Shaun Murphy won Group Four in Championship League Snooker at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex and joins Ryan Day, Ken Doherty and Anthony Hamilton in the winners group in May.

Murphy finished in second spot after the League stage and then whitewashed Mark King 3-0 in the semi-final helped by a break of 128. He then beat Ali Carter 3-2 in the final who had just edged League newcomer Mark Allen 3-2 in the other play-off.

Murphy admitted after his win that the League format can be draining but said his relentless hours on the practise table helped him stay the course. In two Groups over the four days he had played sixty frames of snooker.

The highlight of the final was a 143 break from Carter in frame four, one short of his tournament best. He has now lost the last three finals and the Group One semi-final but has still earned £17,800 in prize money.

The League continues with Group Five on April 14th-15th and sees Carter, Allen, King and Joe Perry joined by Stephen Lee, Neil Robertson and Dominic Dale.

Sporting Life / Eurosport