BILLIARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 12

BILLIARDS.

■ » [Br Marker.] Aftor a lot of challenging, and crosschallenging, in ths press, tho cable announced that Inman and Gray arc to meet next month in a garuo of 16,000 up, for £50 aside, with crystallate balls, on condition that Gray. will give him a return match with ivory balls, for tho samo amount. Inmau was to have gone to South Africa thi3 month, hut, wily and businesslike as over, ho is prepared to postpone his trip for a month, in favour of the big attendances that are sure to pay to sco Gray and himself at tho tabic. Tho match will be over 24 sessions, and the gate will be divided on a GO and 40 per cent, basis. A great amount of interest is being taken in London over .the match, of which "Sport-jng Lifu" says: "Many billiardists believe that Inman's skill at infety play will result in.Gray mooting his Waterloo, hut tho Australians hold a diiToront viow, for a largo commission has boon wived to a Loudon agent, with instructions to lay as much as 3 to 1 on Gray, and "to be sure to get on!" j Melbourne Inman lias applied one uf the neatest saloons in Sheen Rnsd, Richmond. _To mark tho occasion, he invited his old rival, Recce, down to tec the gamo, ami <v-'ito a crowd of Richmond sportsmen looked an. About midway, Mv. Y.'anuord Davis, on behalf of those present, wished Inman success, and, the latter having replied, there was a call for Reeeo. The Oldham was ai> ready as ever. His speech was as follows:—"All that I can say is that, if Inmau has only half as much luck in this plaeo as he has when ho is playing, lie will make a fortune." The wonderfully-consistent form hhown by Fiv-d Lindrum in his recent mutches ivitJi "Williams, tho English professional, liar; sot followers of billiards "by the wool" in their eudcavniirs to agr'eo as to whiehof the Australian Gray being ilia ' other mentioned— <s\ really champion. By actual contest the Commonwr-allh championship rightly be-] longs to Lindrum; by record and sensationalism iii break-compilation, it equally belongs to tho young Queenslander. That is to say, Lindrum, by defeating Charlie Memmott, secured tho title in legitimate battle, since which time Gray, in another hemisphere, has metaphorically "piayed all over him." But glimpses of form which Lindrum is now showing noint a tough proposition to Gray should the rair ever meet in battle royal. Meantime. interest has changed a little in the direction of tho Old Land, wlioro Gray and Melbourne Inman, the eclin-ed losing hazard champion, will shortly meet in Gray's first really big engagement: and to the casual onlooker even it appears as if the Australian will triumph. Then should follow the inevitable meeting with Stevenson for the. world's blue riband ,of the game.