He was working on rooftops until hours before the biggest night of his career then Brett Miller shared a tabletop with a world class opponent in another week of famous names at the Metrodome.

The 29-year-old roofer from Lundwood played in his first ever world ranking tournament on Wednesday as the China Qualifiers were held in Barnsley this week. Miller lost 5-1 to world number 18, and former number six, Ryan Day on the table next to former world champion Neil Robertson and in an event that also included Jimmy White, Judd Trump and John Higgins. Miller was back at work the following morning having enjoyed the experience.

He said: "It was a good match with not many balls missed. Ryan's class showed through in the end. But it was a good experience in front of my own fans. There were about 30 or 40 people there supporting me. "For my first world ranking event to be in Barnsley is amazing.  It's given me some heart and makes my want to practise that bit harder. "I was working in Leeds until 1.30pm then got an hour on the warm-up table before the match at 7pm.

|I wish I could train for six or seven hours a day like the professionals do but I only get to practice two or three times a week."

Miller qualified for the event by finishing 20th in a 'Cue School' for amateurs which put him 148th in the world. There are 128 in the China Qualifiers but enough people pulled out to put him in the draw.

"I have qualified for the International Qualifiers and Australian Qualifiers in the past but those events have been in South London so I couldn't afford to go down there and take the time off work."

Brett won the biggest amateur competition in the UK, the Snookerbacker Classic, last year, which he says has 'opened doors' for him. He is now set to compete in the qualifying tournaments for the World Championships at The Crucible in Sheffield.

"Hopefully this is the start of things to come and I can start to make a living out of snooker."

Day made a break of 108 to win the first frame then Miller levelled with 80 in the second. Welsh player Day won a tight third frame then dominated the remaining three as he rounded off the convincing victory with a huge 142.