WORLD MARK BEATEN IN WIN OVER CLEARY
By a Staff Reporter
TWO colossal breaks of 396 and 470 in the last hour of play England and former World title holder Leslie Driffield Victory over Australia’s Tom Clearly , 1954 winner, in the World Amateur Billiards championship tie at the Great Eastern Hotel on Saturday night.
The score at the end of eight hours play was: Driffield 3,3311; Clearly 2,844.
Truly this was one of the greatest performances given by any two visiting players in India at competitive billiards. This skill , craft, tactics and rapid fluctuation of fortune, not to mention the magnificent breaks, all added up to make the game memorable.
Apart from this it can be said without hesitation that this championship has been one of the finest in many years . The standard of play has been very high and if figures tell their own story the number of three- figure breaks compiled by all the players compares favourably with any other World Amateur Billiards championship.
To revert to the game itself Driffield played one of his best games in India. His skill, concentration and wonderfully controlled play provided an object lesson to those who watched him and considering the circumstances in which his match- winning breaks of 396 and 470 were compiled he showed that he had tremendous fighting spirit.
But spare a thought for the loser.
Up to the interval and for some time after resumption he was playing so well and scoring so fluently that he appeared to have taken a firm grip on the match. A game, however , is never lost till it is won and Driffield had almost complete monopoly of the table during the last hour to run out a merited winner .
It must be said of Tom Clearly that throughout the championship he was not able to strike the form which made him world championship in 1954, but he had no alibis. Far be it from me ti suggest what he should have done he made no attempt to play safe after Driffield had made his break of 396. Driffield had given one away and Clearly , continuing his open game, tried a screw hazard off the red that failed and Driffield helped himself copiously to the position left on by stringing up a magnificent break of 470. In the case of the 396 breaks Driffield crossed the baulk line at 245, the break ending with a missed screw hazard off the red. In compiling his break of 470 he crossed the baulk line twice, at 397 and again at 424. It was obvious that he was trying to surpass the highest current championship break of 501 score by Wilson Jones against Clearly. But the effort ended suddenly . When he tried a losing hazard off the white from baulk and struck the object ball almost full in the face.
The lead changed hands so often in the first session that one lost count. Cleary’s breaks of 277 was answered by Driffield’s 340. Then Clearly rolled out another double century break and at the end of an hour led by 2,114pionts to 1,973. And so the battle continued till the interval .
When Clearly led by 2 411 points to 2,2290 with two in play. Two further three- figure breaks by Clearly after resumption put him in a favourable position but once Driffield started his uphill climb there appeared to be nothing to stop him.
FIRST SESSION
1ST visit (122 carried over from previous day) 125 (7 min. 9 sec).
2nd visit 340 (29 min.13 sec).
4th visit 132 (10 min. 15 sec)
6th visit 161(13 min 54 sec).
SECOND SESSION
6TH visit 396 (33MIN 13 SEC).
8TH visit 470 (39 min. 11 sec).
The following are the particulars of Cleary’s three- figure breaks:
FIRST SESSION
1ST visit 277( 18 min. 2 sec).
2nd visit 267(21 min. 40 sec).
6th visit 144( 8min. 2sec).
SECOND SESSION
5TH visit 155(9min. 35sec).
6th visit 131(8 min 43sec).
10th visit 140(8 min. 41 sec).
Other breaks of 50 and over were:
Driffield-62.
Cleary-88.
By a Staff Reporter
The score at the end of eight hours play was: Driffield 3,3311; Clearly 2,844.
Truly this was one of the greatest performances given by any two visiting players in India at competitive billiards. This skill , craft, tactics and rapid fluctuation of fortune, not to mention the magnificent breaks, all added up to make the game memorable.
Apart from this it can be said without hesitation that this championship has been one of the finest in many years . The standard of play has been very high and if figures tell their own story the number of three- figure breaks compiled by all the players compares favourably with any other World Amateur Billiards championship.
To revert to the game itself Driffield played one of his best games in India. His skill, concentration and wonderfully controlled play provided an object lesson to those who watched him and considering the circumstances in which his match- winning breaks of 396 and 470 were compiled he showed that he had tremendous fighting spirit.
But spare a thought for the loser.
Up to the interval and for some time after resumption he was playing so well and scoring so fluently that he appeared to have taken a firm grip on the match. A game, however , is never lost till it is won and Driffield had almost complete monopoly of the table during the last hour to run out a merited winner .
It must be said of Tom Clearly that throughout the championship he was not able to strike the form which made him world championship in 1954, but he had no alibis. Far be it from me ti suggest what he should have done he made no attempt to play safe after Driffield had made his break of 396. Driffield had given one away and Clearly , continuing his open game, tried a screw hazard off the red that failed and Driffield helped himself copiously to the position left on by stringing up a magnificent break of 470. In the case of the 396 breaks Driffield crossed the baulk line at 245, the break ending with a missed screw hazard off the red. In compiling his break of 470 he crossed the baulk line twice, at 397 and again at 424. It was obvious that he was trying to surpass the highest current championship break of 501 score by Wilson Jones against Clearly. But the effort ended suddenly . When he tried a losing hazard off the white from baulk and struck the object ball almost full in the face.
The lead changed hands so often in the first session that one lost count. Cleary’s breaks of 277 was answered by Driffield’s 340. Then Clearly rolled out another double century break and at the end of an hour led by 2,114pionts to 1,973. And so the battle continued till the interval .
When Clearly led by 2 411 points to 2,2290 with two in play. Two further three- figure breaks by Clearly after resumption put him in a favourable position but once Driffield started his uphill climb there appeared to be nothing to stop him.
FIRST SESSION
1ST visit (122 carried over from previous day) 125 (7 min. 9 sec).
2nd visit 340 (29 min.13 sec).
4th visit 132 (10 min. 15 sec)
6th visit 161(13 min 54 sec).
SECOND SESSION
6TH visit 396 (33MIN 13 SEC).
8TH visit 470 (39 min. 11 sec).
The following are the particulars of Cleary’s three- figure breaks:
FIRST SESSION
1ST visit 277( 18 min. 2 sec).
2nd visit 267(21 min. 40 sec).
6th visit 144( 8min. 2sec).
SECOND SESSION
5TH visit 155(9min. 35sec).
6th visit 131(8 min 43sec).
10th visit 140(8 min. 41 sec).
Other breaks of 50 and over were:
Driffield-62.
Cleary-88.