Each once in a while within the media centre on the snooker there’s a full-on statto problem thrown down.
In days passed by it might have been Phil Yates or Dave Hendon that might sorted this type of factor out, at present it might often be Matt Huart, previously of ProSnookerBlog fame and now on the WPBSA payroll (maybe for being formally the one one that really understands the trivialities of the rating methods and qualification standards in all their types).
The hapless hacks in right here sometimes give you a half-decent doable concept for a narrative, after which Matt kindly places some flesh on the statistical bones – both confirming this line of enquiry is yielding one thing fascinating, or politely capturing it down in flames as being a complete waste of time.
A variety of these conversations are hypotheticals and we had one such dialogue yesterday as Ronnie O’Sullivan raced into the quarter-finals for the lack of simply three frames. What, I requested Matt, was the fewest variety of frames that had been conceded in successful a UK title?
Now typically I’ve to admit, and plenty of would affirm, stats usually are not high of my agenda, being naturally extra drawn to the event, the outcome, the ambiance, the agony and the ecstasy sport can generate, and listening to from the lead actors, the gamers.
However with out query there are occasions when the statistic IS the story, particularly in relation to making historical past or setting information.
As one other instance I lately bought a peek on the common shot time record for the season as much as the UK Championship – and any self-respecting journalist may make a narrative out of who was high and backside of that record (wait and see – or simply have a guess…).
If there may be one factor a statto loves although it’s consistency, a foundation of comparability that’s like for like – and on this entrance we shortly bumped into issues on the entire ‘fewest frames conceded by a UK winner’ query.
Within the UK over time you may have had gamers coming in at a final 16, final 32, and final 128 stage. You have got had finals that had been better of 31 frames, or better of 19. You have got had early-round matches that had been better of 17 frames, or better of 11. You have got had gamers successful 4 matches to raise the trophy, or seven.
Usually Matt’s travails begin with him working again from a primary guess after which seeing if it may be crushed. On this case the start line was Stephen Maguire in 2004 (19 frames, a 32-player draw, better of 17 body matches as much as better of 19 body remaining).
That was then crushed by Doug Mountjoy in 1978 (18 frames, a 16-player draw for him, better of 17 then a better of 29 remaining).
Steve Davis dropped simply 14 frames in 1980 plus one in an earlier qualifier, and Stephen Hendry 12 in 1995. For Davis this was a 16-player draw, better of 17 adopted by a better of 31 remaining. And for Hendry it was a 32-player draw, better of 17 after which a better of 19 remaining (though he did win a qualifier too earlier pre-venue, technically dropping an extra three frames to Jamie Burnett).
However Davis wins the prize for his 1981 effort in a 16-player draw, providing up simply 10 frames in beating Willie Thorne 9-2, Invoice Werbeniuk 9-5, Jimmy White 9-0 after which Terry Griffiths 16-3.
You could possibly additionally notice that the present 128-player format with better of 11s and a better of 19 remaining means the identical variety of frames should be received as when it was a 32-player draw, better of 17s till a better of 19 remaining (46 in complete).
However the fact of it’s that’s about half an hour of all of our lives – and now one other 20 minutes of mine – that I’ll by no means get again.
