Keen Tussle In world Billiards Tie
By a Staff reporter
Considerable interest was shown in the World Amateur Billiards Championship tie between the two former title holders Leslie Driffield (England) and tom Cleary (Australia) at the Great Eastern Hotel on Friday night.
At the end of the first four hours the score board read – Cleary 1,570: Driffield 1,508 but as Driffield was 122 in play when time was called he was the virtual leader.
This match seems to be heading for an exciting finish. Cleary snatched the initiative and ran up a big lead before an hour had gone. Indeed he was comfortably situated at the interval but fell away considerably after resumption. Driffield on the other hand played a grand uphill game and put himself in front by virtue of a run of three – figure breaks in his last four visits to the table. That represented a wonderful fight back by a man who at one stage in the first session was trailing by 632 points.
Apart from the fluctuation in the fortunes of the game skill and craft displayed by both players made it a highly absorbing match to watch and if the remaining two hours prove as entertaining as the earlier sessions they will leave little to be desired.
Further interest was lent to the proceedings by the contrast in styles of both players – Cleary rushing quickly to the top of the table to collect as many points as he could in this Zone of opportunity and Driffield pursuing his usual mixed type of game.
Cleary found his touch early but it was not until the 8th visit that he really asserted himself.
He rolled out a break of 365 characterized by a series of close cannons when he had passed the two hundred mark. Driffield’s best effort in this session was a break of 275 which ended on a missed screw hazard off the white at the top of the table. When the interval came Cleary led by 1,059 points to 600. Driffield being 51 in play Driffield took this break to 85 on resumption and following up with a break of 81, commenced his uphill battle . Despite a fine double century break by Cleary it was Driffield who called the tune during the last hour of play.
The following are the particulars of Driffield’s three-figure breaks:
First Session
10th visit 142 (10 min. 10 sec.)
15th visit 275(19 min. 53 sec.)
Second Session
11th visit 194 (15 min. 10 sec.)
16th visit 141 (11min.6 Sec.)
17th visit 104(6 min. 56 Sec.
18th visit 187 (4Min.)
19th visit 122 (unfinished).
The following are the particulars of Cleary’s breaks:
2nd Visit 119 (7mon. 4 Sec.)
6th Visit 129 (8Min. 46 Sec.)
8th Visit 365(22 min. 57 Sec.)
10th visit 120 (6Min.20 Sec.)
15th visit 109(6Min.55 sec.)
Second Session
13th visit 211 (13Min. 20 Sec.)
Particulars of break of 50 and over were:
Driffield - 65 85, 81 ,83.
Cleary- 52, 63, 60, 67
Today’s match
Second day – Tom Cleary (Australia) v Leslie Driffield (England) – 5-30p.m. and 8-30 p.m.
Snooker tournament
The following is the draw for the unofficial World Snooker Tournament: (A0 M. J. M. lafir (Ceylon) v Maung Hman (Burma)- December 18 (5-30 p.m.). (B) W. Axiak 9Malta) v Wilson Jones (India) - December 17 (8-30p.m.) (C) Tom Cleary (Australia) v Fida Ali (Pakistan) – December 17 (5-30 p.m.)
Semi finals – Winner of (A) v Winner of (B)-December 19 (6 p.m.) Winner of (C) v C. Hirjee (India) – December 18 (8-30 p. m. ). Final on December 20 ( 5-30 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
By a Staff reporter
Considerable interest was shown in the World Amateur Billiards Championship tie between the two former title holders Leslie Driffield (England) and tom Cleary (Australia) at the Great Eastern Hotel on Friday night.
At the end of the first four hours the score board read – Cleary 1,570: Driffield 1,508 but as Driffield was 122 in play when time was called he was the virtual leader.
This match seems to be heading for an exciting finish. Cleary snatched the initiative and ran up a big lead before an hour had gone. Indeed he was comfortably situated at the interval but fell away considerably after resumption. Driffield on the other hand played a grand uphill game and put himself in front by virtue of a run of three – figure breaks in his last four visits to the table. That represented a wonderful fight back by a man who at one stage in the first session was trailing by 632 points.
Apart from the fluctuation in the fortunes of the game skill and craft displayed by both players made it a highly absorbing match to watch and if the remaining two hours prove as entertaining as the earlier sessions they will leave little to be desired.
Further interest was lent to the proceedings by the contrast in styles of both players – Cleary rushing quickly to the top of the table to collect as many points as he could in this Zone of opportunity and Driffield pursuing his usual mixed type of game.
Cleary found his touch early but it was not until the 8th visit that he really asserted himself.
He rolled out a break of 365 characterized by a series of close cannons when he had passed the two hundred mark. Driffield’s best effort in this session was a break of 275 which ended on a missed screw hazard off the white at the top of the table. When the interval came Cleary led by 1,059 points to 600. Driffield being 51 in play Driffield took this break to 85 on resumption and following up with a break of 81, commenced his uphill battle . Despite a fine double century break by Cleary it was Driffield who called the tune during the last hour of play.
The following are the particulars of Driffield’s three-figure breaks:
First Session
10th visit 142 (10 min. 10 sec.)
15th visit 275(19 min. 53 sec.)
Second Session
11th visit 194 (15 min. 10 sec.)
16th visit 141 (11min.6 Sec.)
17th visit 104(6 min. 56 Sec.
18th visit 187 (4Min.)
19th visit 122 (unfinished).
The following are the particulars of Cleary’s breaks:
2nd Visit 119 (7mon. 4 Sec.)
6th Visit 129 (8Min. 46 Sec.)
8th Visit 365(22 min. 57 Sec.)
10th visit 120 (6Min.20 Sec.)
15th visit 109(6Min.55 sec.)
Second Session
13th visit 211 (13Min. 20 Sec.)
Particulars of break of 50 and over were:
Driffield - 65 85, 81 ,83.
Cleary- 52, 63, 60, 67
Today’s match
Second day – Tom Cleary (Australia) v Leslie Driffield (England) – 5-30p.m. and 8-30 p.m.
Snooker tournament
The following is the draw for the unofficial World Snooker Tournament: (A0 M. J. M. lafir (Ceylon) v Maung Hman (Burma)- December 18 (5-30 p.m.). (B) W. Axiak 9Malta) v Wilson Jones (India) - December 17 (8-30p.m.) (C) Tom Cleary (Australia) v Fida Ali (Pakistan) – December 17 (5-30 p.m.)
Semi finals – Winner of (A) v Winner of (B)-December 19 (6 p.m.) Winner of (C) v C. Hirjee (India) – December 18 (8-30 p. m. ). Final on December 20 ( 5-30 p.m. and 8 p.m.)