A MATCH took place on Monday evening last, at the Gloucester Hotel (Mr. Treadwell's), Oxford-street, between John Roberts, jun. (champion) and Tom Taylor, the latter receiving 250 points in a game of 1,000 up.
As might have been expected from the meeting of two so great players, one of whom is about to contend for the championship, the room was crowded to excess; indeed, numbers of persons who had come with the intention of witnessing the match were forced to go away disappointed.
Those who were fortunate enough to gain admission were, however, obliged to put up with the inconvenience of being crowded in an atmosphere in which tobacco smoke was more plentiful than oxygen.
However, no fault can be found with any one, and the fact that good genuine exhibition matches are so popular speaks well for the prosperity of billiards, to which prosperity the spirited proprietor of the Gloucester Hotel has in no small degree contributed.
The match began shortly before eight o'clock, and at starting the play was most decidedly slow, owing possibly to the thick atmosphere to which we have referred. Indeed it was a matter of marvel to many present how either player was able to see at all to any degree of certainty.
However, with time, and windows opened at the top, matters mended. Roberts succeeded in reaching 92 to Taylor's 326, the best break up to this point being one of 33 from Roberts, including seven spot hazards. At 368 Taylor made a break of 35, but broke down after making three spots. Roberts reached 218 to Taylor's 438. Roberts then scored 38 (6 spots), and afterwards 23, including six more spots; Taylor had reached 441, and made a break of 42, but broke down after his fifth spot hazard. Roberts however, on reaching 331, commenced what may be called the break of the evening, viz., one of 213, in the early part of which he made no less than 38 consecutive cannons, the break being finished by a series of 28 spot hazards. This break brought Roberts to 544 to Taylor's 491, at which period of the game the interval, welcome to both players and spectators, took place.
On play being resumed, neither player scored at first any particularly good breaks, as when the game was called 736 all, Roberts's best performance had been a break of 51, and Taylor's 58 (7 spots), 41 (12 spots), 36 (6 spots), 26 (5 spots). From this it will be seen that Taylor was not in particularly good form, as, with so many good chances of making his favourite break, on ordinary occasions he would probably have succeeded in showing some fine play. However, as we have before remarked, we have seldom seen an audience composed so exclusively of smokers. Taylor, by means of a very well played break of 49, reached 785 to Roberts's 744, when the latter replied with a better one of 99 (22 spots). On the game being soon after called—Roberts 882 to Taylor's 844, the former ran out with a good break, in which there were 35 spot hazards, of 118 off the balls, and won the game.
THESE players met at Purssell's, Cornhill, on Thursday evening last, to try conclusions in a game of 700 up at billiards, Hunt receiving 100 points start, and the best of 21 games at pyramids.
The billiard match was first decided. For a considerable time neither player made any break of note, Collins being first to get away with 40, to which Hunt replied with 60 by all-round play. Collins next got away with breaks of 69, 40 (8 spots), 45 (14 spots), and 41 (8 spots), bringing his score to 455, against his opponent's 457. Hunt soon after this ran up 26, and before Collins did anything further worthy of record, supplemented it with an all-round break of 100, the game being called—Hunt 638, Collins 504; and the last-named failing to again get near his adversary, Hunt won by 183 points.
Hunt was also successful at pyramids, winning 11 games to 7, as follows:—Third game, 8 to 1; the fourth, by 8 to owe 2; the fifth, 8 to love; the sixth, by 8 to 6; the seventh, by 9 to love; the ninth, by 12 to 1; the tenth, by 8 to 6; the twelfth, by 8 to 7; the fifteenth, by 8 to 7; the seventeenth, by 8 to 4; and the eighteenth, by 9 to 3. Collins secured the first game by 8 to 7; the second, by 8 to 2; the eighth, by 8 to 2; the eleventh, by 9 to love; -the thirteenth, by 8 to love; the fourteenth, by 8 to 2; and the sixteenth, by 8 to 5.
A MATCH took place on Thursday evening at the Greyhound, Greenwich, between the above two players, when owing to the extremely inclement weather, but few were enabled to witness the game, save those who lived in the immediate neighbourhood. One of the principal features of the match was the absence of any gentleman connected with the press. We are informed on the good authority of Mr. Cook himself, that he won the game by "somewhere about 120 points."