B.Q.R. Congratulates Phil Tarrant Australian Billiards Champion 1992/93 The Australian Championship was staged at the Hobart Working Men's Club over five days in November and was won by Phil Tarrant of New South Wales. There were 24 entries. The competition was played as a round-robin with eight survivors competing in the quarter finals. Tarrant was given a hard game at this stage by a young player from Queensland, Danik Lucas, who lead at the half-way stage and eventually lost by a mere 79 points. The Tasmanian billiards Champion, Les Higgins, ended the challenge of six-times champion George Ganim Jnr, and very nearly ended that of Tarrant himself, Higgins losing by only 106 in the semi-final. Joe Millen had a halfway lead in his semi with defending champion David Collins but faded in the second session.
The final was effectively won for Tarrant in the second session when he out-pointed Collins by some 500 scoring 814 at an average of 22.6. Consecutive breaks of 167 and 203 early in the third session of the six hour match ensured Tarrant of a comfortable victory. The Championships received extensive media coverage and enthusiasts are convinced of a resurgence of the game in, "The Apple Isle," Tasmania.
| D. Collins
| 1,302 | B. Skelly
| 977 | ||
| P. Tarrant
| 1,158 | D. Lucas
| 1,079 | ||
| L. Higgins
| 1,075 | G. Ganim Jnr
| 790 | ||
| J. Millen
| 909 | F. Humphreys
| 768 |
| D. Collins
| 1,402 | J. Millen
| 945 | ||
| P. Tarrant
| 1,004 | L. Higgins
| 898 |
| P. Tarrant
| 1,985 | D. Collins
| 1,379 |
Tarrant: 325, 203, 167, 151, 142, 126, 118, 110, 100; Collins: 196, 133, 121, 117, 103; J. Millen: 174, 133, 117, 101.
Bob Marshall protege Rhys Cochrane of Brisbane made a break of 240 unfinished during the Queensland U/18 championship which he won by defeating Adam Waller by 656 - 281 in the final. This break beat Cochrane's own record of 144 made in the championships last year, and also beats the Queensland senior record break of 215. Marshall's opinion of Cochrane was made clear in the article on the great Australian player published in the last issue of the BQR.
weeks. We played together every day whilst I was on holiday in Melbourne and I completely changed to a top-of-the-table player which made my scoring rate much faster and from then on all through my career I could average a hundred points in about five minutes. Against Tom Cleary in the Australian final of 1953 I made a break of 702 in 37 minutes and my break of 1,057 took 48 minutes. I have a certificate from the B.A.& C.C. signed by the then chairman, John Bisset that, in the 1951 Australian Championship I made a new world amateur record break of 589 unfinished in 25 minutes and had a session average of 110.08.
I think that what stands out after developing the top is how much better your averages get. What made me most happy with my billiards was not so much big breaks but having a good average. I have averaged 100 points or more in a two hour session on 34 occasions the highest being 129.9 in the third session of the 1962 World Championship against Wilson Jones who, by the way, is not only a great friend but a wonderful gentleman and a fine ambassador for India.
I think that what helped me to become a fast player was not just the top-of-the-table method but the fact that I used to give the lads in my home town of Bayswater 400 start in twenty minutes, those were the days when we played twenty minutes for sixpence. I am not in favour of the 150 up format, it is not good for the public or the game. Time would be much better. Time would give all players a chance of making big breaks which would please the paying public. The 150 up is not a good test and makes slow players slower. Against all players I always used to set myself a target of 1000 in two hours, I didn't always do it of course but I often did and my highest was 1,889 in the Australian Championship. I have carried on a bit but I felt I owed it to you, many thanks for the magazines, let us hope that the great game can be saved, Best Wishes to you all Bob Marshall."
Thank you Bob Marshall, I know that your letter will be read over and over again. A speedy recovery and - by the way -1 don't think you owe me anything; it is the billiards world that is grateful to you and for what you have done for the game.