At the time of going to press there seems every probability that the long-expected match between Inman and Gray will take place at last. We learn that Inman has consented to play the Australian with crystalate balls, provided he is allowed to have the first chance of meeting Gray with the ivories. There appears to be some slight hitch over this point, but we feel sure it will not prevent Gray and Inman battling with the Crystalates before we are much older. As for the ivories, well, Gray must play with them if he is ever to grasp the highest honours of the game; and we assume he will be quite ready to play with ivory balls as soon as he has accustomed himself to them. But, naturally, he is not disposed to give anything away by making matches with ivory balls before he is quite ready.
Lady players are very much to the fore just at present, and as my Editor gives me to understand that the fair sex have an article all to themselves in another part of the paper, I will content myself by remarking that Miss Cook, a daughter of the famous professional, and a grand-daughter of the old champion, is taking to billiards and promises to become quite a good player. This is quite as it should be, as billiards is an ideal game for ladies; and will gain enormously if the fair sex as a body take a real interest in it. At present, it seems, the interest is confined to a limited circle of enthusiasts. But there are signs of an impending extension of this interest which will be all for the good of the game in every way.
But, at the risk of inviting attention from the Editor's blue pencil, I must refer to the ladies again by asking whether the fair sex quite appreciate what an excellent effect billiards has on the figure and carriage. I well remember a case in which the daughter of the colonel of a regiment, then quite a girl in her early teens, was outgrowing her strength, and, incidentally, developing angularities and a tired, ungraceful deportment which caused her parents real anxiety. All sorts of things were tried to effect an improvement, but without avail, and at last the regimental doctor ventured to suggest billiards.
Her parents agreed, and arrangements were made for the young lady to practice for an hour every morning on the mess table while the officers were on parade. The result was so gratifying that in less than a month the colonel had a table put up in his own residence on purpose for his daughter. She persevered with the game, and in a couple of years became quite a good player. But what was of infinitely more importance, she improved physically to such an extent that it was hard to credit she was the same anaemic girl who used to steal into the mess so shyly to practice billiards. Eventually, she became such a good player that she could beat any officer in her father's regiment and grew into such a charming young lady that she married a young aristocrat, who was at the time one of the most eligible bachelors in the Service.
Diggle has seldom played better than he did against Roberts at Thurston's last month. He displayed all his wonderful control of the balls, and kept going to such purpose that Roberts could not hold him at the points. I am pleased to say that Diggle is in very much better health this season than he has been for a long time past, and there can be no doubt that this accounts for his consistent form of late. At his best, there is no more effective professional before the public than Edward Diggle, and he is very popular indeed with sportsmen who patronise billiards, because he is content to let his game speak for itself.
Although the evergreen John Roberts found Diggle in too brilliant a mood to enable the veteran to even wipe off the 2,000 points he conceded, yet the old champion put up a fine show and proved that he is far indeed from a back number. Twice, during the first week, breaks of over 400 came from his cue, and they were compiled with all the grace and celerity so long associated with his reputation of the wizard of the cue. It is really astonishing to see the rate at which John Roberts rattles up his points, and the diversity of his strokes makes his scoring methods full of an interest peculiarly their own. Always good to look at, I hope our veteran will give us many another display of cuemanship equal to that exhibited when he made his big breaks against Diggle.
Our leading players are quite birds of passage. John Roberts has been a confirmed globe-trotter for years—I think his last visit to India was the seventeenth occasion on which he has landed in the "Shiny East," and at one time or the other he has been to pretty well every quarter of the globe where an English billiard table existed. The old master is with us at present, and I have no idea as to what his intentions may be regarding another trip abroad.
But it is known to everybody that Stevenson is leaving the country during the immediate future, and I am sure we all wish the champion bon voyage and the best of good fortune wherever he goes. Reece has gone to Australia, and I suppose we shall soon be hearing accounts of his prowess with the cue in the antipodes. I expect he will have a different time of it compared with some of his South African experiences. It is not generally known that Reece was in South Africa on billiard playing bent when the war was actually in progress, and although the Oldham man reaped neither medals nor wounds, he had one or two adventures which he relates with great gusto to his friends. And Tom Reece can tell a good story in effective style, he is second only to the incomparable J. P. Mannock in this respect.
Mention of Mannock reminds me that I think we amateur players scarcely appreciate what we owe to one who is easily the greatest tutor the game has ever produced. For years Mannock concentrated a keen intellect on the game, and specialised in the all important direction of imparting his knowledge to the tyro. The result is that all round amateur play has improved out of all knowledge, although there may not be such a great difference between the cream of the amateurs. And when it is pointed out that fifty breaks are made much oftener now than used to be the case, and that this tendency towards general improvement is increasing every year then credit should be given where credit is due and the name of J. P. Mannock associated with the good work.
Harverson is abroad to try his fortune once again in the land of gold and diamonds, and we all hope he will have a good time in the place where the Springboks hail from. He is due to arrive at Capetown, on the "Tongario," on June 3rd, and ought to find plenty of engagements waiting for him in the land of his early triumphs.