IT WAS double success for Steve Borlase as he scooped the Southern Region County Men’s and Senior’s A Championships last weekend.

The 45-year-old, who is from Warminster, had to battle it out with 173 other players over the course of a season to see who could come out on top.

The competition is based on a points system, with whoever has accumulated the most at the end of the season being crowned champion.

Having previously represented England at the highest level, England A, Borlase stopped playing after losing interest in the sport.

However, after a few years away from the scene, he was unable to fight the urge and went to Nottingham for England trials last October.

Since coming out top of the pile, he has continued to play but admits he is a little bit surprised with how well it has been going.

“I’m on a bit of a roll at the moment. I am a good pool player. I have been playing for about 40 years and won about 300 competitions,” said Borlase.

“I used to play for England A, which is the top team in the country at pool but I came out of that and stopped playing for England.

“But after a couple of years, I decided to get back into it.

“In October, I went for England trials in Nottingham and beat everybody there so got myself and England place again.

“A month later, I was in Coleraine, playing my first game for England in a number of years. I became the top player that week because I played 29 games and only lost four.”

After his most recent triumph, Borlase is more determined than ever to get back into the England A squad.

“I don’t think anybody had won both the Men’s and the Senior Competitions, I had more wins than anybody else over the year out of 173 county players,” said Borlase “At the moment, I am in England B1 still winning and playing well so I am looking at going back to the top team.

“I’m motivated, I’m 45-years-old and I am still winning championships, I have that passion and drive to win.

“I’ve got a lot of things going right for me at the moment, I put the work in.”