BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Building up a substantial and precious lead of 756 points over Chandra Hirjee , India I , the reigning champion Tom Cleary (Australia) creditably finished the first two sessions of their 8-hour match in the 12th World Amateur Billiards champion on Friday at the Palm Court , Great Eastern Hotel , Calcutta .
Hirjee who had a comfortable lead in the first ninety minutes of the opening session could not retain it against Cleary’s big breaks who in the second session scored 2,121 to Hirjee’s 1,365 .
The meeting of the Australian and Indian champions , both of them famous for their delightful style , was full of interest to the Billiards fans who watched their game on Friday . It was their first meeting in competitive Billiards and the way Cleary started the game , it was obvious that he was taking it seriously . He has so far lost one game , to Wilson Jones , but not the chance of winning the title in case of a tie . Hirjee has played one game and has won . He has still to play four more matches including the present encounter .
Cleary was serious in stringing of choice of balls . He won it and asked Hirjee to break . Hirjee broke and left a single-baulk . Cleary essaying a risky shot preferred to give a miss , leaving the three balls in a line . Hirjee , as is usual with him , tried to force an opening and got a lucky shot instead which clearly indicated that luck was on his side . He could not , however , exploit it to the full , his impetuosity letting him down every time . A break of 110 by Hirjee in the 5th together with 53 and 67 in the 8th and 15th visit enabled him to build up a comfortable lead 323-168 , against Cleary whose 72 in the 6th was the only notable break recorded by him in the first 14 visits . Cleary , for some unknown reasons , has displayed a tendency of starting indifferently and against Hirjee again he could not get going at the start inspite of his seriousness . A break of 96 in the 15th and 149 in the 20th , however , enabled him to regain his touch and confidence and although Hirjee replied by 106 and 87 in the visits following Hirjee 589-453 , he could not enjoy the lead after 25 visits . Cleary by making 132 , 105 , 50 and 132-unfinished in the 26th , 27th , 28th and 30th visits had left him 88 points behind at the interval .
The first session had a little , if any , of the match atmosphere but it had a beauty and charm of its own . Hirjee often gave glimpses of his stroke virtuosity and Cleary , well he was Cleary when he made his century-breaks – neat , fluent and incomparable in his delicate touches which often left the ball between jaws to rob him of the shot .
The first half of the second session was empathically Cleary’s . Taking his 132 to 211 and making the running smooth but splendid 277 in the following and 110 in the 6th visit he had secured the position , score Cleary 1,411-949 . Hirjee replied with 101 in the 9th visit which brought him relief , Hirjee 1050-1416 . Hirjee thereafter could not make any century . Cleary who had found his touch made another grand double century , 267 , in the 11th and another 100 in the 18th visit making the score Cleary 1791-1155 . Hirjee made desperate efforts in the last half-hour of the day to reduce the margin . 80 and 72 in the 22nd and 23rd visits were his best efforts but Cleary fought back with creditable runs . 59 , 4 , 61 , 24 , 76 , 35 , 8 and unfinished 36 in the last consecutive visits to end the day’s match with substantial difference between the two scores .
FIRST DAY’S RESULT
I. Cleary 923 (av. 31.8 ; 72 , 96 , 149 , 132 , 105 , 50 , 132-unf )
Hirjee 835 (av. 27.8 ; 110 , 53 , 67 , 106 , 87 , 93 )
II. Cleary 1198 (av. 46.0 ; 211-full , 277 , 110 , 267 , 100 , 59 , 61 , 76 )
Hirjee 530 (av. 20.3 ; 59 , 101 , 80 , 72 ).
Score ---- Cleary 2121 , Hirjee 1365 .
SATURDAY’S MATCH
5-30 p.m. and 8-30 p.m. The last two sessions of Tom Cleary (Australia) –vs.- C. Hirjee (India I) .
Hirjee who had a comfortable lead in the first ninety minutes of the opening session could not retain it against Cleary’s big breaks who in the second session scored 2,121 to Hirjee’s 1,365 .
The meeting of the Australian and Indian champions , both of them famous for their delightful style , was full of interest to the Billiards fans who watched their game on Friday . It was their first meeting in competitive Billiards and the way Cleary started the game , it was obvious that he was taking it seriously . He has so far lost one game , to Wilson Jones , but not the chance of winning the title in case of a tie . Hirjee has played one game and has won . He has still to play four more matches including the present encounter .
Cleary was serious in stringing of choice of balls . He won it and asked Hirjee to break . Hirjee broke and left a single-baulk . Cleary essaying a risky shot preferred to give a miss , leaving the three balls in a line . Hirjee , as is usual with him , tried to force an opening and got a lucky shot instead which clearly indicated that luck was on his side . He could not , however , exploit it to the full , his impetuosity letting him down every time . A break of 110 by Hirjee in the 5th together with 53 and 67 in the 8th and 15th visit enabled him to build up a comfortable lead 323-168 , against Cleary whose 72 in the 6th was the only notable break recorded by him in the first 14 visits . Cleary , for some unknown reasons , has displayed a tendency of starting indifferently and against Hirjee again he could not get going at the start inspite of his seriousness . A break of 96 in the 15th and 149 in the 20th , however , enabled him to regain his touch and confidence and although Hirjee replied by 106 and 87 in the visits following Hirjee 589-453 , he could not enjoy the lead after 25 visits . Cleary by making 132 , 105 , 50 and 132-unfinished in the 26th , 27th , 28th and 30th visits had left him 88 points behind at the interval .
The first session had a little , if any , of the match atmosphere but it had a beauty and charm of its own . Hirjee often gave glimpses of his stroke virtuosity and Cleary , well he was Cleary when he made his century-breaks – neat , fluent and incomparable in his delicate touches which often left the ball between jaws to rob him of the shot .
The first half of the second session was empathically Cleary’s . Taking his 132 to 211 and making the running smooth but splendid 277 in the following and 110 in the 6th visit he had secured the position , score Cleary 1,411-949 . Hirjee replied with 101 in the 9th visit which brought him relief , Hirjee 1050-1416 . Hirjee thereafter could not make any century . Cleary who had found his touch made another grand double century , 267 , in the 11th and another 100 in the 18th visit making the score Cleary 1791-1155 . Hirjee made desperate efforts in the last half-hour of the day to reduce the margin . 80 and 72 in the 22nd and 23rd visits were his best efforts but Cleary fought back with creditable runs . 59 , 4 , 61 , 24 , 76 , 35 , 8 and unfinished 36 in the last consecutive visits to end the day’s match with substantial difference between the two scores .
FIRST DAY’S RESULT
I. Cleary 923 (av. 31.8 ; 72 , 96 , 149 , 132 , 105 , 50 , 132-unf )
Hirjee 835 (av. 27.8 ; 110 , 53 , 67 , 106 , 87 , 93 )
II. Cleary 1198 (av. 46.0 ; 211-full , 277 , 110 , 267 , 100 , 59 , 61 , 76 )
Hirjee 530 (av. 20.3 ; 59 , 101 , 80 , 72 ).
Score ---- Cleary 2121 , Hirjee 1365 .
SATURDAY’S MATCH
5-30 p.m. and 8-30 p.m. The last two sessions of Tom Cleary (Australia) –vs.- C. Hirjee (India I) .