BILLIARDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1250, 2 April 1914, Page 33

BILLIARDS.

In the final of the English championship- Inman scored a decisive victory over Reece, a margin of 5174 points separating the players at the finish. This is the second time in a struggle for championship honours Inman has put it over Reece and the reputation of Inman as a solid player in big matches is further enhanced. The only break tut of the ordinary, 744, was made by Inman, who established a record in this event- Reece apparently went stale, as the effect of his two severe trials with Gray and Stevenson, as the heavy defeat administered by Inman does not accurately gauge the real merits of the players. This being the hack end of the English season, it is not likely to afford any sensational matchmaking. The game between Newman and Gray will about finish the 1913-14 events worthy of special mention, and doubtless, i Gray will strive hard to give Newman 4000 in 18,000 and defeat him for the stake at issue, £250 aside.

Cecil Harverson is still showing good form, and recently beat his own record, 567, with a superbly-played 633. The break was made in a match with W. Cook ,at the Constitutional Club, Harverson conceding his brother professional 200 in 800, and winning by 514.

In the match with Reece for the championship, the cable man stated, Gray was troubled with nerves. As showing the quality of Gray’s nerves, in his last innings in his match with Newman, lie made a break of 323„ breaking down at a long loser just when - he looked like piling up a big run.

The New South Wales State championships will be played off in July and the Australian championships will be commenced in Sydney on or about Monday, August 10.

The markers’ tournament, for many years by Messrs. Heiron and Smith, will be a big thing this year, consequent on the amalgamation of this firm with Messrs. Alcock and Co., Ltd.

The amateur championship of England was won by Mr. H. C. Virr, who defeated Mr. S. H. Fry by 301 points in the game of 2000 up. The best break was made by the loser, 139, while 75 and 67 unfinished were best efforts of the winners. Taking into account the breaks made by Messrs. Virr and Fry, the Austra’ians, Hooper, Shailer or Beauchamp, would Fave a big chance of defeating the Englishmen. Next year some effort should be made to send the Australian chanr ion Home with a view of playing in the championship and make the event an international contest. There are surely many good sports in the Commonwealth who would assist to bring about such an interesting meeting.

The late president of the New South Wales Amateur Billiard Association, Mr. W. M. Marks, has gone to England in acceptance_of the invitation of Sir Thomas Lipton to be aboard his yacht in the American Cup contest. Mr. Marks has ever been a great patron of the billiard game, and is popular both with amateurs and professionals.

Alec Taylor is still giving enjoyable and profitable sceances in the Dominion. Taylor is booked to leave per s.s. Athenic for London, via South America. The Argentine, Chili and Brazil will be visited, and probably September and October will find the m ach-travelled one in London. A trip to China and the East will follow later.

In the concluding heats of the English amateur championship, a newcomer, G‘. Taylor, caused some stir. Opposed by that good player G. A Heginbottom, Taylor won by 77 points in the game of 1000 up, making breaks of 104, 101, 58, 55, 33, 33 and 30 —a very fine performance for an initial essay. This contest was decided with ivory balls.

The grand old man of Australian billiards, Mr. Phil. Glenister, recently made a 57 break at the Glen Innes School of Arts. As old Phil,, as he is familiarly called, is 77 years of age, the effort is a specially good one.

At Papakura W. E. Ste henson, played an exhibition game on Saturday evening with Mr. Colcott, who was conceded a start of 250 in 500. Stephenson proved in good form, and won by 117, making breaks of 89, 72 and 58.

At the Amqteur Sports Cub t’’n Ayer Cup Billiard and L nooker tomb naments are in full swing, and much

interest is being taken as to the prob able winners.

A billiard authority, after watching George Gray and Tom Newman playing in their recent match, says that seldom has he seen more remarkable contrast between two youngsters —two budding , champions—than that presented by the physical characteristics of Gray and Newman. Gray (he writes) is tall, fair, straight, brisk, and fairly sprints round the table when there is occasion for him to move. Newman is short, dark, his shoulders are stooced like those of a student, and he lumbers in his gait as if his feet were leaden-booted. Gray has, thin, sinewy, nervous hands, in which every knuckle and every bone 1 stand out sharply like vampire’s wings outstretched- Newman has thick, strong, vigorous hands, and the grip of a Lifeguardsman. Gray, while addressing his tall, almost hits the rail and his chin with his cue. He makes one long, sliding movement, iwo tiny little stabs, and then delivers his cue on the ball with a pushing stroke, which takes the tip at least six inches past the point where the ball lay. In this respect he is more like John Roberts than any other player of the present day. But he exaggerates the trick, because often when his ball is well on its way down the table he gives his cue an additional thrust until it is at least two feet past his bridge. Watching Gray, you would say that he plays a shot three times. First, when he ■ is making up h’s mind what to do; second, when he is actually doing it; and third, when the balls are doing what he meant them to do Newman makes a pulpy bridge with the thumb loosely laid alongs’de the forefinger of the ’left hand. His cue rests on the fleshy part of the mound formed by this junction and the top joint of the thumb. It looks

so flabby that you expect the weight of the cue to bear it down at any moment. His / fingers are not outstretched so that they make a rigid base, but are sprawled in a limp way on the cloth. Yet, for all its instability, no player has a bridge that is more stable. Addressing his ball, he makes at least five cue swing's of four inches in length before delivering. So that tie only thing the two boys have in common is the fact that each gathers mcmentum, and has his arm moving with an easy rhythm at the point of contact with his ball.

Gray to-day is never in repose. When his bridge hand is placed on the table and before he has fixed how he will play a shot, , his fingers beat cut a devil’s tattoo, and after he has played the shot and the .ball has gone directly to the pocket, and he is waiting for the marker to return it, he saws the air again with his cue. If he .misses a shot he stays as if transfixed in the position when he made the stroke, and. apparently seeks to ascertain where the mistake crept in. Always his face has a strained look and never is his tension relieved by a smile. Newman’s play is as grim as grim can be, phlegmatic to the last degree, and if' the ball displays 'any re'uetance to fulfil its mission you will notice him squirm his body as if to impart some further side, or flick his cue as if an imaginary stroke in the air could repair any slight inaccuracy. After that he stands stolidly, or if he has to move, walks slowly, as if time did not count before making his next stroke. Should he fluke, his face, with its heavy prognathous jaw, is immediately' wreathed in the most boyish of grins. Deep down in his heavy temperament there is evidently a well of humour that can bubble to the surface.

Beth of them possess a most amaz--ng delicacy of touch. It is ridiculous for anybody to imagine that Gray is not an all-round billiard player. He| has shown during this match that he can command as great a variety of 1 strokes as any other professional now b.efore> the public, and his knowledge of ang’es is as ton'shing. With both balls in baulk he has ’-—-T-ht off. ohe has just missed by a hair’s breadth, cannons that none (but a man with absolutely scientific knowledge of a billiard table could (have attempted. The difference between the two is that Newman —trained latterly by John Roberts —prefers the orthodox English top of the table and close cannon game, while Gray still ad heres to the red ball centre-pocke'l hazard.