BILLIARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1926, Page 4

BILLIARDS.

THE TEST MATCH. Smith having two of the three matches by which the unofficial billiards “Tests” with Newman was to be ’’decided, the result was a foregone conclusion when the final game was started. Smith had gained a lead of 6366, and it did not seem possible for him to be robbed of this huge advantage. As it happened, Newman won the final game in London, but he regained only 881 points, so that on the full ‘‘Test” he was beaten by 5,484. He had backed himself for £5O to win the third game, and, of course, he took his opponent’s money, but this was poor consolation for a very thorough defeat. It was a tame finish. On the first day Newman went ahead, establishing a lead of a thousand points, and he was usually this number ahead. . But never during the whole fortnight did Smith strike the form shown in the previous games. Indeed, it almost seemed as though he was content to hang on to the lead he had gained, and forfeit the £5O. Possibly this w r as a false impression, but the fact remains that his breaks were unusually small, judged by his own standard. At the present time Newman is defending his official title as champion in a match against the younger player, Joe Davis, his only challenger. As against Smith, Newman went away with a spurt, and at the end of the first day was over a thousand, ahead. Since then he has increased his lead, Davis being quite unable to find his form. ;