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12/12 The Statesman, Kolkata, India, Wilson Jones Wins World title.

Unbeaten in all five league matches
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Hirjee Sustains second defeat
By a Staff reporter
Wilson Jones Wins World title

One of the greatest event in the history of Indian sport was witnessed at the Great Eastern Hotel on Thursday night when Bombay’s Wilson Jones was pronounced the new World amateur billiards champion for 1958.
Jones completed his championship engagements in a blaze of glory , having defeated Chandra Hirjee by 4,655 points to 2,887 after eight hours of sparkling billiards . The result gave him full points from all five matches, each of the remaining five contenders having sustained at least one defeat.
Thus did the Jones become the first sportsman to win an individual world title for India. It was as outstanding a triumph as for the Billiards Association and control council for India, but for whose untiring effort in brining foreign players to India this great achievement would not have been possible.
Of the six entrants the current World Championship Jones was the most prolific scorer. His astonishing break of 501 against Tom Cleary and his aggregate of 4,655 for eight hours – the highest for the current tournament – support this claim. His path to the title was by no means an easy one for in order to reach his goal he had to defeat two world champions. Leslie Driffield (1952) and Tom Cleary (1954) . Finally he defeated Hirjee who took the National title from him last year. Hirjee thus sustained his second defeat.
In all his five matches Jones gave delightful exhibition of top-table play, not to mention his tricky cannons and forcing hazards. His best effort was his match against Driffield in which he neutralized a lead of 600 points to snatch victory in the last half-hour. It seemed that there was no one to match his tremendous resources at the top of the table
At the end of the Thursday’s match Jones was pronounced champion by Mr. Claude Harris, President of the Australian Billiards Association. He was then warmly congratulated, garlanded and loudly cheered. It was a deeply moving scene..
As for the trend of Thursday’s play there is nothing one can say beyond the fact that Jones
Proceeded to build solidly on the advantage gained on the first day, despite the fact that Hirjee played a match more resourceful game then he did on the first day. Ten minutes before time Jones completed a brilliant break of 371 which ended on a missed pot red. He was actually trying to take the cue-ball across the baulk line and appeared to have played the shot a little too hard. At the interval he led by 3,502 points to 1,946 . Hirjee being 117 in play.
The following are the particulars of Jone’s three – figure breaks.
First session
10th visit 103 (4min .55 sec.)
15th visit 107 (7 min. 16 sec.)
20th visit 211 (11 min. 33 Sec.)
22nd visit 111 (5 min. 51 sec.)
24th visit 206 (10 min. 10 sec.)
27th visit 162 (9 min. 5 sec.)
Second session
7th visit 113 (6 min. 13 sec.)
14th visit 185 (10min. 32 Sec.)
20th visit 371 (17 min.27 sec.)
The following were Hirjee’s three figure breaks :
First session
13th visit 162 (9 min. 24 Sec.)
25th visit 111 (4 min. 42 Sec.)
Second session
1st visit 143 (6 min. 10 Sec.)
14th visit 126 (6 min. 28 Sec.)
15th visit 115 (6min.9 sec.)
18th visit 182 (8 min 42 Sec.)
Today’s Match
Tom Cleary (Australia) v Leslie Driffield (England) – 5-30 p.m. and 8-30 p.m.

PREVIOUS Winners
1926 London – J. Earlam (England).

1927 London – Allen prior (South Africa).

1929 Johannesburg – L. Hayes (Australia).

1931 Sydney – L. Steeples (England).

1933 London – Sydney Lee (England).

1935 London – H.P.E. Coles (England).

1936 Johannesburg – R. Marshall (Australia).

1938 Melbourne – R. Marshall (Australia).

1951 London – R. Marshall (Australia).

1952 Calcutta – L. Driffield (England).

1954 Sydney – T. Cleary (Australia)