EBDON JOINS THE BBC COMMENTATORS CLUB

Peter Ebdon arrived at Alexandra Palace in good time for his debut full live commentary stint with the BBC alongside Dennis Taylor for the Stuart Bingham v Ding Junhui evening first-round match on opening Sunday.

Being a former world champion, Ebdon very much fitted the mould for recent BBC appointments in the role, and Taylor and fellow former Crucible king and broadcaster John Parrott spent time reassuring Ebdon in the salubrious surroundings of the media centre canteen area before he took up his place in the booth.

For Parrott, this consisted mainly of telling Ebdon that Taylor once couldn’t speak in the commentary box with a large boiled sweet in his mouth, which led to the wise-cracking Scouser immediately offering him another one.

But Taylor had his own victory to celebrate, having finally won a battle lasting several years with the bean-counters to install some more comfortable chairs for the late-night finishes.

Ebdon was helpfully told by the press that swearing, shouting ‘Vegan Power’ at full volume and discussing the merits of organic carrots were all de rigeur as a commentator – advice he wisely chose to ignore.

EBDON BACK FROM BUDAPEST AND IN CARTER CORNER

Peter Ebdon showed up at Alexandra Palace as a cornerman for Ali Carter alongside manager Steve Daintry for both of The Captain’s matches at the Masters this year, a role he has performed before at the Crucible and elsewhere.

Ebdon remains based in Budapest for most of the time when he is not travelling on the tour, but used his former UK home of Northamptonshire as a base while trekking down to north London to support Carter.

The former world champion knows he has his work cut out to make it back into the top 16 and avoid having to play three qualifying matches for the World Championship this year, especially with points to come off after a decent campaign in 2012-13.

However he did hint that there is a strong possibility of a first European Tour event taking place in Hungary in the near future – possibly next year.