Allen Achieves Stunning 147 Break, Secures £40,000 Bonus

SHEFFIELD: During his second-round match against Chris Wakelin at the World Snooker Championship on Friday, Mark Allen delivered an exceptional 147 break, netting a bonus of £40,000.

The world No.8 executed the 217th maximum break in the chronicles of professional snooker – marking the fifth in his career – which electrified the crowd at the Crucible.

This achievement also turned into a windfall for a spectator, Brian Nicholls, who received a prize of £25,000. Before the match, Midnite, the championship’s sponsor, selected a spectator at random from the 980 present, promising a cash prize should a 147 break occur.

Allen was initially trailing 6-2 as the day began, with Wakelin, boosted by his previous victory over Neil Robertson, maintained his strong play. Wakelin increased his advantage to 10-2 in the morning session prior to Allen’s impressive maximum break, which kept his hopes alive at the Crucible.

Following the completion of the 147, Allen celebrated with enthusiasm, while the arena filled with loud cheers. Wakelin acknowledged his opponent’s achievement.

However, Allen’s upper hand was short-lived. In the 14th frame, a missed red proved costly, enabling Wakelin to secure the frame and regain his significant eight-frame lead.

Showing his tenacity, Allen made another century in the subsequent frame, but Wakelin concluded the session ahead at 12-4, needing only one more frame for the win.

Shaun Murphy, a former world champion, lauded Allen’s performance:

“Incredible scenes. Achieving a 147 at the Crucible is the aspiration of every snooker player. This is a moment Mark will always remember.”

Murphy also noted that Allen’s 147 means that he will now share the tournament’s £15,000 high break prize with Jackson Page, who accomplished two maximum breaks during the qualifying rounds.

He stated, “The individual who might not be quite as thrilled is Jackson Page, a close friend of Mark Williams, who posted two 147s in the qualifiers.”

“Despite having already won £147,000 for those, he will now have to split the £15,000 high break prize with Mark, who also gets the £40,000 for achieving a 147,” he added.