JAMES KIRK and Martyn Desperques were the star performers at the Island Championships held at Happy Landings.

Desperques strengthened his reputation as the island’s foremost cueist by taking the senior men’s title, while Kirk shone in the subsidiary events.

It was an early start for the junior section as the players arrived around 9am for an hour’s practice before their tournament began.

Come the final, Kirk (pictured) was up against Santos.

The first half of the match was scrappy and the score stood at 3-3, but after a brief break in the match he returned with renewed focus and made sure of all the remaining frames to take the championship for the first time 6-3.

Kirk was soon back at the table in the under-21 semi-final to face his old adversary and close friend Jess de la Haye, in a repeat of last year’s junior final.

In previous junior tournaments Kirk had always been the bridesmaid to de la Haye, but on this occasion he was soon edging in front.

Kirk had the end in sight needing only one frame to lay the ghost to rest, but the ever impressive de la Haye can never be ruled out and and as he took two frames in a row Kirk could see his demons rising again.

But in frame No. 12 Kirk was not going to let go and finished the match 8-4 and with it book his place in the first under-21s final.

In the other semi, Ashley Perriam had beaten Rob Priaulx 8-4 and in the final Kirk and Perriam traded early frames, but Kirk eased his way into the front and eventually romped away to win by a 9-5 scoreline.

In doing so, Kirk had made local history in not only becoming the first to hold this title, but also the first to win two major island championships within the same day.