With Reece in Australia

(Special to The Billiard Monthly.)

The interest in the match between young Lindrum, the Australian champion, and Reece, which ended in the Englishman being victimized by another red ball" fiend, "as enormous. Commodious as is Messrs. Alcock's salon in Elizabeth Street, it proved altogether inadequate to "house" more than one half of those who were desirous of witnessing how the popular idol (Lindrum is an immense favourite throughout Australasia) would fare against one of the old country's most brilliant artists.

There was a feeling that if Lindrum could beat Reece there was a great chance of the world's championship coming this way in the immediate future. This was undoubtedly a compliment to the Lancastrian, who, by the way, has already established himself an immense favourite as much by reason of his genial demeanour at and away from the table as for his attractive play—adjudged to be the prettiest ever witnessed in Australia.

But the "battle" was a most unequal one—in conditions and in the result, which afforded one more demonstration, if any were needed, that the "all red route" is miles and miles in front of the "all round route" followed religiously by Reece. It is interesting to note that Lindrum discarded to some extent the "Gray" stroke during the first three days, with disastrous results, for Reece led by nearly 500 points at the end of that period. This was a surprise to Lindrum and his friends, who expected to find Reece "easy game," partly from the fact that he had been less than two weeks off the water when the match commenced.

Another factor operating against the Englishman's chance, in the view of many here, was Reece's very short acquaintance with the bonzoline balls, with which excellent spheres Lindrum has performed in a vast majority of his games since he commenced playing billiards. Great, then, was the consternation of Lindrum and his admirers when Reece not only out-manoeuvred his younger cousin but actually overplayed him for three days, and that, too, on a table on which the Australian had had five weeks' solid practice and with Lindrum's own set of bonzolines in use.

"I have not the ghost of a chance against this man (Reece) at the all-round game —I must put the losing hazards across him, "he writer heard young Fred remark to one of his friends at the close of the third day's play.

And the following morning Lindrum put in three or four hours' solid practice with the" tomato, "s the red ball is termed here, and fastening on to the all red route the same afternoon in the match, Reece's leading margin was soon converted into a big deficiency.

No useful purpose can be served by going through the details of the match from this stage, because the red losing hazard is not a thing I can raise enthusiasm over at this time of day. Reece struggled gamely and played billiards that gained for him unstinted applause and admiration, but all to little purpose, so far as the actual result was concerned.

He was beaten by 5,960 in a game of 16,000 up.

Wide as this margin is, it represents the best performance on either side of the world against a red ball expert, and for that reason Reece is to be congratulated on coming out of his first big engagement on this side with so much credit.

He played very well indeed, and, taking all the circumstances into consideration, put up a fine achievement in averaging over 38 for the whole match. Lindrum averaged just over 61, thanks to his expert red ball play, which gave him such brilliant breaks as 1,239, 840, 830, 591, 553, 512, 438, etc. (A complete list of the breaks in the match is appended). The 1,239 and 840 are Australian records and wipe out George Gray's 836 made in August, 1909, and are signal tributes to the bonzoline ball, which now holds both the amateur and professional records on this side of the world.

While Lindrum is not yet a Gray on the red ball, he is good enough to thrash anyone else by its aid. Moreover, he plays the stroke much more attractively than Gray and scores the 33 losing hazards on the average about one minute faster than the wonderful youth who is now in your own midst. The most remarkable feature of Lindrum's red ball play lies in the fact that he uses the top pockets almost as frequently as the middles. He has not the mechanical precision which enables young George Gray to bring the red down into the middle pocket zone for long spells, but it is the absence of mechanical precision which makes Lindrum's play the more attractive.

To sum up the whole situation, Lindrum is superior to Gray on the top pockets but a long way behind the boy in the middle pocket-phase. Many here profess to believe that Lindrum could beat Gray now, but I do not share that belief, as, in my opinion, it would be good for Gray to give the Australian champion a quarter of the game start and a beating. Why I arrive at that conclusion I must hold over until my next letter.

Just a word relating to the followers of billiards here. They are the most broad-minded sportsmen I have known. They, of course, like to see their own man win, but never fail to appreciate to the fullest extent the good points of his adversary. And how they did" roll up "to the Reece- Lindrum match, which, without doubt, proved the biggest billiards draw ever staged in Australia. Indeed, the success of Reece's tour is already assured—socially and financially.

Result of Match

When Gray first passed his 1,000 in this country there was a great demonstration of applause, but in Australia they do not, apparently, proceed on equally emotional lines.

Of Lindrum's first thousand The Adelaide Daily Herald says:—"He had passed the 1,000 and broken all local records, but the marker merely called the score, and, except for whispers there was no comment and no applause." The Melbourne Argus says somewhat differently:—"As Lindrum passed the 1,000 mark there was an outburst of applause, but it was checked almost instantly. Lindrum bowed slightly and then relieved the strain by chalking his cue—his usual resource."

That the quality of amateur play will be greatly enhanced in the near future may be taken for granted. Private practice on a set plan is the great thing and the determination to have a table of—one's own in the home is a marked symptom of the present day.