BILLIARDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2554, 31 August 1915, Page 7

BILLIARDS

■; , 0- ■ —. CRYSTALATE .CHAMPIONSHIP WON ' •. BY MR. J. H. OWEN. This contest came to an end' last night, when Mr. J. H. Owen, Wellington Club, secured a win from, liis opponent, Mr. J. P. Key, Wellington AVorkuig Men's Club. The game was 500 up, aud was watched by a considerable number of enthusiasts. . Mr. Key, from a miss in baulk, scored a twenty, and left the balls safe. On his nest .visit lie increased his lead by another 20. When Mr. Owen, by a clever gathering shot, got the balls together, he made the best break of the tournament, 61'. It looked as if this player had struck some of his old form, and that unusually good billiards would bo seen. However, it was only on occasion that Mr. ' Owen really showed the control over ' the run of the balls that ho possesses 1 when fit. From almost the first he got a comfortable lead, and his opponent, was never dangerous. Mr. Key, about half-way through the game, made a very effective break of -15. The best breaks of the evening were:—Owen, 61, 27, 28, 27, 57, 24, 23; Key, 20, .20, 20, 45. file- score at the finish being Owen 501, Key 306. The Hon. A. M. Myers presented the prizes, and congratulated both the players on the excellent form they had displayed He had seen Mr. Owen play some thirty years ago, and it was a pleasure to find that his cue had not yet lost its cunning;, and that the game still had a fascination for him. Mr. Owen, in replying, said that when he first commenced to play billiards most people thought the game was not one for respectable people to play, and it pleased him very much-to find that in these more- enlightened days the pub- 1 lie had altered their opinions, and were 1 realising that it was the king of indoor ' games. Ladies, he found, were begin- ' ning to excel at it, and it would, he ' thought, be found that they will soon I become thoroughly expert. Mr. Keys ! also replied, and gave some amusing " reminiscences of billiards in the early days. He also thanked Messrs. Alcock I and Co. for the excellent table and accommodation they supplied the contest- ; ants. - 1