Each every so often within the media centre on the snooker there’s a full-on statto problem thrown down.
In days passed by it could have been Phil Yates or Dave Hendon that will sorted this type of factor out, at present it could often be Matt Huart, previously of ProSnookerBlog fame and now on the WPBSA payroll (maybe for being formally the one one who actually understands the trivia of the rating programs and qualification standards in all their varieties).
The hapless hacks in right here sometimes provide you with a half-decent potential thought 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 taking pictures 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 profitable a UK title?
Now usually I’ve to admit, and plenty of would verify, stats usually are not prime of my agenda, being naturally extra drawn to the event, the consequence, the environment, 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 relating to making historical past or setting data.
As one other instance I not too long ago 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 prime and backside of that record (wait and see – or simply have a guess…).
If there’s one factor a statto loves although it’s consistency, a foundation of comparability that’s like for like – and on this entrance we rapidly bumped into issues on the entire ‘fewest frames conceded by a UK winner’ query.
Within the UK through the years you’ve gotten had gamers coming in at a final 16, final 32, and final 128 stage. You might have had finals that have been better of 31 frames, or better of 19. You might have had early-round matches that have been better of 17 frames, or better of 11. You might have had gamers profitable 4 matches to carry the trophy, or seven.
Typically Matt’s travails begin with him working again from a primary guess after which seeing if it may be overwhelmed. On this case the place to begin was Stephen Maguire in 2004 (19 frames, a 32-player draw, better of 17 body matches as much as better of 19 body last).
That was then overwhelmed by Doug Mountjoy in 1978 (18 frames, a 16-player draw for him, better of 17 then a better of 29 last).
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 last. And for Hendry it was a 32-player draw, better of 17 after which a better of 19 last (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 last means the identical variety of frames should be gained as when it was a 32-player draw, better of 17s till a better of 19 last (46 in complete).
However the reality 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.
