Never in the history of Australian billiards have enthusiasts been regaled with such an exhibition of the game as that afforded by Tom Reece and Fred Lindrum, champion of Australia, in the match of 16,000 up now proceeding here. At least, such is the description of the first week's play applied by the local press, who are enthusiastic in their praise of the Englishman's charming style and delicacy of touch.
And truth to tell, it has been a great game so far. The players have passed and repassed each other nearly twenty times since the game opened on Monday, June 19, each compiling brilliant efforts of the century, double-century, and treble-century variety, until at the end of the eighth day's play but four points separate the two scores: Lindrum, 10,668; Reece, 10,664. Fortunately those who are patronizing the match have been spared the series of tedious red ball sessions which characterized the match at Melbourne, although on occasions Lindrum has had recourse to the "all-red" route in order to nullify the Englishman's greater ability at the all-round game.
For instance, last evening, when Reece showed a disposition to forge right ahead by means of a lovely and characteristic 386 (which was enthusiastically applauded for quite two minutes), Lindrum turned on a 506 by means of the "Gray" stroke. He had made other fairly lengthy red ball runs previously, but up to time of writing the foregoing is the Australian's best. He was fortunate to get the opening for the break, as the first shot was a palpable fluke—an incident which apparently escaped the notice of the reporters present. Or if they did notice it, the fact was apparently not worthy of mention in their respective papers. And this reminds me that billiards is not nearly so well reported in Sydney as in Melbourne, where the "covering" approaches the English standard.
Having seen Lindrum play for a month, I have arrived at the conclusion that with the "all-red" route cut out he is no match for Reece, even under conditions which favour him greatly. Lindrum has a life-long experience of bonzoline balls (which Reece is using exclusively throughout his tour), whereas the Lancastrian never struck one of this make in a match before landing in Australia on May 16.
Students of billiards do not require to be told the heavy handicap this, and the fact that he had no opportunity for practice while on the water for five weeks, entailed upon Reece, who has risen manfully to the occasion, and at present is playing such brilliant billiards as to lead a majority here to remark that his exhibition is spectacularly in advance of anything previously witnessed in Sydney.
The set of bonzolines in use, of course, deserve a great deal of the credit, and both Lindrum and Reece speak in high terms of their excellence. And I am of opinion Reece will perform even better with this make of ball ere the tour is over. In the present match with Lindrum Reece has so far averaged well over 40 all the way through, and no one, under all the circumstances, need ask for better billiards than these figures represent in a game where his opponent is putting all in to conquer. Lindrum is credited with the intention of going to England at the expiration of the present Australian season. His great ambition is to meet and beat Gray at home, but he has no hope in life of doing this. Fred is a great red ball artist, and, excluding his younger countryman, the greatest in the world, but he is a long way yet from being a George Gray. He plays the losing hazards ever so much more attractively than the phenomenon now in your midst, and is his superior at those long raking shots into the top pockets, but as an effective scoring force of the Gray type has a long row to hoe before he can hope to tackle his fellow Colonial successfully.
Lindrum will be well advised if he goes home as an allround player, in which phase he is indisputably the greatest ever turned out by Australia, because, in addition to being an effective scorer, he is a pretty player to watch. Moreover he is one of the finest natural players I have ever seen, and is capable of such improvement that he may well aspire to the world's championship in course of time when the continuous red ball losing hazard is relegated to the same scrap-heap of professional billiards as the spot, push, cradle, feather, jam, and other strokes of the past.
Anyhow, that is the advice I have tendered the young champion of Australia, who has a great future before him if properly handled. It remains to be seen whether Lindrum will act on this advice—emphasized by several of his most genuine supporters and admirers in Australia—when he arrives in England somewhere about the first week in October. Still, no definite arrangements have been made regarding the proposed trip.
Among Reece's forthcoming engagements is a match at Snooker Pool, in which the supporters of young Frank Smith are laying £50 to £40 that he defeats Reece in the best of 21 games. The match is creating great interest in Sydney, where Snooker Pool rivals billiards in the rooms, and will be decided on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of next week. Young Frank Smith claims the championship of Australia at this game, and is said to "hole" a ball better than anyone else in Australia.* So far over 4,500 people have witnessed the Reece-Lindrum match in Sydney and all records in the attendance direction for Australasia seem to be in danger.
We leave Sydney for Melbourne on July 14 to meet Harry Stevenson, who will play Reece games in Melbourne and Sydney. In addition, Lindrum will be met once again in each city, and on August 25 we leave for Colombo (Ceylon) where a fortnight will be spent prior to our departure for England. We are both fit and overwhelmed with the hospitality of Australian sportsmen.
GEORGE REID.