BILLIARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 15, 19 January 1932, Page 4

BILLIARDS

M'CONACHY'S PROGRESS

DEFEAT OF DAVIS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 7th December.

The secoud pait of tho billiard 9 match between McConachy and Davis was concluded on Saturday night at Thurston's Hall. Although Davis won the first part some weeks ago by 1118 points, lie lost the match on balance by 9381.

There has been no noticeable deterioration in the play shown by the English player. The conclusion, therefore, is that tho New Zeal&ttder has greatly improved.

"The rcmarkablo improvement McCpnachy has mado since last season," says "The Times" correspondent, "was illustrated by the way he outplayed his opponent, and it is indicative of the advance .which has been niade in the game- during the last few ' years that, although-he was beaten by such a big margin, Davis had an average for the. fortnight's play of 95, while McConachy's average was 165. On tho form he displayed in this game MeConachy has to1 be regarded as one of the greatest playeis the game has eve* produced and, at the present time, he may be the second best player in the world. Until he is beaten on level terms, and any of his- rivals is ablo to provo his superiority, Lin-' drum has to be regarded as the out-1 standing player of the- day. MeConachy has strengthened his position by very careful attention to nursery-can-non play, but he has. such a remarkable knowledge of the game generally that he has no need to specialise on any , particularfoim of scoring." Earlier in the game, MeConachy gain-1 ed a personal triumph by making a j break of 1943. This is tho highest break that he has ever made, the pro*' vious best being the run of 1780, which ' he made when- playing against Davis, at Sheffield two seasons' ago. On this occasion. McOoiiachy concentrated on'1 close-cannon play, making runs o£ 39. 37, 61, 33, 65, 59, and 98 of these intricate strokes. His skill in securing' position for this method of scoring was ' inert marked, as it has been all through the game. The break had a rather curious ending, as in playing for a very thin loser MeConachy ran a coup ■wheir he was using tfie rest.

The manner in Which McConachy has outplayed his opponent, who held the championship until it became void, has provided perhaps the biggest surprise of the season. The cause has been not so tnuch. tho poorness of Davig's play as the exceptional form shown by McConacliy.

McConachy finished off the match by making his seventh four-figure break of the season, and altogether he scored 1416 for an average of 354, while Davis made 516 for an average of 129. The play all through tho session was brilliant-. Davis began splendidly by increasing his run of 90 (unfinished) to 442., It included a run of 74 can-nons-and was ended when he failed1 to make a screw loser. McOoaachy scored 226 (including 49 cannons) and, two visits later, McConachy played with remarkable- accuracy in a break of 1077. The break was made largely by closecannon play. One of the features of the match was provided by tho easy manner in which McConachy wai able to secuie position for this form of scoring, and in $he course of this break ho made runs of 39, 50, 71, 78, 95, and 37 t cannous v [> > • , ' The' result was[: —McCdnachy,1 24,698;-; Davis, 14,199.