BILLIARDS TITLE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 14

BILLIARDS TITLE

Sixth Win By Simons lE. J. Simons dramatically*won the Canterbury billiards championship In the last minute when he defeated T, «. Yeaberg, 543-535, in the final St the Kaiapol Working Men’s Club last evening. It is the sixth time he has won it, Also, it was the thirteenth time in 14 years that the twe players have met in the final. Yesberg has won the title seven times. , The game was a battle W tactics for the first two hours and a half and a battle of nerves over the last half-hour. Both players preferred to concede one point for not hitting a ball than leave the other a Chance to break away. There Was only one break in the 50's, and in the last, halfhour the highest was 23, by Simons. . , 1 Simons began well and in his second and fourth turns at the table scored breaks of 31 and 31. At the end of the first halfhour. he led, 131-45. Yesberg, in -contrast, had U) turns without scoring. Yesberg showed more concentration in the next half-hour and scored consistently. Simons, however, quietly progressed at the same steady pace, and’was 214-107 ahead at the end of the first hour. ~

Under pressure, from Yesberg. Simons began to falter. Yesberg scored reasonably each time -ar. th* table, Including breaks of 25 and 20, and at half-tlmk had taken the lead. 200-253. After the interval,- the lead Changed frequently. Neither m was prepared to take the til away from a cushion and give an advantage to his opponent. Then. Yesberg, with a fine shot, spun his ball back on to the red, and with a break of 40, went into a 50-point lead. Simons,- however, crept back, ahd with six minutes to go went ahead with a break of 23. Yes-' berg came baek to lead by two. points, but then missed a simple shot and gave Simone the charice to clinch his victory.