BILLIARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15167, 5 December 1912, Page 9

BILLIARDS.

ATTRACTIVENESS OF CANNON PLAY. STEVENSON'S RECORD BREAK. For outward show there is no department of billiards so entertaining to watch as cannon play. The pocket shots vary, ana of course vastly strengthen tho break combinations. But for pure effect the searching out of tiio two objects by the playing ball must bo given distinct precedence, in a general -way, too, tho cannons possess a greater degree of difficulty than tho hazards. Despite this fact, a heavy discount in a scoring sense and a curtailment as unnecessary as it is unfair, keeps the ball-to-ball contacts under subjection. Iho rules permit of a very free table as concerns the pockets, but limit tho cannons Vwhich *> few handle at all well) to a quite unreasonable extent. A better balance of tho throe possible forms of strokes is really needed to givo the intricate cannon play its inJl place. One of tho charms of Stevenson s dainty billiards is his mastery over the cannons and his willingness to venture them when others would be seeking for i.he pockets. But even ho is compelled, for the most part, to us© them as accessories to tho hazards. If an analysis had been made of Stevenson's surpassing break of 1016 points at Thurston's Grand Hall, Leicester Square (where the record performances have a knack of occurring), the preponderating influence of tho pockets must have stood cut in bold relief. Tho cannons were the stoutest .'inks in tho long-scoring chain. They held it togothor. Deft cueing, that sent tho cue-ball accurately on to the. desired part of iho second object, and a nice estimation of strength, retrieved tho lostor partially pocket position time and again. When those are created by tho touches of such a master hand they are indeed good to see. It does not need a highly imaginative mind to conjure up the pitch of oxcitcment to which the spectators of Stevenson's greatest achievement -were wrought as the break mounted higher and higher, and tho cleancut in off tho red (whore the player departed from his set policy to make the loser where so many would have essayed the screw cannon. Soon after he had surmounted his seven-year-old record of 802, there were ticklish cannon propositions to bo tackled. A cushion-cannon of feather-like fineness of contact with the first object, leaving an abundance of returning "side" to throw tho cue-ball from the cushion on to the second object, earned its full meed of praise. Tho best looking of any was, however, the nicely-judged cannon out of the corner angles. Allowance had ,to 'bo taken for a gentle kiss between the two objects. It was done in perfect style. Tho cue-ball sped across the corner and came out to find the moving second object with eyc-ploasing precision.