BILLIARDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20041, 2 September 1920, Page 3

BILLIARDS.

GAMES AND PLAYERS. (By/"CUE.”) Tho tournament for tho'amateur championship of Canterbury has now reached the fifth round, with. Bickordiko, Smith and Noble" leading, each with, one defeat, and M’Lean nest with two defeats. Smith has played nil his hard values and lie should have no difficulty in winning his games in the last two rounds, so that, barring ncei- i dents, lie is snro in ho in at tho"death. Noble and Biekerdike meet to-morrow i ! night at the .Returned Soldiers’ Club, 1 and the result nf rhis game will have an important bearing on (he result of the tourney. fknii have yet to meet Jt Loan, and he may boat the winner or to-morrow's game and *6 put him out of the final, hut it is generally thought that cither Xoblo or Biekerdike will contest the final with Smith. The following table gives the positions of the various competitors

Three 1 of the games in the fourth lound resulted in very oasv wins by over .1.0 points, hut Kent played better against Biekerdike than lie has played during tiic tourney. Though 7(5 points behind at the finish lie put up a, much bettor score than.in either of <he .first throe rounds. i . Only two results of the fifth round' are yet available. M’Lcfth heat Butters by 67 points and Smith boat Barritt by •;6 points. Although he won his game, Smith's form against Barritt was poor, and ho played perhaps the worst game he has played 1 in tlio tourney. As a matter of fact ho was right off colour at the time. Mhi Ist on active service he had trench fever and on occasions it recurs on him. On the night of his game against Barritt In; had an attack of this complaint and so could not play in anything, like his best form. Though h© -won tho game he would have been much tetter advised to have put th© game off, as he at first intended to do Uie details oi the. last two rounds are as follows : FOURTH BOUND. Smith, 300, defeated Butter?, IDI. M’Lcan, 300, defeated Barritt, 181, , Noble, 300, defeated Brown, 121. , Biekerdike. 300, defeated Bent, 224. FIFTH HOUND. Smith, 300, defeated Barritt, C'B. M’iieaw, 300, ■ defeated Butters, 233. Dickevdiks v. Noble—postponed till to-mor-row evening'. Brown..y, Jtfent—Hcsult not available. Hie prize lor the tournament is a cup . hcia for tho year by Ihe club nominating the winner and a gold medal for the champion. Cot it are donated by Alcocks, who bar© sent a new set of chrystallite balls for the final game to he ployed with. They have directed that, as is the'’custom in England; the balls, shall bo presented to the nmnor-up. I\:lr H. J, Knight, vice-president of tins -Returned Soldiers’ Association, has donated a, tnophv for' the-player making the biggest break during the tournament. The highest to date is 91, compiled by Butters. The game between Noble and Bickerdike to-morrow night will. be well worth seeing', and the public will be admitted i 0 the Returned Soldiers’ Club to witness it. It is anticipated that fnero will be a good crowd of spectators. Last night nhilst conversing with s, well known Christchurch cueist I picked up a few notes about the players engaged in the tourney. M’Leau- is an ex-’.lTmaru crack, at present residing in Christchurch, and lie was at first thought to have a, fairly good chance for the title, lie lost his first two games, ami though In; lias been placing better lately will not bo in the final unless Smith is hcal.cn by either Kent or Brown. _ Noble is. one of. the veterans, he having won (ho big Cycling Club tournament a few years back. Ho is a. fine ton;iKiincnt player and never bustled when playing before- a crowd. Biekerdike is well known to local enthusiasts, having won tlio cup three times. Re has only to win it this year to make it his own property. He has been on the sick list lately, mid is probably not at In’s best just now. Smith, the present holder, has won the cup twice and is the most likely competitor this year. Tho draw for the next two rounds is as follows: — SIXTH ROUND. To be played this evening. . M.Lean v. Noble, at .Police Club. Barritt v. Brown, at Returned SolChib. Smith y. Kent, at 'Working Men's Club. Biekerdike defeated Butters. SEVENTH ROUND. To bo played next- Monday. Biekerdike v. hi’Lean, at Sumner. Smith r. Brown, at Working -Men's Club. Barritt v. Kent, at Returned Soldiers’ ClubNoble defeated Butters. j A team which -represented tho Can- | terbury College . Club in a match [ against the Y.M.C.A. proved victorious. J. B. Jackson, B. Cooper, A. D Monro and H. W. Gourfcy were the winners for College, and A. Borrows. J. G. Garland and IT. J. Fitzgerald were _ flic Y.M.C.A. winners. ’Varsity compiled 630 points as against C3O put on by Y.M.C.A. Supper was provided after the match, when t,he_ ’Varsity captain extended an invitation for a return match. The. Press Club will play a maTch against the Y.M.CA., at- tho latter’s, rooms, next Thursday., A tournament for members of the Y.M.C.A. starts next week. The prize tor the winner is a beautiful cue presented by My S. W. Field. Twentyone entries have been received. I understand that arrangements arc being made for a match of -300 up to take place between Smith and Butters nr the Y.M.C.A., when, tho latter returns from Hamilton, probably in about three weeks’ time. Writing of veteran cueists who arc still going strung, an Australian scribe says that probably the greatest player

tor 3)is ago in Australasia is- Billy Lan* caster, who is nos in hie emlitv-aeVenth' ymir. _ Born at Sydney in, 18113. bo piuyed John Heberts, senior (pitttuxC' J’P a ftopd game), in 18H4. Even now Ins reeling oiF of nO ami CO breaks shows the virility of the old cabbage-troc-hat orowtl. Unfortunately Billv recently hud neuritis in mi©"of his Hands, winch affects his play at times. Good attendances and nlueli interest iiave evinced in the opening bouts ot. the _ 'Victorian amateur , ebampionsnip. there was a large attendance on the opening night, when It. Lang. heat L. M’Cntdicon by vOfi to 409. 'Other games resulted; G. Sutherland beat J. U. Andrew by ol points, the winnei* making a, break of 103, all ox-co.pt 4 being from tlie red; Loft beat A. W. Millea by AGO to 335. and the latter beat J. Dasto Ivy 500 to 390. The most important, game so far \m between A. iTicks and I). Robertson, the latter winning by 92 minis.

f» .lines • Played. W, L. Ch. Points, Bickerdikc . . 6 5 !. ii Smith . . , h 4 1 4. iS'oblc . , * n ■i 1 •1 M'Lciin , • .1 3 ■ o Butters , . - 7 . -t 3 Brown , . , -1 i 1 Barritt . * 5 I ■! 1 Kent • - -;" 1 0 4 0