CLARK McCONACHY AFTER WORLD TITLE

Chronicle (Levin), 1 May 1946, Page 6

CLARK McCONACHY AFTER WORLD TITLE

Oue of the few New Zealanders to reach world class in individual sport is Clark McConachy, billiardist. He- toolc part in a nuiuber of the world championship contests in Enghind before the war, and at various stages of his career establislied world records. With tlie successive alterations to the rules ot billiards his outstanding performances have been lost sight of. McConachy 's standard is so far above anything else iii the Dominion that it is iinpossililc to find an opponcnt here who can give him a game on ev'en torms. Whenever he appears in an exhibition he cojicedes lingc starts either at billiards or snooker. With the re.yival of world billiard and snooker contests in England this year MoConaehy: plans to make anotner 'trip over-seas, and the Auckland. Billiardf Association is .spousoring throughout uext week a series of billiards and snouker exhibitions against the -best of the local playersi It will be ■ held at Barton aud McGill's showrooms., > The present world record ■ billiards break is l783,. and snooker 134, both lieid by, the Englislmian, Joe Davis. McConachy mude his Urst entry .into t.he world coiitest iii 1922, aud c(urijig. Ihe course O'f that season made ti break ot 915, the highest of the season. He was runner-up for (he world 's ehmpionship in 1932 in both billiards/and ^snooker, and created a record in/ niaking two' consecutive breaks of 1000. These scores — 1196 and 1065— Were made against Joe Davis at Manchester. ' " Later in the season he introduced a new niethod of ;nursery cannon play • with a run of 464 cannons. ' He took the bulls aeross ahd back the top cushion no t'ewer than 13 times, a distance iu alJ of 78ft. This recofd run of cannons was also made against Joe Davis- at Manchester. It was pfior to the introduction of the halk line rule, -and it was oue .'of -the chief reasons/ lor the ihtroduction of that rule. McConachy, however, triuniphed over the rule by niaking a world record break of 1300, which remained unbeaten. L'udcr this rule the balk line had to be crossed evcry one hundred points. W. Smith was the only otlicr playor to make a break of over 1000, and the rule was .inodified, the provision being that the balk line' be crossed once every 200 points. . Urnler the modilied rule McConachy established a world record break of 192*7 in 1934 against Walter Lindrum, the world champion, at Brisbane. This was one of the occasions on which -.xeConachy beat Lindrum. Lindrum tried hard to beat that break and nearly did so, his ifest ett'ort being 1919 against Joe Davis in J8ydney. Sinee then the rules have been altered again, and the official world record of 1783 is held by Joe Davis. McConachy holds another record — three breaks of 1000 unflnished in games of 1000 up. McConachy has visited England seven times, and is probably the best-known New Zealander in sporting cireles in Great Britain. - ...