Late Rally By Jones Fails
By a staff reporter
Scotland’s Walter Ramage sprang a mild surprise in the World Amateur Billiards championship at the Great Eastern Hotel on Thursday night, defeating India’s Wilson Jones by 1,498 points to 1,175.
Ramage is somewhat of a ‘’ bogey ‘’ for Jones . In the World Championships last year in London , he snatched a victory over Jones by 195 points in a rather slow match. This year’s battle appears to have been fought on similar lines.
Ramage was consistent without being brilliant. After his two desultory displays against Driffield and Marshall , he was given a bare 50-50chance against the fast scoring aptitude of Jones, but jumped into his finest form.
The Scottish champion was deadly at the losing hazard. Displaying a contrast in style to the spot- end play of Jones, he worked the red ball up and down the table with uncanny control , and when hw visited the table he invariably came to stay.
The match therefore proved to be a triumph of red ball play over top table, but Jones unfortunately , could never, try as he did, establish adequate control over this phase of the game.
Despite a grant fighting rally in the second half , he was lacking in constructive ability and was forced to play a mixed type of game. To put it plainly he had an “off’’ day.
Jones could do nothing right in the first session His luck was out on many occasions, and when he did bring off a difficult shot, he often had the mortification of seeing one ball settle safely in baulk , or the cue ball up against the cushion.
Ramage won because he never lost, the early grip he had on the game, and his ability lay not merely in replying immediately to Jone’s breaks in equal measure , but in improving on whatever Jones did. This coupled with the frequent 30 and 40 breaks he strung together, gave him a lead which Jones could never neutralize , despite coming within 80 points of his rival in the first hour of the second session , by trailing by nearly 300.
SLOW START
The start was slow. Ramage was a way first and with a handful of small items built up a reasonable lead. In 13 visits Jones’ highest break was 28, While Ramage had knocked up two breaks of 44 to lead 148-37.
In his 14th visits Jones worked the balls forward for top table position and with a break of 85 got within six points of his rival. Ramage was not to be outdone , however , for in his next visit he rolled out a break of 164 in 143/4 minutes . Jones ‘ reply of 73 was terminated by a straight pot which warbled over the pocket and stayed there .
The Scottish champion pushed his peg further ahead with 44 and left it safe for Jones who registered a blank visit. After an hour the score read 365-236 in favour of Ramage.
It was not until his 28th visit that Jones was able to get table position again but he was only able to knock up 62. Ramage pegged away merrily again to produce quick breaks of 44 and 56, finishing the first session with 52 in the play. The score than read 708-474. Previous to this Jones had cracked in a useful 58.
Fighting a big deficit at the commencement of the second session. India’s champion saw Ramage take his unfinished break of 52 to113 . The next half hour then proved to be most exciting period of the match. In his sixth visit Jones compiled a nice break of 116in 81/4 minutes. Ramage replied immediately with 120in 9 minutes.
Jones then countered with 178 in 131/4 minutes- his of the day- to make it three century breaks in a row by both players.
A further 30 and 64 by Jones following a brief spell of activity by Ramage brought the score to 977-901 leaving Jones only 76 points behind .
But Ramage was unshakable . He got down immediately to score 60, and following Jones 36, produced a break of 148 which established a 250 lead.
The next best effort was Jones was a break of 92, but before that Ramage made 51, and in answer to Jones ‘ 52, he came through with 61. And so the winner went an one, scoring with amazing consistency and with about 20 minutes to go , Jones apparently realized that he was a beaten man- that is if he didn’t realize it earlier.
Ramage break of 164 was his best so far in the present series. He scored more century breaks than Jones who was far below his best. This is form going all wrong , however ,
and the general feeling is that Jones will yet show up to advantage.
Breaks of 50 and above were as follows:
Ramage- 164, 84, 56, 113, 120 60, 148, 51, 61, 75.
Jones- 85, 73, 68, 58, 116, 178, 64, 92, 52.
