BILLIARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1166, 17 June 1911, Page 12

BILLIARDS.

[By Marker.] If. W. Stevenson, the English champion, who was recently married, left London last week for Australia, accompanied by his wife, and is scheduled to urrivo at Melbourne on July 1?, It is Stevenson's intention to put in a couple of weeks :u Melbourno and Sydney, alter which ho comes to New Zealand en route to England, via Vancouver. Possibly lieece and Stevenson will play a week in both Melbourne and Sydney. If so, they will too the two swiftest movers in the billiard world in action. The trip is mostly for health purposes, as the champion has had more than his share of illness during the past twelve months. Albert Williams, the English professional cueist, has issued a challenge to Tom lieece, and is prepared to play tho latter IG.OUt) up, level, tor .£SO aside; tho match to bo played under Billiard Association or Control Club rules, with bonzoline balls, in Sydney or Melbourne, tho winner to tttko two-thirds of the gate. "Tom" lieeco tolls some amusing stories of the game in England, and particularly in connection with his own matches against his great rival, Melbourne liiinan. These two play tho game "nil in," and lose no opportunity to score off one another, both on and off the table, luman, on one occasion, got homo beautifully on Kecco. Tho former had just made a couple of outrageous flukes, and lieeco walked up and asked 'him if lie would mind doing tho shot again, to show him how it was done. "You know my terms," was all tho reply Keeco got, and, for tho rest of that' session, ho had. to be con. tent with trying to get his own hack on lnman. ' Those wonderful young men, Fred Lindrum, jnn., and George Gray, aged 22 ami 19 respectively, apparently hold tho world's billiard supremacy in the hollows of their hands. Six months ago Gray went to England, holding (ho world's record break—B3o, and his doings since then have made billiard history, for his succession of thousand breaks, culminating with 219G unfinished,.have placed him on a Brent pinnacle among his fellows, though some of tho English critics do not think so. In Australia, during tho past month or so, Eindrum, following jn tho footsteps of Gray in specialising- on I'lio red ball, has made several enormous breaks against A. E. Williams and T. Keece, and has "made good" his prophecy that he would compile a break of a thousand during tho present season by scoring 1239. This break is not only an Australasian record, but a world's record for bonzoline balls. Thus, the Australian billiardists havo the unique record to their credit of being the first, under tho rules at present in existence, to seoro a thousand break both in England and Australia, and tho achievements nro tho moro remarkable because of tho yout'hfulness of the performers.

On Monday last, Reece, for tho first time, had to play the part of spectator, liimlrum holding the table for tho wholo session. Koeeo may consols hiinsolf with the knowledge Hint' ho is not the only player who has sat out a whole session, for Hnrversoii,' Biggie, Duncan, Lovejoy, Cook, Earnshaw, 'and Nelson have gono through the same experience whilst playing against Gcorgo Gray. J. W. Head, the New Zealand champion cueist, has lately boon- devoting a lot of attention to losing hazards. During the past week, in ' practice, ho has compiled several breaks over 300. Read leaves for Hawke's Bay on Monday, whero he is engaged lo give an exhibition.

Thero is a likelihood of George Gray ■visiting the United Stales in the near future. "I have received some flattering offers from the United Stales," said Gray a few nights ago, to an English interviewer, after completing a run of well over 1000 at (lie Holhorn Town Hall. "Two come from New York and one from Chicago. At tho present time I am lied up here, but as soon as I am free, I mean to give these offers my earnest attention. I would like to go to tho United Slates. T understand that they get big house? at the billiard matches there." As Gray said this he cast' his eye over the small company of about 100 loyal billiard enthusiasts which thinly surrounded tho table upon which he was making billiard history. "You see," ho added, "flicy are, hard to attract' here."