The next great match after the memorable one between Cook and Roberts, sen., was a match at pyramids between Cook and Roberts, jun. This match, which was virtually, though not nominally, for the championship at pyramids, was played on an ordinary Burroughes and Watts table (3 5/8 inch pockets) at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Paddington. The play on both sides was magnificent. After the two players had won nine games each, the match being the best of twenty-one games, Roberts, jun., scored the next two games, and thus won.
After this match a series of exhibition games took place principally round the country, the players being as a rule Cook and Roberts or Cook and Stanley. Day by day news came of larger and larger breaks being scored, till at last Cook, in a match with Stanley at Totnes, made no less than 512 in one break.
Next followed the second match for the championship, which proved a most easy victory to Roberts, jun., who won by no less than 478 points. This game was played on the 14th April, 1870, and was 1,000 up instead of 1,200. The time of this match is still the fastest on record for a match for the championship, Roberts winning in 3 hours 4 minutes. He was immediately challenged by Alfred Bowles, of Brighton, and the match was played on May 30, 1870. Bowles, however, had no chance, and it was at once apparent that he was altogether a different class of player. Roberts won an easy match by 246 points, the time being 4 hours 10 minutes.
The next to challenge was Joseph Bennett, who met the holder of the Cup on November 28 in the same year, defeating him by 95 points in 4 hours 45 minutes. And thus closed the memorable year of 1870, which had witnessed four championship matches and four billiard champions-viz., John Roberts, sen., W. Cook, John Roberts, jun., and Joseph Bennett.
Early in 1871-viz., on the 30th of January-the championship once more changed hands. Roberts, jun., had at once challenged Bennett to a return match, in which the latter suffered a severe defeat, as Roberts won by no less than 363 points, in 3 hours 22 minutes, whereupon W. Cook once more came to the front and challenged Roberts. The two met on the 25th of May, 1871, and Cook once more won the championship, after a most exciting struggle, by 15 points only. The next to challenge was Joseph Bennett, who met Cook on 21st November, 1871, and the latter won by 58 points in 4 hours 23 minutes. Thus ended the year 1871, which, in addition to these important matches for the championship, teemed with others too numerous to be mentioned.
The first match in 1872 was between W. Cook, the champion, and Roberts, jun., who once more challenged for the Cup, but was again doomed to disappointment, as, on the 4th of March, Cook defeated him by 201 points, in 3 hours 27 minutes; and the last named was now in the zenith of his fame, playing better and better every day. No one again challenged for the championship in 1877; but before the end of the year Cook had surpassed all his former efforts, and in an exhibition match with Joseph Bennett, on the 29th of November, had scored the splendid break of 936 off the balls, including 262 consecutive spot hazards.
In 1873 another event took place that has had a marked effect in advancing billiards as a scientific game. In the December of that year Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, the well-known firm of billiard table manufacturers of Soho Square, first commenced that series of handicaps which has done so much to advance billiards, and which has been the means, in fact the only means, of bringing forward rising young players, who, but for their liberality, would still be comparatively unknown.
For some time professional billiards had been too much monopolised by three or four players, to the exclusion of all others. By means of these handicaps young players for years past have had opportunities of showing their powers unhampered by a backer.
The secret of the marvellous success of these Burroughes and Watts handicaps has been that the best players have been selected with the utmost fairness. The handicap has been left in the hands of the press, and no entrance fee whatever has been demanded from the players, who, in addition to the valuable prize of over £100 given each time, have been allowed to share all profits accruing over each entertainment It is by these means that men like Shorter, Collins; Mitchell, Peall, and others, have been enabled to come to the front rank of players.
In the first great handicap, played at the Guildhall Tavern in December, 1873, the following sixteen players were selected:-Cook, Roberts, jun., Joseph Bennett, Taylor, F. Bennett, Stanley, Harry Evans, Dufton, Roberts, sen., Tom Morris, Alfred Hughes, John Bennett, L. Kilkenny, Alfred Bennett, Stammers, and Collins. The play was very interesting throughout, and eventually Cook (scratch) beat Kilkenny (130) in the final, winning two games out of three, and winding up the last game with a break of 428.
Cook finished up this most successful year with a match at Liverpool with Timbrell, to whom he gave 250 points in 1,000 for a stake of £400. Timbrell in this match made one good break, 112, but Cook won the game by 229 points, making breaks of 116, 149, and three consecutive ones of 111, 106, and 168. In addition to this match another took place in the same month, December, between Taylor and Stanley, at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Holborn, the game being rendered memorable by a famous break by Taylor of 435 points (137 spot hazards). It is almost needles to say that Taylor won the match, which was for £100 a side.