BY 13 POINTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1945, Page 9

BY 13 POINTS

BILLIARDS' RECOVERY SHEPHERD BEATS ROBERTS With an unfinished break of 51, J. Shepherd last night won his first Auckland amateur billiards championship by the slender margin of 13 points in 1000 up. That break was the climax to a fighting finish against a veteran of the sport, E. V. Roberts, nine times winner of the title—the last back in 1932.

Leader at the half-way mark by 58 points, Roberts looked the winner during the greater part of last night's play, even though his play was far short of his best. He established a nice lead from the commencement of the session with three breaks in the twenties. He scored 112 to Shepherd's 10, the scores then being 614 to 454 in his favour. The run of the balls had gone against Shepherd. Then he displayed nice form with a break of 44, followed by 52, but was still 99 in arrears With the scores 675 to 576.

Roberts increased his lead to 131 and was still 100 ahead when he passed the 800 mark, having contributed what proved his best break—sl—when 772. The scores wefe then 825 to 697. Only Two Points Behind Shepherd then made 44, playing the short and long losers consistently well. There was still 64 the difference when Roberts entered the last hundred, and when his opponent put on 32 Roberts replied with 31. The scores were now 951 to 873 in his favour.

Quite a different complexion was put on the game when Shepherd made the best break of the match, 76, and this left him only two behind. With a useful 27, Roberts wanted 13 points for game and Shepherd 51. Playing with confidence and better fortune in the run of the balls, Shepherd ran to points with his unfinished break at his next visit.

In presenting the trophies Mr. E. W. Warren, secretary of the Auckland Billiards Association, stated that both the finalists would be representing Auckland at the New Zealand championship tourney at Wellington at the end of the month, along with L. Holds-worth and C. Carrick. The last named, the outstanding pre-war player who is in the Air Force, will be making a reappearance for the first time since the war period.