Driffield leads Jones by 289 points
By a staff reporter
At the half – way stage in the key match of the World Amateur Billiards Championship, the English champion, Leslie Driffield, led India’s Wilson Jones by 289 points – including 29 in play – on Wednesday night. The scores were : Driffield – 1,465 ; Jones – 1,205.
In a tense four-hour session it was the sustained of Driffield that gave him his narrow lead, which however, could turn out very valuable.
With so much at stake, as in all probability the winner could well be the world champion, both men played very cautiously. Once again Driffield proved himself a shrewd tactician. Undeterred by Jone’s reputation for fast – Scoring at the top of the table, Driffield concentrated on occupying the table for long spells.
In this he was immensely successful, rendering Jones idle for considerable lengths of time and putting him off his touch : the result was that big break – building became a difficult task for Jones.
To reach his goal, Driffield built his game mostly around losing hazards. Only visiting the top of the table for brief interludes, like one visits an alling relative. His relentless pressure at the table and intense concentration resulted in him earning that lead of 265, despite Jones’s big break of 321., which was by far the best of the night.
Jones start well
After both men had fought for an opening it was Jones who made the first worthwhile scoring effort when his fourth visit to the table resulted in a break of 128. Driffield up till then had not opened his account.
Left in baulk in his fifth visit, Jones extricated himself from the difficult position by playing a delicate cannon and then a hazard off the white cleared the way for a break of 68, giving him a lead of 198 points.
Small but valuable breaks of over 50 by Driffield reduced the margin and then, in his 12th visit to the table, he occupied it for 23 minutes 55 sec, an effort which was worth 251 runs and gave the English champion a lead of 90 points at 397 to 307.
Thereafter the game swung like a pendulum, first one and then the other leading. At the end of the first session Driffield was in front by 677 points to 646, with an unfinished break of 47. Early visits to the table after the interval were profitable for neither, until Jones knocked up 321points to jump into a 130-points lead at 1,062 to 932 , having made up a deficit of almost 300 points.
That bright spot was Jones ‘s swan song for the night – for he never crossed the 50 mark, while Driffield , with three century breaks and one double century effort, forged ahead.
A peculiarity of Jone’s game was that he forsook his favourite top-table play. Postman’s knock, and depended on the floating white for points at the top of the table. In this sphere , his control of the ball was not as he would have wished it, he had to fight the whole way to push his score up.
Breaks:
Driffield- 52, 92, 251, 73, 65, 83, 86, 123, 149, 146, 227.
Jones- 128, 68, 87, 122, 90, 71, 321.
Today’s Match
Leslie Driffield (England) v Wilson Jones (India) -5-30p.m. and 8-30p.m.
By a staff reporter
In a tense four-hour session it was the sustained of Driffield that gave him his narrow lead, which however, could turn out very valuable.
With so much at stake, as in all probability the winner could well be the world champion, both men played very cautiously. Once again Driffield proved himself a shrewd tactician. Undeterred by Jone’s reputation for fast – Scoring at the top of the table, Driffield concentrated on occupying the table for long spells.
In this he was immensely successful, rendering Jones idle for considerable lengths of time and putting him off his touch : the result was that big break – building became a difficult task for Jones.
To reach his goal, Driffield built his game mostly around losing hazards. Only visiting the top of the table for brief interludes, like one visits an alling relative. His relentless pressure at the table and intense concentration resulted in him earning that lead of 265, despite Jones’s big break of 321., which was by far the best of the night.
Jones start well
After both men had fought for an opening it was Jones who made the first worthwhile scoring effort when his fourth visit to the table resulted in a break of 128. Driffield up till then had not opened his account.
Left in baulk in his fifth visit, Jones extricated himself from the difficult position by playing a delicate cannon and then a hazard off the white cleared the way for a break of 68, giving him a lead of 198 points.
Small but valuable breaks of over 50 by Driffield reduced the margin and then, in his 12th visit to the table, he occupied it for 23 minutes 55 sec, an effort which was worth 251 runs and gave the English champion a lead of 90 points at 397 to 307.
Thereafter the game swung like a pendulum, first one and then the other leading. At the end of the first session Driffield was in front by 677 points to 646, with an unfinished break of 47. Early visits to the table after the interval were profitable for neither, until Jones knocked up 321points to jump into a 130-points lead at 1,062 to 932 , having made up a deficit of almost 300 points.
That bright spot was Jones ‘s swan song for the night – for he never crossed the 50 mark, while Driffield , with three century breaks and one double century effort, forged ahead.
A peculiarity of Jone’s game was that he forsook his favourite top-table play. Postman’s knock, and depended on the floating white for points at the top of the table. In this sphere , his control of the ball was not as he would have wished it, he had to fight the whole way to push his score up.
Breaks:
Driffield- 52, 92, 251, 73, 65, 83, 86, 123, 149, 146, 227.
Jones- 128, 68, 87, 122, 90, 71, 321.
Today’s Match
Leslie Driffield (England) v Wilson Jones (India) -5-30p.m. and 8-30p.m.