M'CONACHY’S FINE BREAK

Evening Star, Issue 19004, 28 July 1925, Page 11

M'CONACHY’S FINE BREAK

509 IN FIRST SESSION MATCH AGAINST TOTH ILL. Al'Conachy’s magnificent 509 break —■ a fmo all-round effort —lent Inslre to the opening session of his 'match of 18.000 up with Toth ill. Clark ADConaeny, New Zealand professional champion, is conceding Tothill. professional champion of tho North or England, a 4 .000 start, and by the end of tho day’s play the New Zealander had reduced that lead to 3.017. Tho players were introduced by Air P. S. Anderson (president of the Dunedin R.S.A.). Some- -fifty or sixty enthusiasts, seated on forms in the semi-darkness, watched them each session, and _ there were many moments of tense interest, with a silence broken only by tho' sharp click and whir of the balls and the quick footsteps of the players as they moved round tho brilliantly-lighted table. Air E. N. Stewart acted as honorary referee. The New Zealander’s best breaks were 509, IS2. 154, BG, 73, 71, 64, 62, and 57. Tothill’s best wore 116, 103, 90, 87, 54, and _ 63. APConachy’s average was a fraction less than 43, and the Englisbnicnt’s was almost exactly 24. The players strung for break, and Al'Conachy opened with a doublebaulk, Tothill driving round the table and hitting the white. The New Zealander missed a cannon,* and lothill opened the scoring, hut made only a few. ADConachy, with an in-off or two, a pot or two, and some cannons, went to 46, and the Englishman knocked up a 20. M'Conacliy failed with his next, and Tothill made 40, a good long jinny early in the break winning winning 'him applause. Then M Conachy made 23 and lost the red. i\\ illi Tothill away np by tho top left-hand pocket, and white and rod some loin apart and both lying only a couple ol inches from the lower side cushion on the same sade, the position looked fairly safe; but Tothill managed to pot fho rod and cannon —a good shot that impressed the spectators. Ho then broke down. _ Then came the brightest oi tho session—a classical 509 by APConachy, made up of pots, cannons, and lovely iop-of-the table play. The Now Zealander played with superb judgment and great resource. Approaching tho fourth con try ho found himself in a difficult position, but a fine iu-oft to Hus left-hand centre bag enabled him to carry on. Ho passed the 500 niaik with a couple of strong in-offs from the. rod to tho top hags. _ At _507 he had to pot tho white, lying just on the edge of the top left-hand pocket, and at 509 ho broke down. Ho returned to his seat amidst hearty applause. Mis opponent told a reporter f his morning that it was the first time lie bad known any man to make a 000 break' in the first session of game. Playing nice billiards, Tothill innoo 90, and broke down in essaying a pot to a. top pocket. Al'Conacliy then made a few. and Tothill won applause with a pretty 43. The New Zealander broke down at 9, and Tothill, with nicely-varied play, went to 116, when a kiss robbed him of a cannon near the top left-hand pocket. Playing neat nursery cannons on the upper left-hand cushion. APGonachy carried his cue to 70, when, tho balls fondling, they wore spotted afresh, whereat ho went on to 86. Tothill won applause with a difficult masse shot, which gained him a cannon, hut he got to only 6. Al'Conachy, returning to tho table went to 71 (unfinished), and this closed tho session. Scores; — Tothill (roc. 4,000) ... 4.328 ' Al'Conacliy , 751 Opening the next session, Al'Conacliy failed with his first shot. Tothill scored a few, and left the halls safe, and tho Now Zealander’s good attempt to cannon again failed. The Englishman made 28 and failed with a masse shot, and Al'Conachy, playing nursery cannons for tho most part, wont lo 73. Tothill compiled a. 14, and Now Zealander at 8. Tothill’s next visit gained him nothing, and APConachy’s experience was ji similar one. Tho Englishman again failed, and Al'Conacliy compiled an attractive (34, breaking down on a difficult masse cannon. Tothill’s next visit brought him 11. and his opponent made a nice 39, to which the Englishman responded with a. 51. It was a pleasing break, and there was a long-drawn-on t sigh of disappointment when he failed on a bard run-tlirongh cannon by a. hair's breadth. M'Conacliy did not score, and Tothill made 11, followed by another miss (a narrow one, ■though) from the Now Zealander. Tothill ended at 5, and Al'Conachy found the balls safe. The Englishman slopped al 7 and M'Conacliy at PL fho former following on with an ("•ceilont. 87, to which M'Conacliy replied n a 23. Tothill and Al'Conachy each gave a safe miss, then Tothill failed to double Al'Conachy into the top pocket. Al'Conacliy made a 4 and left a douhle-hanlk, and, Tothill missing, the New Zealander went, on to_ scon l Lot, compiled with a variety of "shots, including a scries of nursery cannons. Tothill made 10 and Al'Conachy 2. The Englishman won applause with a, well-judged cannon, and went on to 18. following a 7 by Al'Conachy, he made a 24. Al'Conacliy failed at 3, and Tothill followed with not many more. Al'Conachy failed with the first shot of his next visit, and Tothill went to 34. Al'Conachy next scooped the hall off the table, and the Englishman (who is ambidextrous with the cue) made a, nice top-of-thc-tab!e 53. Al’Conachy made, 62, and Tothill showed himself an expert in the nursery cannon game in knocking up 103, with many points from that shot. Al'Conacliy got no further than 2, and Tothill missed, and Al'Conachy went to 17, after which the Englishmen stopped at 2, and Al'Conachy won applause witli a nice 182 break —the biggest provided by the night’s play. Tothill made Iff and intended a. safe miss; hut tho Now Zealand man coolly took 57, following which Tothill failed to score. Al'Conachy made 32 (unfinished), and the session closed, with the scores:—

Tothill (rec. 4,000) ... 4.817 Al'Conachy ... ... 1,500