By a staff reporter
Scotland’s Walter Ramage sprang a mild surprise in the World Amateur Billiards championship at the Great Eastern Hotel on Thursday night, defeating India’s Wilson Jones by 1,498 points to 1,175.
Ramage is somewhat of a ‘’ bogey ‘’ for Jones . In the World Championships last year in London , he snatched a victory over Jones by 195 points in a rather slow match. This year’s battle appears to have been fought on similar lines.
Ramage was consistent without being brilliant. After his two desultory displays against Driffield and Marshall , he was given a bare 50-50chance against the fast scoring aptitude of Jones, but jumped into his finest form.
The Scottish champion was deadly at the losing hazard. Displaying a contrast in style to the spot- end play of Jones, he worked the red ball up and down the table with uncanny control , and when hw visited the table he invariably came to stay.
The match therefore proved to be a triumph of red ball play over top table, but Jones unfortunately , could never, try as he did, establish adequate control over this phase of the game.
Despite a grant fighting rally in the second half , he was lacking in constructive ability and was forced to play a mixed type of game. To put it plainly he had an “off’’ day.
Jones could do nothing right in the first session His luck was out on many occasions, and when he did bring off a difficult shot, he often had the mortification of seeing one ball settle safely in baulk , or the cue ball up against the cushion.
Ramage won because he never lost, the early grip he had on the game, and his ability lay not merely in replying immediately to Jone’s breaks in equal measure , but in improving on whatever Jones did. This coupled with the frequent 30 and 40 breaks he strung together, gave him a lead which Jones could never neutralize , despite coming within 80 points of his rival in the first hour of the second session , by trailing by nearly 300.
SLOW START
The start was slow. Ramage was a way first and with a handful of small items built up a reasonable lead. In 13 visits Jones’ highest break was 28, While Ramage had knocked up two breaks of 44 to lead 148-37.
In his 14th visits Jones worked the balls forward for top table position and with a break of 85 got within six points of his rival. Ramage was not to be outdone , however , for in his next visit he rolled out a break of 164 in 143/4 minutes . Jones ‘ reply of 73 was terminated by a straight pot which warbled over the pocket and stayed there .
The Scottish champion pushed his peg further ahead with 44 and left it safe for Jones who registered a blank visit. After an hour the score read 365-236 in favour of Ramage.
It was not until his 28th visit that Jones was able to get table position again but he was only able to knock up 62. Ramage pegged away merrily again to produce quick breaks of 44 and 56, finishing the first session with 52 in the play. The score than read 708-474. Previous to this Jones had cracked in a useful 58.
Fighting a big deficit at the commencement of the second session. India’s champion saw Ramage take his unfinished break of 52 to113 . The next half hour then proved to be most exciting period of the match. In his sixth visit Jones compiled a nice break of 116in 81/4 minutes. Ramage replied immediately with 120in 9 minutes.
Jones then countered with 178 in 131/4 minutes- his of the day- to make it three century breaks in a row by both players.
A further 30 and 64 by Jones following a brief spell of activity by Ramage brought the score to 977-901 leaving Jones only 76 points behind .
But Ramage was unshakable . He got down immediately to score 60, and following Jones 36, produced a break of 148 which established a 250 lead.
The next best effort was Jones was a break of 92, but before that Ramage made 51, and in answer to Jones ‘ 52, he came through with 61. And so the winner went an one, scoring with amazing consistency and with about 20 minutes to go , Jones apparently realized that he was a beaten man- that is if he didn’t realize it earlier.
Ramage break of 164 was his best so far in the present series. He scored more century breaks than Jones who was far below his best. This is form going all wrong , however ,
and the general feeling is that Jones will yet show up to advantage.
Breaks of 50 and above were as follows:
Ramage- 164, 84, 56, 113, 120 60, 148, 51, 61, 75.
Jones- 85, 73, 68, 58, 116, 178, 64, 92, 52.