Snooker: Tara Jackson has her turn at creating history

Tara Jackson won the national women's snooker title at the weekend to join her husband Bayden on the list of national champions. Photo/Paul Taylor

When it comes to creating firsts Hawke's Bay cue sports king Bayden Jackson has been there and done that.

But at the weekend it was his wife Tara's turn to create a slice of history on the national cue sports scene. When the Havelock North Club player won the New Zealand women's snooker championship in Tokoroa the Jacksons became the first husband-and-wife pair to have been national snooker champions in the wake of Bayden's success in 2011.

The fact Jackson, 44, hadn't played any serious snooker for eight years and travelled to the 20-player championship after only a couple of training sessions added to the significance of her achievement.

"I never played snooker until we came to New Zealand from England in 2009. I'm more of a pool player and made the England team thanks to Bayden's coaching," Jackson recalled.

A mother of two who runs her own cleaning business, Jackson beat Aucklander Kimberley Cullen 3-2 in her final.

"I played absolutely terrible in my first section game which I lost 2-1. That meant I had to win my remaining matches to win the title . . . it was the best thing which could have happened, the kick in the backside I needed," Jackson said.

She won her next two section games 2-0 and her first three post-section games 3-2 on the way to the final. Jackson beat one of the country's best cue sport exponents, Hazel Cook of Tokoroa, in her quarter-final and another long-serving New Zealand rep, Temple Geayley of Auckland, in her semifinal.

"Against Temple I was behind all the way in the final frame. I had to pull out a straight pink and a long black down the rail to beat her. They were the two best shots in my life," Jackson recalled.

"I was behind for most of the final too. I had to pull out a clearance to make it 2-all and in the deciding game I was always in control."

Jackson's biggest break in the tournament was a 28.

"My scoring wasn't heavy but my safety play was spot on. It kept me in matches and I just kept fighting. I would make breaks of 20 odd and then run safe . . . I always went back to basics when I had to."

Despite her success Jackson pointed out her hubby's cue sports pursuits would still be the family's priority.

"He is still No 2 on the New Zealand snooker rankings. However the weekend's title has certainly given me an incentive to enter more tournaments.

"I'll play in the weekly snooker dash at the Havelock North Club with the aim of going back-to-back next year. I'll enter some pool competitions. In September I've got the Hawke's Bay Open for snooker in Havelock and after that the focus will be on the Super League pool finals in Christchurch."

It was no surprise when Jackson listed multiple world snooker champion Stephen Hendry of England as her idol back home.

"Here in New Zealand I can't go any further than my husband and coach Bayden. He did a good job with his cheers and tips at the weekend and I think he aged about 10 years at the same time," she added.

A two-time Hawke's Bay Open Snooker champion, Bayden made history in 2011 when he won the New Zealand Open and national snooker titles in the same year. In 2013 he won the Clubs New Zealand national eight-ball championship.

Last year Bayden won the $10,000 first prize when he took out the third annual national world two-shot rule eight-ball tournament in Christchurch. He played these rules for six years when he represented England before the Jacksons moved to New Zealand.

With this background his wife will never be short of quality advice. Like her hubby she has the potential to make a habit of title successes if she desires.