BILLIARDS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17834, 30 April 1926, Page 10

BILLIARDS

BY

"HACKA”

BILLIARDS TITLE FOR J. EARL AM. t EASY VICTORY OYER C. M. II ELVER. SIR A. CONAN DOYLE PRESENTS CUP. LONDON, March 9. There was a pleasing increase in the attendance at the Palace Hotel, Bloomsbury, yesterday afternoon, when J. Earlam and C. M. Helyer began the last stages of the final heat of the amateur championship, this fact being due. probably, to the improved display of the Middlesbrough man on the preceding evening. Unfortunately for him, however, Ilelver was unable to maintain his good form, principally owing to the very adverse running of the balls, and partly on account of Earlam’s fine form. The latter gave his best display, so far, in London, returning an average of 33. which has not been equalled in this season’s competition proper, for an aggregate of 501, while Helyer scored only 110 for an average of li. Earlam s figures might have been even t better but for a couple of short spells of safety. As it was, he increased his lead from 552 to 943. and his ultimate success was thereby made perfectly secure. Overnight. Earlam had scored six, out of eight, off the red ball, and had the object white in baulk, but he continued to score freely off the coloured ball, and went to 6S before missing a middle pocket loser. With his opponent failing, Earlam, favoured by a fluke at his second stroke, when he missed a thin loser, and got a cannon, registered a nice open break of 118, in which he made comparatively little use of the red.

For a time little progress was made, the only breaks being 13. 29 and ID by Earlam, and 10 and 16 bv Helyer, the first being made off a double baulk. The leader then marked up 41, to which Helyer replied with 39, and two innings later Earlam made a fine forward move with a compilation of 183.

lie .scored 121 by varied methods, then pocketed the white, and added the last 60 off the red, missing a long loser when requiring only 25 for his points. Helyer made some ve£v good strokes in a run of 26, but his last two innings were fruitless, and eventually Earlam ran to points with 22 unfinished. Interval scores; J. Earlam (in play) .... 2502 C. M. Helyer 1559 As was expected, Earlam gained a very easy victory at night by 1249 points. There were two outstanding features of the final session—one the fact that there was a crowded house, among the onlookers being Sidney Fry, who last, held the title, and who was present for the first, time during the present event, and the other a wonderful break of 247 by Earlam at his opening visit. Going on with the red ball alone, he ran his small unfinished break into 247, his long losers as usual being beautifully played, although it was one of them in the end that defeated him. In all the last 234 came from the red ball. Ilclyer’s response, was 18, and at his next, visit he marked up 36. the latter break being full of clever strokes in the face of adverse running. Then for a time Earlam did all the scoring with breaks of 49, 52 and 73. At this stage Hclver introduced some, very clever double-baulk tactics which kept Earlam comparatively stationary, and front two of them Helyer went away on delightful efforts of 41 and 37. The concluding efforts were rather

tame, the only efforts of note being 37 and the 21 (unfinished) with which Earlam went to game. Earlam averaged 27i for his last 498, and Helyer 12 for 192. Final scores:— J. Earlam 3000 C. M. Helyer 1751 At the close the challenge cup to the winner and the silver medal to the runner-up were presented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,, who was aceompan ied by Lady Conan Doyle. PREVIOUS PINAL RESULTS. (Winner and Runner-up.) mil—.ll. C. Virr 3,000 ion—. Maj H. L. Fleming 2,716 1012— 11. C. Virr 3,000 1012—Maj. 11. L. Fleming 2,093 ini;s—H. r. Virr 3.000 1913 ,1. Nugent 1,956 1921—5. H. Fry 3,000 1014—,T. Nugent 1,962 * 1915—a. W. T. Good 2,000 3 9.15—G. A. Hegin bottom .. 1,444 1916 S. JT. Fry 2,000 3916—(j. A. Heginbottom .. 1.417 3 917 —j. Graham Syrties .. 2,000 1917 S. H. Fry 3.54 0 3915—1. Graham Symes .... 2,000 3 9 18—R*. M. Hinds 3,12 1 1919 s. H. Fry 2,000 3019—,T. Graham Symes .... 1,729 1920 S. H. Fry 3.000 3 920—W. B. Marshall 2.45 S 1914 H. V. Virr 3,000 1921 J. Graham Symes 2.593 3 922—J. Graham Symes 3,000 3 922—W. P. M’beod 2,661 ,1923 —\\\ P. M’beod 3.000 1923 F. Graham Symes .... 2.562 1924—W. P. M’beod 3,000 1924 J. Graham Symes .... 2,862 1925 S. If. Fry 3,000 3 925—W. B. Marshall 2.7 7 S All matches played with ivory balls. LINDRUM’S LETTER. AMATEUR TITLES. AND HINTS TO PLAYERS. SYNDEY, April 21. Walter Lindrum, the famous Australian billiardist, is outspoken regarding English billiard control, and the prospects of George Shailer, of Sydney, in the forthcoming amateur championship on the other side. Lindrum, billiardists will be sorry to learn, has been confined to his bed for the best part of three months, but the doctor has promised to have him in apple pie order next week. In the course of a letter to Mr E. A. Rovle, the well-known Sydney billiard authority, Lindrum writes: " Fred and t played a week’s game in Mildura. Fred played wonderful billiards there. He changed to a Leary cue, and surprised himself. The old cue was very frail. With good practice* he is playing in great form, and is keeping well. Tf it can be arranged, Fred and myself would like to play a fortnight's game in Sydney next month. WHY NOT COME HERE? " Claude Falkiner has been very ill with malaria. He may come out again about June, and stay in Australia for twelve months. The attendances at the billiard matches in England are very small, according to reports. I think, if Newman and Smith came to Australia, they would get plenty of money, playing me. " Tt seems a pity the Amateur Billiards Association should have taken the entry of Earlam when he openly states that he will turn professional after the Empire championship. It is not fair to players who have come from a long way to play really a professional. With Earlam out of the way, Shailer would be a certainty, but he has got no chance of beating Earlam . "Another funny thing. The Amateur Association stipulates Crystalatc balls. It. beats me, when 90 per cent of composition balls used are Bonzoline. Benzoline balls are the fairest test on the billiard able. All other makes leave too much to guesswork.”