BILLIARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16749, 2 January 1915, Page 13

BILLIARDS.

When George Gray was made favourite for the big Burroughes and Watts billiard tournament, it hardly seemed as if sufficient allowance were’ made for tho effect of the change from composition to ivory balls. Since last February the young Australian has played with nothing but ivory, but he is still a long way from being able to use them with tho same certainty as tho composition balls. He has just played his first heat, in the tournament and been badly beaten by young Smith, to whom he conceded 300 start in 4000 up. Not until the last day did Gray coax the red ball to do his bidding. Then lie made a break of 586, the last 534 points being obtained by losing hazards. Stevenson has already made two breaks of over 500 each, but this run by Gray so far stands as the record for the tournament. The Australian’s improvement came too late to give him a chance of saving tho match with Smith, but tho second heat in which lie is now engaged provides the opportunity for lum to reverse the result. Curiously enough, Smith was the first E'er to defeat Gray in this country. t was three years ago, when the Yorkshire youth, then an “unknown,” won by 60 points more than he received as start. That result did not satisfy Gray, and another match was arranged, but again Smith won without the need of any statt-.