Most Exciting Final Ever
Hirjee deserted by luck in last frame
Dame luck took a great hand in deciding the fate of the 1958 National Snooker Championship on Friday evening at the Great eastern Hotel which went to Wilson Jones of Bombay.
Hirjee playing in the last to Wilson Jones by 5 frames to 4 deciding 11th frame, led Jones by 43 -25 with all the ‘reds’ gone. He then cracked in the ‘Yellow’ in a bottom pocket, but when going to contact the snookered green with a masse spinner .accidentally touched the pink near at had and gave the penalty of six fateful points.
Scores then read 45 – 31 still in favour of Hirjee but Jones got his chance, definitely the last, with all the ‘colours’ inviting a ‘try’. And Jones did it in one stroke collecting 22 points in a row from the remaining five coloured snooker balls, up from the green to the black, thus adding a new feather to the cap to crown his sensational victory in the final.
Wilson Jones thus deprived Chandra Hirjee of a ‘Double’ in Billiards and snooker this year, who was also disappointed once before in 1956 when M. G. M. Lafir did the damage Wilson achieved the double crown in 1952 and 1954. When he won both the National titles in Billiards and Snooker. In all he has won the National Snooker title four times. He was a runner- up in 1949 to T. A. Selvaraj.
Chandra Hirjee has been in the finals three years running from 1956 and was also there from 1952, 1954. Wilson Jones proving his bogey on most of this occasions.
THE final match of this year which Jones won by 57-64, 68-44, 49-66, 66-44, 51-63, 32-98, 85-42, 86-33, 76-30, 46-48, 56-45 will go down in the annals of National Snooker as the most thrilling ever played.
And in this final which had thrills galore, interest Survived till the end, which served the capacity crowd both in quality and quantity.
Hirjee opened his account by taking a lead of one frame to nil. Both players played sub- dued Snooker, taking time to settle down.
Hirjee got going early with a lead of 40-19 helped by a break of 23.
Jones retaliated by taking the lead at 57-46 by means of small breaks.
Hirjee sealed the faith of this frame by collecting the last possible 18 points to take the frame at 64-57.


TACTICAL VICTORY

The second frame was a tactical victory for Jones who used clever tactics when trailing 0.24. Displaying his control of the cue in potting when he made a break of 30 consisting of 4 reds , 2 pinks, and 2 blacks while trailing 25-30, he showed better judgment and greater skill in placing the cue- ball in a position from where his opponent would be unable to do the damage. He took the frame ultimately at 68-44, thus drawing level
h Hirjee at one frame each.
In the 3rd frame Hirjee turned the tables on Jones , recording a break of 34 consisting of 4 reds, 1 yellow & 4 blacks at a stage when the latter was in lead of 25 points at 19-44.
This put Hirjee up at 53-44. Jones had his chance till Hirjee was 60-49 after potting the blue with pink and black still left on. The pink evaded both players for sometimes till Hirjee set it at rest taking the scores to 66-49 for the frame which he gave him a lead of 2-1.
Jones levelled up to frames all by annexing the fourth one.
Hirjee went ahead to a “3 frames to 2’ lead by taking the fifth frame at 63-51 which was marked by lapses by both players.
Hirjee was in devastating mood in the sixth game which he took comfortably at 98-32.

LEAD REDUCED

Jones reduced the lead by taking the seventh frame at 85-42, in which he was at his best in safety tactics and selective potting . Jones collected 23 points from Hirjee as always in this frame.
The eight frame which restored equality at 4 frames all, saw Jones repeat his performance of the previous one. Jones annexed this frame at 86-33 which included two game of 22 & 27.
The ninth frame gave the lead to Wilson Jones by 5 frames to 4 Jones playing with the steadiness of a seasoned fighter, kept Hirjee at bay, keeping most of the scoring to himself.
He delighted the spectators with a spectacular knock of 31 consisting of 5 reds, 2 pinks & 2 blacks at which stage his lead was 56-30.
Hirjee remained at 30 when Jones finished the frame at 76-30 which included another fine pointing of the green, brown, blue and pink. Black was of no use then.
The tenth frame which Hirjee took at 48-46 was the most thrilling of the lot as it sustained further interest in the match, the frame score leveling up once again , this time at 5 all.
DECIDING FRAME
The eleventh deciding frame found Hirjee striking a bad patch in which twice he lost his cue- ball in the net. Jones consequently lead 12-0 but Hirjee scoring 16 took the lead at 16-12. Fortunes fluctuated till it was 21- all , Hirjee collecting a four away’
By snookering. Hirjee getting another four away and scoring 8 took the scores to 34-21 in his favour which he maintained till 43-25.
Well set for victory and playing copy- book snooker he sank yellow on his next effort but got into trouble with the next green which was covered with another coloured ball avoiding the direct hit.
Hirjee sitting on the left side cushion above the centre pocket was taking a masse sweruc stroke but touched the pink accidentally which meant a penalty of six crucial points. The scores then became 45-31 still in his favour. Jones, as if inspired by a God- gifted opportunity , brought off some remarkable potting and positional game. Sure as shot , he made no mistake with any of the balls of which saw the bottom of the well to the great discomfiture of a bewildered Hirjee. This gave the frame to Jones at 56-45 which took the full house on their heels, deafening cheers hailing the 1958. Snooker champion of India in recognition of remarkable feast of skill.