Messrs. Burroughes & Watts' American Handicap Tournament

Some Points of Interest

ONCE again the arrival of the season of Billiards finds Messrs. Burroughes & Watts still holding the position of chief entrepeneurs of professional displays. In some respects display is hardly the appropriate word to use in connection with their handicaps, which are famous for providing the keenest games of the season. At Dean Street, Soho, the billiard enthusiasts are granted opportunities of watching the great indoor pastime fought out by players, handicapped as closely as can be approximately ascertained from their records, who are jealous of their reputations. Those that have a reputation to make, for there is always a promising youngster or two given an opportunity ot showing of what they are capable, struggle not one whit the less than the better-known cueists who have one to mar. For a real object lesson in tip-top billiards, not the least important being the generous application of safety play, a visit to the Dean Street Saloon is invaluable. Many useful wrinkles can be picked up by the observant spectator.

This season there are eight selected competitors for the tournament, for which Messrs. Burroughes and Watts offer £100 as the first prize, and £20 for the runner-up. All the players are due to meet each other in a week's play,  during which period three games of 3,000 up (each occupying two days) will be played. Whichever of the competitors has the largest number of winning games to his credit at the finish of the competition will be awarded the £100,  and, of course, the,£20 will go to the second. It will occupy no less time than close on seven months to dispose of the various games, the contestants for which are:— C. Dawson (champion, 500 points behind scratch); E. Diggle (scratch); H. W. Stevenson (scratch); W. Spiller (receives 600 points start); C. Harverson (receives 600 points start); F. Bateman (receives 600 points start); T. Reece (receives 900 points s art), and W. Cook (receives 1,000 points start).

HEAT 1

E. DIGGLE (scratch) v. H. W. STEVENSON (scratch)

DIGGLE WINS THE ODD GAME

A more auspicious inauguration to the Tournament could not have been desired than the meeting of these crack players. It was very quickly made apparent that both were thus early in the season in excellent trim. Diggle had evidently been practising assiduously, his play being quite up o t his best accepted standard. Having been defeated by Stevenson in the preliminary game for the Championship last April, he had a stain to wipe out, and some grand billiards was seen. The first game of the series fell to Diggle by 617 points. The second also went to the Manchester player, who made a 345 break during its course, and led at the close by 617 points. In the final meeting Stevenson, playing as though his very existence depended upon his achieving a victory, emerged successfully from a most trying struggle by the narrow margin of 216 points. The players' averages for the full week's play work out as follows:—

HEAT 2

W. SPILLER (receives 600 points start) v. F. BATEMAN (receives 600 points start)

SPILLER A GAME TO THE GOOD

It was pleasing to see that dashing player, William Spiller, practically demonstrating some return 10 the high quality of play he showed in the season of 1895-96 and 1896-97. He quite overshadowed the young Birmingham player, Bateman, in the two first games, which respectively went to his scoring account by 1,008 and 846 points. The final and third game, however, saw an entirely different ending. Spiller was suffering from a severe attack of influenza, but even had he been at his best, it is a matter for doubt whether he could have again got the upper hand of Bateman. The last-named played remarkably well, scoring his required points (600) under the hour in one stage, and credited himself with the third game by no fewer than 1,244 points. The averages give the following return: —

HEAT 3

H. W. STEVENSON (scratch) v. T. REECE (receives 900 points start)

STEVENSON WINS THE THREE GAMES

It cannot be said that Reece, with the exception of a nice exhibition on the last of the six days that they played, came up to, or even nearly approached, the reputation that preceded him. To begin with he played really badly. This can be seen when it is pointed out that Stevenson, although not playing so well as when opposed to Diggle, carried off the opening game with a balance in hand of 1,306 points. Reece did, however, show glimpses of useful foun in the second contest. He also made a good fight of it. Still, Stevenson again occupied pride of place at the close, this time, though, with only 320 points to the good. The last game gave Reece an opportunity of showing his true worth. His chief break, a really well-made 241, was notable for his delicate cannon play. Stevenson, playing very consistently, performed the hat trick, 405 points representing his superiority. Averages: —

HEAT 4

C. DAWSON (scratch) v. C. HARVERSON (RECEIVES 600 POINTS)

DAWSON'S FINE PERFORMANCE

The meeting of these two prominent candidates for premier honours has furnished conclusive proof that the champion retains all his last season's form. As with some of the preceding players it took him a couple of sittings to accustom himself to the running ot the table. This essential to heavy scoring was accomplished in the second portion of the opening game, and thereafter, Harverson, who it must however be admitted was none too favouredby fortune, could not do anything right. It is exceedingly problematical, though, even had circumstances tended to favour him, whether he could have snatched a game from Dawson, who has rarely played better. The backmarker won the first game by 289 points. A most resolute struggle, after he had caught Harverson half-way through in the second, found him emerging victorious with 244 points in hand. Harverson, it was apparent, had determined to annex the final game. On the Friday he performed astonishingly well, so well, in fact, that on Saturday Dawson found himself with the worst end of the scores at 1800 to 919. He rose to the occasion, nevertheless, and accomplished a really remarkable perlormance—reminiscen t of some of Roberts' last-day-of the-match achievements—by scoring 2,801 points to Harverson's 720. In Dawson's total were such breaks as 382, 300, 241, 178, 149, 101, and 97. These figures speak for themselves.

The return per innings for the week's play shows:

TABLE OF RESULTS