins who was making his debut for the organisation in front of the live FreeSports television cameras. Strongly fancied to qualify for the last 16, they were far from their best – needing a result to go their way before coming good in a 6-reds shootout.

The evening began with two draws as Sam Bircher & Lee Washbrook drew 2-2 with Tony Brown & Robert Dagnall followed by Thompson & Cousins going 1-1 against Phil Malam & Tim Roberts. There was an unusual ending to that latter match as Cousins had a chance to take maximum points but seemingly forgot about the match-clock – perhaps understandable with him playing in the Ultimate Pool arena for the first time.

Malam & Roberts then recorded a 4-0 victory over Brown & Dagnall before another memorable finish to the tie between Thompson & Cousins and Bircher & Washbrook. The high-profile pair was 2-1 down and facing elimination with seconds to go. However, as we have seen before under the bright lights and pressure cooker atmosphere, an error in judgement was perhaps made as Bircher elected to play a snooker instead of potting the clock out. Cousins made the most of this faint lifeline, sensationally potting the 8-ball off two cushions to force a draw and stay alive.

Thompson & Cousins then stayed out to register their first win – a 2-1 success over Brown & Dagnall, but the best they could now hope for was a 6-reds shootout.

Sitting on three points, Malam & Roberts had destiny in their own hands – a win would have put them through – but remarkably, the duo had just three shots in total (two of which being break-offs) as Bircher & Washbrook chalked up a 4-0 win. To add insult to injury, their last break was a golden duck – only the second ever seen in Ultimate Pool competition.

It meant that two teams were tied at the top with four points each and therefore a 6-reds shootout was required to determine the winners.

Having lost the lag and being put in first, Thompson & Cousins registered an impressive time of 23.88 seconds, a target that Bircher & Washbrook could not better.

Group 15 Results

Sam Bircher & Lee Washbrook 2-2 Tony Brown & Robert Dagnall

Tom Cousins & Shane Thompson 1-1 Phil Malam & Tim Roberts

Brown & Dagnall 0-4 Malam & Roberts

Bircher & Washbrook 2-2 Cousins & Thompson

Brown & Dagnall 1-2 Cousins & Thompson

Bircher & Washbrook 4-0 Malam & Roberts

Cousins & Thompson (23.88 seconds) defeated Bircher & Washbrook (no time - unfinished) in a 6-reds shootout to win the group