By now Tom Reece is making headway with his Australian tour, and rendering a good account of himself in the Antipodes. No doubt we shall hear from him in due course, and I understand that special arrangements have been completed to give readers of the "Billiard Times" full particulars of the performances of Reece down under.
Mention of Australia reminds me that a scholastic friend of mine, a very keen billiard player, by the way, assures me that the following question and answer is absolutely authentic: Teacher: "Name the principal exports from Australia." Small boy, aged eight or thereabouts: "Please, teacher, I know. Gold, wool, butter, mutton, and George Gray."
By the time these lines appear in print George Gray will be in the midst of his match against Melbourne Inman, and when this is over I suppose the young Australian will go into serious training with the ivories in view of the next Championship.
Are we to have another red ball player, I wonder? Some weeks ago reports were cabled over crediting Fred.Lindrum with breaks of over eight hundred off the red, and now I see he has just made a break of well over a thousand. If a player does enter the lists capable of seriously extending Gray at his own game, then, no doubt, there will be a tremendous rush to see a match in which either of the players could make a thousand break off the red.
But after the first match or two the deluge, as I am sure there is no permanent public for two red ball players. It is a revelation and an education to see a break of a thousand or so scored off the red ball, but, having seen it once, very few followers of the game would care to pay to see it again.
Miss Ruby Roberts made a very favourable first impression when she appeared at Thurston's Grand Hall for a couple of days last month. I saw her playing against Madame Strebor, and I think the young lady from Australia has been taught to play really good billiards on the most approved lines. She is certain to improve with practice, and with reasonable good fortune ought to go far towards bringing into existence the long-looked-for boom in billiards for ladies.
I remember discussing the subject once with the secretary of one of the largest clubs for ladies in the country, and I was rather surprised to learn that even when afforded every facility only a small percentage of the members took any interest in billiards. But those who did take the game up were quite keen about it, and a few of them played rather well.
But there can be no doubt that the game is slowly but surely extending its influence over the fair sex, and I expect that one of these days the expected boom will arise, and billiards for ladies will have its vogue. The game richly deserves to come into its own in this respect, as billiards is at least as suitable for ladies as many games which have quite captured the attention of the fair sex.
What was, I suppose, the first match of its kind ever contested was decided between the Champion, H. W. Stevenson, and Edward Diggle, at Burroughes and Watts' salon in Soho Square last month. The men were matched to play for four weeks, two sessions daily, and play continued for two hours at each session, irrespective of the actual number of points scored.
Diggle received 5,000 start, and he proved victorious by no less than 12,388 points, the final scores reading - Diggle 43,123, Stevenson 30,735. This works out to within a few points of 400 points per hour on an average all through the month by the winner, and shows what a sterling player Edward Diggle really is.
No doubt the champion was scarcely in the form to give of his best for a prolonged period so' soon after his strenuous tussle with Inman for the Championship; and when Diggle is going ahead in his own quiet and irresistible fashion even Stevenson must be in a fine scoring mood to hold the Manchester cueman.
When chatting with Diggle recently, I was delighted to hear that of late he has enjoyed far better health than has been the case for years past. Let us hope that he will continue fit and well, and that we may have the pleasure of seeing him enter the lists for the Championship next season.
Many fine judges consider that nothing but indifferent health has prevented Diggle from claiming the highest honours of the game during the past, and it is undeniable that when he is doing himself real justice Diggle plays billiards in the style of a real champion. He has the match winning temperament, too, as those who saw him pull a sensational tournament heat out of the fire against Reece will bear ready witness.
Melbourne Inman means to have another attempt at the Championship at the very first opportunity, and I have an idea that the "Terrier" would view the entry of Edward Diggle with the greatest respect. At any rate, it is undeniable that if Diggle does enter next season we shall have the most interesting struggle for the Championship seen since the early days when the old giants of the game played for the Blue Riband before Royalty and packed audiences of distinguished sportsmen.
Mention of Inman reminds me that a second operation has been found necessary on account of the nasal trouble which demanded medical attention during his game against Stevenson for the Championship. Happily, however, I am given to understand that there is not the slightest risk of any permanent ill-effects; and I am sure that the many followers of the plucky Twickenham professional will join with me in wishing him the speedy and complete removal of the trouble there is every reason to anticipate.