WORLD BILLIARDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 11

WORLD BILLIARDS

THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE CLARK McCONACIIY’S VIEWS CHALLENGE TO LINDRUM "It would be a great thing for a New Zealander to bring back the ‘mustard,’ and personally I consider myself to be in better form than on the occasion of the hast tour we made in New Zealand, when I defeated Lindrum in two out of three big games,” stated Clark McConachy, the holder since 1915 of the New Zealand professional billiards championship, who is at present visiting Blenheim, where he is playing a number of exhibition games, in conversation with an "Express” reporter. McConachy has been engaged in professional billiards for the past 24 years, and during this period has gained a world-wide reputation. Discussing the challenge which he had made to Walter Lindrum, the present holder of the world’s billiards championship, for a title contest with a stake of £IOO a side, to be played in Australia, McConachy said lie. sent a personal letter to Lindrum, together with copies of the challenge for the papers. Lindrum's reply was that he was booked up. and could not sec his way to play this season. His replies through the papers, however, were to the effect that lie would he prepared to defend the title on a date to be fixed next year. TITLE IDLE SINCE 1934 ‘‘Lindrum has held the world s championship since 1933, and since 1934 he has never played for it,” McConachy remarked. An endeavour was being made to conduct a world’s championship tournament in London in April, 1938, and McConachy said he had been asked for his entry. "If I can t fix a game with Lindrum I may be going to England next year to compete for the title. However, I will certainly give him an opportunity to defend it in Auslialia, but if I am forced to go to England, and win it, I definitely will not give him an opportunity of challenging me in Australia,” he proceeded. MciConachy, by the way, has already been ' runner-up for the world’s professional championship, and runner-up for the world’s snooker championship. NEW ZEALAND’S BEST AMATEURS

The New Zealand standard in billiards, he said, was much below the English, due to the fact that there had really been no professional players resident in the Dominion for any length of time. The amateur players, therefore, did not have the opportunity of seeing first-class men, and the opportunity of lessons. New Zealand had some fairly good amateur players, such as the present title-holder, S. Moses (Wellington), the runner-up, C. E. Peek (Wellington, and formerly of Picton), Carrick, Holdsworth and White (Auckland), Albertson and Witford (Christchurch), and Stewart and Bowie (Dunedin). On the West Coast there were other promising players. The best stylist, to his way of thinking, was Campbell, of Blackball. Tohill, of Greymouth, had also played exceptionally well against him, making breaks of 50 and 60, and having the satisfaction of coming home the winner by 14 points after he, McConachy, had conceded 700 in 1000 up. The best pcrfoilnance that had been played against him by an amateur, he said, for a considerable time, was a break of 88, which was made by Stephens, of Hokitika. AIMING AT 1000 BREAKS

The 1931-32 season in England had done a lot for the amateur billiards player. Some huge breaks had been compiled by professionals. Even the amateurs started, thinking about 1000 breaks, and instead of aiming at the customary 100 improved to such an extent that breaks of 200, 300, 400 and 500 were made by some of them. The outstanding amateur during this season was Lorry Steeples, who then held the British Empire amateur championship/ and during his visit to Australia about 1933 established a world's record for amateur players in championships by making a 900 break. He had been a very solid player, and had his health stood to him he would undoubt ;diy have been among the first-class in billiards to-day. “Steeples was one of the most likeable chaps I ever met in the game, jnd he did a lot for amateur billiards in England. It was a sorry day when he had to retire,” McConachy declared. lie had been very pleased to read of Davis’s doings in Africa. Davis had had a successful tour, playing in all the principal centres, and establishing some South African records for snooker. His highest break had own one of 140, and he had several >ther breaks of well over 100. He was a Iwonderful snooker player—the best in | the world. He was also a brilliant b'lliards player, and went in for a lot of (close cannon work. Practically all players adopted this class of game to!day. It was a quick-scoring game, and | when combined with top of the table | was very deadly. Among other En / h players McConachy mentioned was Smith, who he said had “slipped” a lot. He was not the player he was when he came to Australia in an endeavour to defeat I-'ndrum. His defeat by Lindrum by 20.000 lie had taken very hard, and he had apparently never recovered from it. Of the lesser English lights Sydney Smith had made a name for himself ir. the last Gold Cup contest for snooker, by compiling a break of 139. He was only a young man, and perhaps in a few years’ time would represent England in the championships.