At Burroughes Hall, Piccadilly, in his match against Lawrence, T. Newman, the professional champion, made a break of 1,024, adding 437 on the afternoon of May 6 to 587 that he had scored overnight. This draws attention to the remark-able number of big breaks that have been made during the current sea-son. No fewer than 48 breaks of 500 and over have been compiled since October last, and of these the very active triumvirate representing the younger school (Smith, Newman, and Falkiner), claim the commanding proportion of 39. Smith leads with 17, which is of itself a season's record, and calls to mind Stevenson's famous 1,000 treble figure breaks in the season 1908-9, when the then champion made 15 of 500 and above.
Newman is a good second with twelve, and with Falkiner claiming 10, it is easy to see by what means the supremacy of the younger school has been established. Readers of The Billiard Player will be interested in the appended tabulated list of 500's compiled during the season 1920-21.
W. Smith.—814 (Inman, Thurston's, April 29); 802 (Inman, Thurston's, Jan. 8); 799 (Newman, Thurston's, Oct. 25); 754 (Stevenson, Thurston's, Nov. 26); 724 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Dec. 11); 664 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Dec. 8); 632 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Oct. 19); 584 (Inman, Leeds, March 2); 570 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Dec. 9); 560 (Newman, Thurston's, Oct 29); 353 (Stevenson, Thurston's, Doc. 3); 538 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Jan. 19); 533 (Falkiner, Manchester, Nov. 17); 532 (Falkiner, Burroughes Hall, Dec. 31); 527 (Inman, Thurston's. Jan. 7); 510 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Oct. 18); 507 (Falkiner, Thurston's, April 20).
T. Newman.—1,024 (Lawrence, Burroughes Hall, May 5-6); 722 (Tothill, Manchester, April 11); 664 (Tothill, Manchester, April 9); 631 (Smith, Thurston's, Nov. 4); 627 (Falkiner, Burroughes Hall in Championship, Mar. 5); 622 (Reece, Burroughes Hall, Dec. 10); 617 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Feb. 4); 616 (Peall, Burroughes Hall, April 23); 602 (Aiken, Burroughes Hall, Oct. 19); 587 (Falkiner, Thurston's, Feb. 5); 531 (Falkiner, Burroughes Hall in Championship, Mar. 1); 503 (Aiken, Burroughes Hall, Oct. 12).
C. Falkiner.—852 (Smith, Thurston's, Jan. 25-26); 630 (Smith, Burroughes Hall, Dec. 24); 604 (Smith, Burroughes Hall, Dec. 22); 587 (Newman, Thurston's, Feb. 7); 587 (Newman, Burroughes Hall in Championship, Mar. 3); 360 (Stevenson, Burroughes Hall in Championship, Feb. 18); 523 (Aiken, Burroughes Hall, Jan. 10); 512 (Reece, Burroughes Hall, Nov. 4); 508 (Newman, Thurston's, Feb. 11); 500 (Smith, Thurston's, Oct. 22).
T. Reece.—872 (Smith, Burroughes Hall, Oct. 6); 697 (Inman, Thurston's, Nov. 17); 666 (Newman, Burroughes Hall, Dec. 13); 663 (Inman, Manchester, Oct. 19); 583 (Falkiner, Burroughes Hall, Nov. 3).
M. Inman.—572 (Reece, Thurston's, Nov. 13); 551 (Reece, Thurston's, Nov. 16); 550 (Falkiner, Thurston's, April 4).
T. Aiken.—520 (Inman, Glasgow, Dec. 3)
Following we give a list of the outstanding breaks that have been compiled by leading players of modern times. Where no explanatory words appear in parentheses, the breaks have been made with ivory balls and under modern rules and conditions:—
T. Newman, 1,024; W. Smith, 814; M. Inman, 894; H. W. Stevenson, 1,016 (bonzoline balls); H. W. Stevenson, 994 (ivory balls), C. Falkiner, 870; T. Reece, 499,135 (cradle cannon break); T. Reece, 901; W. Cook, 42,716 (cradle cannon break as certified by Billiards Association); T. Aiken, 612; G. Gray, 2,196 (Crystalate balls); G. Gray, 1,134 (ivory balls); J. Roberts, 1,392 (push stroke included, but spot stroke barred); W. J. Peall, 3,304 (spot stroke); Calvin Dawson, 1,848 (spot stroke); Calvin Dawson, 823; E. Diggle, 985 (push stroke included).