AN exhibition match between the above-named players took place on Thursday, the 21st inst., at the Queen's Hotel, Halifax, the game being 500, Kilkenny receiving 250 points in the 1,000. Roberts was in fine form, and soon caught his opponent, the game standing at the interval—Roberts 617, Kilkenny 570. Roberts ultimately won by 150 points, his concluding break being one of 94. Kilkenny made one capital all-round break of 80, and the champion two good ones of 155 and 106.
ON Wednesday evening, October 20th, a bagatelle match, for £10 a-side, between John Roberts, jun., and W. Grundy, came off at the Red Lion, Deansgate, Bolton. The match was played upon a billiard-bagatelle table, two pockets at the top end, and two nearly opposite the spot. Play commenced at 6.30, the game being 500 up even; Grundy commenced the game, and his first break was productive of 8; Roberts then failed to score seven times in succession. Grundy having in the meantime put together 9, 2, 5, 4, 8, and 35, the latter break being obtained by some very steady play; the game was then called—Grundy 67, Roberts 0. Roberts then made his maiden break, which consisted of 7; he then broke down, and let Grundy in, who compiled a well-played 35. Roberts then placed 8 to his credit, and Grundy 20; after this Roberts gave two misses, Grundy scoring 10. No very large breaks followed until about the middle of the game, when Roberts, who had improved upon his previous play, ran up an exceedingly good break of 48 (the break of the evening). After several minor breaks Roberts put together 38, and then Grundy ran up 36. Grundy, who played very steadily, went out an easy winner by 58 points, the game being— Grundy 500, Roberts 442. At the conclusion another match was made of 200 up, for £5 a-side, but the champion was not equal to the task of beating Grundy, who played a splendid game, and went out an easy winner by 58 points, exactly the same number as in the 500 match, Grundy being 200 to Roberts's 142.
A MATCH between Louis Kilkenny, the Champion of Yorkshire, and John Roberts, jun., the Champion, took place on Tuesday last, at the White Horse Hotel, Hebden Bridge, near Manchester, the champion conceding 250 in a game of 1,000 up.
The game commenced at ten minutes past seven, and during the first 500 the play was very level, as at the interval Kilkenny had nearly maintained his points. After the interval the champion showed better form, and a break by him near the conclusion of the match of 166 rendered the finish very exciting.
Both players, however are well known to possess iron nerves, and Kilkenny at the finish has the character of being able to fight like a Kilkenny cat—viz., till there is nothing left but his tail, and even that will be up.
Kilkenny, notwithstanding his opponent's fine play, ultimately won by 46 points. The breaks made by each player were as follows Roberts: 16, 35, 14, 33, 29, 41, 37,, 32, 82, 14, 20, 10, 17, 58, 38, 36, 26, 18, 49, 74, 10, 160, 24, 10; Kilkenny: 43, 46, 12, 10, 17, 49, 75, 98, 85, 19, 8, 17, 16, 14, 10; 37, 13, 14, 39, 11, 14, 50, 28.
The time occupied by the play was exactly two hours and a half.
A MATCH of 750 between the above rising young players took place on Wednesday last at the Roebuck Hotel, Hampstead; it was however, a very one-sided affair, as Brereton had it all his own way throughout.
Brereton's best breaks were 89, 61, and 53, while Cook's were only 33, 29, 27, and 24.
It is but fair to both players, however, to state that the table appeared rather difficult, which may perhaps account for the poverty of the breaks.
Brereton won the game by 331 points. The arrangements in the room were most excellent.