BILLIARDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19999, 15 July 1920, Page 2

BILLIARDS.

• s GAMES AND PLAYERS. (By “CITE.”) (“Cue” ■will bo pleased to receive for publication any news or notes which may be of interest to billiard players Results of games or tournaments are always welcome. Communications should be addressed to tbo Sporting Editor of the “ Star.’’) According to the Sydney “ Referee ’’ writer, tbo_ New South ‘Wales amateur chanipkmship this year will be of more interest than any similar event since the war started. On paper the event , looks a pretty good thing for the present holder, Mr J. R. Hooper, but in Messrs Shailer, hay, Thompson. Hughes and Turner ho may find a foeman worthy of bis cue. The draw is; Tuesday, A. G. Fay v. winner Shailerflughes; Wednesday, J. IE. Hooper v. A. Turner. The preliminary games arc 600 up, and the final ISCO. The week following will be devot'd to the snooker championship for wlncu the following players have entered; George Bell (present holder), F. Gordon, W. Hughes, T. B. Cummings, A. O’Connor, S. J. M’Chilumv, W. H. Bedwell, These games will take place at the Jjlysian billiard room, where the Liudrum brothers competed some time back, on a table which will he specials erected. The winner of the ;ullia:d championship is eligible to compete at Melbourne for the Australasian championship, the winner of which w‘ll probably he sent to England to play in the English iimateur championship next year. At time of writing it is doubtful whether the Victorian Association will ho able to secure a room to carry cu their championship and the Australasian event, If the latter tabs . through, the,winner of tho New South Wales cnampionship may he selected for England.- ' Every effort, bower w, is being made by the Victorian association \o bring oft their championships, ua in tb* riiAir not dam a -n t.n., 5

year they lose their turn as tha locale of tbo event. The oldest billiardist to-day ; u Australia is probably Billy Lancaster, hoiti 'ray back in 1833, and still going strong. liilly is an old Sydney native, being born in Pitt Street, and remembers the days of the Gabbagetroc- Hat mob and' the other pushes of the period when Sydney was a mere village, with residences where palatial hotels and warehouses now shut out the light. It is fifty-six years since he piavecl John Roberts, sen.; at the School'of Arts, and later on defeated one of die best light-weights of those days with the hare ’mis at Pynuont. Some years ago wo published a fine photo of Billy with one in hand, taken a few rears after Daguerre had perfected the silver print. At twenty years (taken 18o3) he looked a. spmeo young man, and even to-day, on a back view, does not look much over forty, while .•■■ll hit teeth arc perfect and generally ho gives old man Time the godiy. Every Saturday JC.h. visits the races, mid has only missed one: Melbourne Cup since its institution—the year before last, when an attack of paralysis in the right hand prevented iiis going on his own.