Harverson has introduced in Australia his amateur competition from a set-up long-loser position, and considerable interest is being taken in it.
Just now Australia is well off in the matter of professional billiards. Inman, Reece, Diggle, Harverson, and Williams being there, whilst South Africa has Stevenson and Gray, and Canada John Roberts and Newman.
Lindrum is, as already stated, back in Australia, and commenced his season with matches against Williams in Sydney and Melbourne, in which he rendered a very good account of himself. Indeed, Williams was finally left so far out of the picture that he seems to have forgotten the courtesy due from one player to another and aroused considerable criticism thereby. Williams's chief objection seems to be to the red ball play, and he wants Lindrum to confine it to ten consecutive hazards, but Lindrum now declines to meet him further. On July 1 he began a match with Reece, and in the meantime Diggle and Harverson had played against each other at Melbourne and Sydney, as they previously had done at Colombo on the voyage out, where Reece played some eight matches en passant. It is stated that Reece is so pleased with Australia that he may settle down there. Inman arrived on July 1, and there was talk of an American Tournament amongst four English and two Australian (Lindrum and Smith) players. Diggle, always unconventional, made a 202 break off the white ball in his second match with Harverson. In the first the scores were: Harverson (rec. 1,000), 9,000; Diggle, 5,370.
At Johannesburg, after a fortnight's play ending on July 8, Gray scored 18,000 to Stevenson's 13,409. The winner made a break of 1,055, a record for South Africa.
In Quebec, where Roberts and Newman arrived on June 8, Roberts, playing against his young companion at the Garrison Club, made 294, 124, 112, 122, 92, and 109. Final scores:—Newman, rec. 300, 3,000; Roberts, 2,613. On June 21 they gave an exhibition at the St. James' Club, Montreal. Conceding 75 in 750, Roberts won by 9, running out with an unfinished 108. His other best was 91. Newman scored 93 and 72. On June 22 they played a match of 750 up at Sir William Van Horne's private house in Montreal, and, conceding 75 points, Roberts won by 140, compiling a break of 294. Newman's best was one of 191.
"There was" (writes Newman) "a splendid table by Burroughes and Watts at this house, and the best by a long way that we have played on up to now. The other tables were very untrue. We go to Toronto this week. The weather here is very hot during the day, but is always cool at night. The games have been watched by splendid audiences."