BILLIARDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 149, 3 October 1910, Page 8

BILLIARDS

GiRAY IN ENGLAND. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright London, September 30. Gray receives a hundred guineas from the makers of the table and fifty from the makers of the balls. His total prizes for his record break aggregate £230. George (kay, the Australian youth whose remarkable losing hazard breaks in Melbourne last August created so much interest and discussion in English billiard: circles, has arrived in London (says the Loudon Sportsman,). He is accompanied by 'his father, Harry Grey, the ex-Australian champion, and is under engagement to Messrs. RMey and the Crystalate Company, who have booked him an extended tour. How long he will remain here is not definitely settled, but prior to leaving Australia Gray is reported to have said that the might be away until 1913. Even if Gray's arrival in London does not threaten the positions of our (greatest cueists, it is most interesting and important. It may even change the methods of some of our players. - The late John ißobents, sen., revolutionised the game by the cultivation of the spot stroke; his' son, Roberts, jun., revolutionised it further by abandoning the spot stroke and cultivating the top oi the table game, and Stevenson has advanced it by bringing that style of play to even greater perfection. Is Gray going to revolutionise it further by proving that, as a medium for scoring perfect losing hazard play is even more prolific than the spot-end game? It does not seem possible that this 18-year-old youth will do so, but in these days, when youth is at the helm, we must be prepared for surprises. Grey in one match made breaks of 836 (831 off the red), 800 (771 off the red), 588, 564 (all off the red), 534, 461 (441 off the red), 417 (all off the red), and 408. They ■were scored upon a true standard table, and the Billiard 1 Association of Great Britain has recognised the largest oi these breaks as a record, and given to the lad a gold medal and a world's record certificate. The fact that 300 by Inman and 351 off the red by Stevenson are the highest losing hazard breaks made in England for several years had more to do with the surprise expressed at Gray's 831 and 771 than anything else. If such a great artist as is Stevenson has to be content with 351, what; are the possibilities before a lad who can make twice as many in the same method? Of course, much depends upon the direction in which a man develops his game, and were he to set himself to it Stevenson might make even more off the red than Gray has clone. Inman, too, is of opinion that if he restricted himself to one set of balls and cushions he would in less than three years make 1000 off the red. These, however, are but hypothetic cases, for it is not to be expected that our leading players will abandon their methods.