Bond was the last man standing from a field of 64

New Snooker Shoot-Out champion Nigel Bond said he revelled in the freedom of the all-action one-frame event.

The Derbyshire cueman, 45, rolled back the years to triumph in the sport's latest format - and clinch a first win in a televised tournament in 14 years.

"It's amazing to be a champion again after all these years," Bond said.

"With the shot clock you've got no time to think, you go for the first ball you see and knock it in the hole. It stops you thinking about what can go wrong."

Bond pocketed the £32,000 top prize at the Circus Arena in Blackpool on Sunday as reward for winning six consecutive single-frame, 10-minute matches.

World number 37 Bond beat Gloucester's Robert Milkins 58-24 in the final - the culmination of a three-day event which featured the world's top 64 players.

It's been a fantastic event. Anybody can win it. I knew I was hitting the ball fairly well and felt okay. It suited me down to the ground Nigel Bond

An innovative format with a shot clock and frames lasting a maximum of 10 minutes provided plenty of excitement and several frames decided in the dying seconds.

Bond knocked out Joe Jogia on Friday, Stephen Lee on Saturday and on Sunday reeled off victories over Rory McLeod, Mark King, Marcus Campbell and Milkins.

Veteran Bond, who lost to Stephen Hendry in the 1995 World Championship final and beat John Higgins to win the British Open the following year, added: "It's been a fantastic weekend. There's been great crowds in.

"All the players have enjoyed. It's been a fantastic event.

"I came to see how far I can go. Anybody can win it, as you've seen.

"I knew I was hitting the ball fairly well and felt okay in myself. It suited me down to the ground."

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