BILLIARD FEATS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 116, 19 May 1930, Page 13

BILLIARD FEATS

M'CONACHY RETURNS

A SUCCESSFUL - TOUR

Well satisfied with his recent, tour of England, Clark M'Conachy, the ;New Zealand billiard champion, returned to Wellington by the Makura, which arrived from Sydney to-day. ' •

. Interviewed by a "Post" representative, Mr. M'Gonaehysaidthat last season had,been the first in which he had been able to play a 'scries .of long matches with the professionals of the world, and as a result he had shown a great improvement. During the English .season he had- made 16 breaks of over 1000, ,the higlfest being 1780. It was only at the end of the tour when he had to undertake no' less than. twelve 12----hour journeys and play on indifferent tables in a provincial tour of .three weeks that his form had begun to fall away. , -. '

'Walter Lindrum, he said, had astonished all England. Even to Mr. M'Conachy the Australian's ■performances

wore marvellous. Lindrum had made '■between 60 and 70 breaks of over 1000. AVhcn Geerge Gray went to' England lie made about 20 breaks exceeding the 1000-mark, including one of 2196. These had been nompiled by the "all rod route," and it wa-s thought,.that they. - would never be equalled. Lin drum had left; that record far behind, and, what •was more, had- run up his huge scores by nil-round billiards. In fact, Lindrum was a 1 master in every style of play. Mr. M'Conachy was delighted with the hospitality he had received. In Scotland ho had. had a delightful stay, and had spent some,-time fishing in the Tay with Cap.tain. Matheson, who had been in New, Zealand deep-sea, fishing. The New Zealander had'landed salmon Weighing■ 17i, 18$, and 141b.' In Belfast he had a splendid game with Tom Newman, who by'two breaks of over ■ 700, had established a lead of well over 1000. Mr. M'Conachy'pulled the game ' out of the fire with breaks of 000 and ' 1000. Later on, he made two consecutive breaks of 1000, a feat which had previously not been accomplished, but which Lindrum equalled later on. \ Mi1. M'Conachy paid a tribute. to ■ Davis, the English champion, and said that his performance of making a break ■ ■'■'6i over 2000 in the English champion-ships-was a very iine.one indeed. When ; the New Zealander was.last,in England he had conceded Davis starts, even with ivory balls, but since then1 the young Englishman had forged ahead. After a short stay in New Mr. M'Conachy leaves for Australia, 1 where he will join Lindrum. -They will leave Melbourne on 24th June for South Africa, where- they have a month's contract with -the Transvaal National Sporting Club., They are; limiting their South African tour to six weeks, for they are due in London in September.' Lindruin will commence his first English match on 23rd Sen*£mbcr and M'Couaehy will start a week later,. This year they will bo under contract to Campkin Billiards Ltd., Birmingham, for a season of twenty-six weeks, and will bo free to play on any make of table. They anticipate entering' for the English championships in ' which Davis and Newman will also be competitors. It was not anticipated that Smith would enter, as ho had stated his'intention of retiring from first-class billiards.