Snooker GOOD POTTING IN EXHIBITION GAME

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 17

Snooker GOOD POTTING IN EXHIBITION GAME

The first of a series of snooker and billiards exhibition matches to be held in the Canterbury district this month and next, was held last night, when the present New Zealand snooker champion, R. Franks, lost in five frames to this year’s runnerup and the 1960 champion. T. Yesberg. Franks and Yesberg, both of Christchurch, have met in the last two New Zealand finals for one win each, and last night’s exhibition by the country’s two leading players again showed that there is little between them.

Exhibition matches, particularly after the tensions of a national championship tournament, are usually played in an atmosphere of relaxation, and last night’s game developed more into a potting contest that an all-round exhibition of the true game of snooker. Both players showed little interest in safety play; many risks were taken throughout the five frames, and the art of snookering, which is often of absorbing interest, was almost ignored by both men when there was any chance of winning a frame by potting. Yesberg. particularly in winning the final three frames after losing the first two, attacked

continuously. He broke the reds firmly quite early in each frame and his confidence in his potting ability was finally rewarded when he played brilliantly to win the final frame by the remarkable margin of 99 points to 14. On the night, Franks was out-potted by his opponent, but no doubt in a championship final a much more thoughtful and cautious attitude would have been adopted by both. But it was. notwithstanding, a thoroughly interesting and for four frames a very close contest, and the players provided a lesson in the speed of their play and in their quick sum-ming-up of each situation. Little time was lost, and several frames took less than 20 minutes to complete. The match started slowly as the players strove to find touch, and a series of near misses left both with a number of opportunities. But the standard improved considerably in the final three>fram6s. during which there was some fine potting and positional play. Yesberg could easily have lost the match in three frames, winning the third on a somewhat fortunate black, but he had lost the second only after Franks had made a break of 25 on the colours when behind, and Franks also won the first only on the black. They displayed much beautiful control in a close fourth frame, with both concentrating on the black, but an artistic break by Yesberg of 25 (three blacks) proved derisive. Yesberg scattered the reds with his opening shot in the final frame, and proceeded to play almost flawlessly. Potting nearly everything and leaving little on for his opponent, he quickly led 37-1. and with the balls running against him Franks was quickly in an almost hopelew position. At one stage he was behind by 65 points to 2 and he required snookerg with several reds still on the table. But Franks, like Yesberg. had paid little early attention to snookering and when snookers became vital he found it impossible to change his game successfully.