STEVE Fleming, the reigning Blackburn pool champion, showed just why he is the local "hot pot" - by beating the world champion!

Steve's heroics in a sensational decisive frame helped Lancashire to a dramatic top-of-the-table victory in a Roses clash with Yorkshire.

Captain of the Lancashire B team, Steve Fleming, who had lost his previous three matches, defeated the 2004 world champion, Yorkshire's Mick Hill, to seal a remarkable victory for the red rose county.

In the first to 23 encounter, the Lancashire team trailed 19-14 going into the final set and were still 21-17 down five frames later.

However, in an inspired session, Lancashire won five consecutive frames to take the score to 22-21 in their favour and it was left to the 40-year-old skipper to complete the comeback.

"I was on a bit of a losing streak and so I was feeling the pressure slightly going into that crucial match-up with Mick," said Steve.

"But at the end of the day it was just another game of pool to me. I stepped up quite calmly and casually, cleared the table and shook his hand. I would have expected exactly the same response from him.

"I've been playing the game for so long now, about 25 years, that it was just another frame of pool for me.

"I had been pipped to the post in my three previous matches, so I was just glad to get the better of Mick on the day and fortunately it happened when it really mattered," added the father of two.

Steve, who has been playing for Lancashire for five years, has won the Blackburn singles title six times in the last 20 years - a record that is second to none.

As well as playing for Lancashire, Steve also plays for the Cabin End in the Hyndburn Pool League and for his local pub team, the Beech Tree in Great Harwood.

Steve was forced to face the three-time world team winner because he hadn't represented the Yorkshire A team in either of their first two games and so Hill had been named in the Yorkshire B squad in case such a tense finale arose.

Lancashire's 23-21 victory extended their lead over their rivals at the top of the Region 2 county league and it was made all the sweeter by the news that the Lancs A team had defeated their trans-Pennine counterparts 27-17 on the same day.