Profound interest will doubtless be taken by billiard lovers in the match of 15,000 up for £200 a-side with three-inch pockets between an old and new champion (John Roberts and Melbourne Inman) in the Old Hall of the Royal Academy of Music, Tenterden Street, Hanover Square, W., commencing on May 13. This narrowing of the pockets makes great calls for accuracy on the part of the player and exhibits the game in its most scientific aspect. Roberts has always been noted for getting the plumb centre of a pocket with his hazards and Inman is also a very clean hazard striker and extremely painstaking and accurate in his aim. As a close cannon player he is not the equal of Roberts, who, under the" tight "conditions may find runs of nursery cannons useful, but he has abundant resource in other ways and the match, from start to finish, should prove a most interesting one.
It is well over forty-two years since another historical match between the passing and coming generation of professional billiardists was played under similar pocket conditions, and on that occasion (Feb. 11, 1870), the father of the present John Roberts, then aged 55, was beaten by 171 points in a championship match of 1,200 up by his pupil, W. Cook, who was then barely 21 years of age.
Describing this match (which was witnessed by the late King Edward, then Prince of Wales) in The Sporting Magazine, Major Broadfoot (who is still happily with us) wrote:—
For the last five or six years the champion has made no very long break nor any great number of successive "spots," whilst his son, Joseph Bennett and Cook, especially the last-named, have frequently put together a very big score off the balls. People at last began to realize the idea that the title of "second best player in England" would not long satisfy one or two of the colts, and were not altogether surprised when Cook challenged his old master for £500 a-side. Roberts took a long time to reply to this cartel, and it was believed that another walk-over would take place—for as yet there had never been a match for the championship; but at length he made up his mind for one effort to retain his place, and they agreed to play on February 11th. Prior to that day a meeting of the leading professionals was held. Rules were drawn up for future contests— and some important alterations were made in the construction of the tables to be used in matches for the championship, with what result we shall presently see.
Just before eight o'clock the spectators settled down into their places and the scene was a truly remarkable one. The table, which looked very small in such a huge hall, was of course placed in the centre and about three yards from it, a cordon was formed by a scarlet rope, so that a" clear course "was secured for the combatants, even if" no favour "could not be guaranteed. Outside this rope the tiers of benches began, and sloped up to the galleries. Every seat was occupied, and the galleries themselves accommodated a very large number of spectators, many of whom had provided themselves with opera glasses, a new concomitant to a billiard match, but a very necessary one on this occasion.
Shortly after eight o'clock the calls of" time "became very loud and impatient, and, with a view of creating a diversion, someone who appeared to have the chief management of the affair began to weigh the balls. He spun out his operation in very clever fashion, and kept the people quiet for nearly ten minutes; but at last they grew tired of seeing him hold up the scales, and remain immovable, apparently wrapped in astonishment that the balls should exactly balance each other, and the noise became worse than ever.
At length the two men appeared, without their coats, and apparently" eager for the fray. "hey were received with uproarious applause, which seemed to delight Roberts immensely.
At the beginning of the game caution prevailed, and the tight pockets puzzled both men.
At 127 Cook made six" spots, "he longest run of the evening; but the new fashioned table seemed to have quite destroyed his pet stroke. The red ball required to be played with the greatest care, or it did not go in, and, owing, we imagine, to the change in the locality of the spot, it seemed almost impossible to secure position for the second stroke.
even if the first came off. Both men had several tries at it; but they could make nothing of their old friend, and the last half of the match was practically "spot hazard barred." The contrast in the style of the two was very noticeable, Roberts's being as clumsy and awkward as Cook's was pretty and elegant, the latter playing as someone near us observed, "a very genteel stroke." The men were very level at about 450, and then the champion got in, with Cook's ball and the red almost touching each other, and quietly dribbled them down the table, making six or seven very pretty cannons in succession. He followed this up with a regular "gallery" stroke, potting the red at railroad pace, and making a cannon off two or three cushions, which brought down the house. A break of 22 by Roberts made his score 494 against 495. The announcement of "517 all" produced great cheering; however, 44 and 49 by Cook soon placed him in front again, and, as soon as he passed 600, there was a short interval.
The men soon came back, Roberts decorated with a cross, "wearing it for the last time" was one of Cook's backers grimly remarked. A magnificent "all round" 80 took the young one to 785. The knowledge of strength shown in this break was truly wonderful, and there was a thin "loser" in it which even Roberts felt compelled to applaud.
There was soon a gap of a couple of hundred points between them, and the champion keep looking up mournfully at the figures at the end of the hall. He never lost heart, however, and, laying himself down to his work, began to creep up again. Cook's score stood still for some little time, and the old man's backers got very excited, Roberts now made 62, his longest break during the game, and two or three other good runs brought him close to Cook, whom he passed, the score being called 1,041 to 1,037 in favour of Roberts; but a 31, finished with a double baulk, placed Cook well in front again, and when his score stood at 1,133, he made a horribly fluky cannon, and ran right out, with a succession of the easiest and prettiest strokes we ever saw, a winner by 117 points.