Neal Foulds and Dominic Dale headline commentary for Kyren Wilson v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh from Northern Ireland Open

The Northern Ireland Open returns on Saturday 20 October 2026, with the action due to kick off at 19:00 UK time. The match brings together the two of the most decorated competitors in the sport, and it is being covered by a commentary team that pairs a six-time tournament winner with a former star player who has since thrown his lot in with the broadcasters. Viewers can tune in through HBO Max Europe / TNT Sports 4 HD (UK), which will deliver the full match from a location that has drawn plenty of public attention in recent years.

Who is commentating

The main commentator is Neal Foulds, an English snooker who was born on 13 July 1963 and went on to win the tournament six times. His victories included the 1986 International Open, the 1988 Dubai Masters and the 1992 Scottish Masters, and he also took the invitational Pot Black in 1992. On the way he was runner-up at the 1986 UK Championship and the 1987 British Open, reached the semi-finals of three Masters tournaments, and was a finalist at the 1987 W. With a record like that, he is one of the few players in the sport who can genuinely claim to be a six-time tournament winner, and he is set to bring that depth of experience to the mic.

The co-commentator is Dominic Dale, born Christopher Dale on 29 December 1971. He is a retired professional snooker player from Wales, and he now serves as a commentator, pundit and presenter for BBC Cymru Wales and TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) in the United Kingdom. His move into commentary has clearly suited him: as he put it himself, he has "fallen in love with snooker again since moving into commentary," recalling the moments when decisions were made "on the spur of the moment" and were "typical me." That blend of former star player and current broadcaster makes him a valuable second set of eyes on the field.

The reporter and where to watch

The role of reporter this time is being taken by Rachel Case, who will be tracking events and feeding developments back to the team. For those who followed the sport's commentary system closely, it is worth noting that in a previous match on this circuit Rachel Case was listed as the presenter, alongside a main commentator, co-commentator and a string of pundits and MCs — so the roles rotate depending on the match.

The full match is available via the Wikipedia page for Neal Foulds, which confirms his status as a six-time tournament winner and details of his victories across the sport's history.

Article generated: 20 October 2026, 19:02 GMT