BILLIARDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 282, 19 November 1910, Page 3

BILLIARDS.

(By "Jigger."} The George G-ray boom is at its fcnit. By cable we are informed that the Australian lad accomplished the wonderful feat of making a' break of 1143, easily a world's record under present rules. Although not stated, this evidently took . place m his match against Lovejoy, the wellknown English player, whom he de-> feated by 9000 to 6455, making other breaks of 306, 713, and 436 m addw tion. . • ■ . ' —^— y G-ray 's marvellous showings have taken the London billiard world by; storm. At his opening match m I>be big city against Nelson hundreds of would-be spectators had po be turned away, even though the hall wnere the match was played was - selected ' on account of its large holding capacity. Neither were the crowd disappointed, for conceding Nelson 3000 m 900Q- he caught his opponent before -he had scored 1000 points, ?and finally ran out a winner (as the cable previously told us) by 4398 points. To sayi that the spectators were astounded is to put it mildly, as with breaks of 889, 714, 679, and 693 m the game, he showed something that has never been seen "before m Ejnglisb billiards.

On Gray's showing m England; am* other Australian will require consideration from the big players before very long- Dindrum is evidently returning to his best form, for playing a match m Sydney a few days ago he made a break of 687, all off," the red ball. These are "his best figures up to date, his previous being. 507 v, John Roberts at Melbourne. If Lirlarura develops Gray's mathematical precision with the red loser, combined with his own knowledge of the all-round game, a<fc which he is champion m Australia,, there is a parlous time m store far someone, and, incidentally, a bagful of English gold for the Australian. : '

Some English critics are anxiously waiting for the time when G-eo. Gray has to sit down and watch one of the big men make long breaks against Mm. They reckon that beings only a youth, not yet 19 years old,; such an experience will put him ;off; his game. •As "Snooker" justly .points, out, "they need not worry v on -"that score, --because he had any' amount of "-sitting" to do' during his "games when on tour with Fred Lindrum, and, it didn't hurt his play one atom. - Likewise , they suggest that, when he comes to play Sitevenson oi* Inman, neither of those old hands wiM give him the. opportunities to get going* on his favorite red, which is also a fallacy, because, such an "exact" .strength", player as .Stevenson is nvust invariably leave an opening of some sort when he breaks down. . ;