Billiards.

Southland Times, Issue 18859, 26 June 1920, Page 9

Billiards.

(By “Spot.”) Anyone who it in the way of compiling a respectable break at billiards is well aware of the distracting effect the slightest noise has on his powers of concentration (writes a well-known billiards expert in an English paper). Even the striking or flaring of a match may have serious consequences, although professionals acquire the art of seeing and hearing very little that happens among the onlookers, because concentration is deepened and developed by the absolute need for it. Smoking can never be banished, I fear, from a billiards-room, though I dare say players who may be non-smokers must experience some discomfort from the fumes of tobacco. Personally, I am not troubled in (hat way, and I should say that gentlemen nowadays abate their smoking a good deal when watching a keenlycontested game The two matches which stand nut most prominently in Stevenson's memory of Africa took place towards the end of this tour. He played Haven-on 1000 up at the opening of the Johannesburg Club, receiving 200 on, and the scoring board at the close read—• Stevenson 100, Ilarvcrson 571. The other game Ls what Steven-son considers one of the most remarkable in his varied career. About September of 1873 he was hacked by' a Johannesburg publican for £IOO against Lesson, the champion of South Africa, in a match of 500 up, spot barred. Between £3OOO and £4OOO passed hands in bets during this match, which was played at the Imperial Hotel, Johannesburg. Commenting on this match just recently Stevenson said: —“People who frequent the great billiard saloons of London, where decorum is the order of the hour and spectators sit silent a« Quakers while professional players step lightly round the table, would have looked on with astonishment at the conditions under which Loxson and I played. Instead the spectators observing silence, their mode of enjoying the game was to gesticulate and shout the odds like bookmakers at a race meeting. Lcxson and I wfre, apparently', expected to enter into the spirit of the fun and to play none the worse for the noise and excitement. Men constantly passed through the billiards room to take tickets for the various sweepstakes on races. During this match at the Imperial Hotel, Johannesburg, away back in the early ’nineties, the room was so filled with the smoke of pungent Boer tobacrco and strong cigars, that Lexson and I had very red eyes when we finished. Several of the newspapers commented on the state of the room, and one. I remember, made the comparison that we might have been playing under gaalamps in a London fog.” Stevenson beat his opponent and thereby, to use his own words, “netted a tidy sum.” Often during the play he and Lex e on had to stop in the middle of a break whilst money was placed in the hands of the referee. Stevenson grow to possess a great liking for the Afrikanders, whom he found to be first-class sportsmen of the natural sort, possessed of plenty' of money- and taking a keen persona! interest in him. They encouraged him in every way' and prophesied a great career for him. Just before he left the country one of the newspapers predicted that he would “in the course of a few years, become, with assiduous practice, one of the foremost exponents in the Old Country.” The youngster fulfilled this prophesy within five or six years. _ A ln“s to the game in this town is tha removal of Mr Percy Cooke, for whom the title of “local champion” is claimed. Mr Cooke is certainly an exceptionally good amatur, and although not far out of his twenty’s he has had considerable experience of the game under circumstances favourable and otherwise. Perhaps some of the Maoris who help to constitute the town to which he is goine will be able to give him some good contests. Cueists, while regretting his removal, will recognise that it is for his advancement, and join in wishing him good fortune. Recently he met Mr J. Pad get, by the by. for the championship of the Civic Saloon in 250 up. Both were 35 behind scratch and the game was a good one, Mr. Padget proving the winner by 28.