CONSIDERABLE interest surrounds the meeting of these leading cueists. They are looked upon, and rightly, as the most accomplished players at present in England, that is, with the exception of Charles Dawson. Manchester folk have all along insisted that Diggle's defeat by his present opponent in the preliminary game for the Championship last April, was not his true form. They now have the opportunity of seeing for themselves the merits of these strenuous rivals, for the game is being played at Manchester in the new saloon erected by the well-known firm of Messrs.
Orme and Sons. That the Manchester public favour a first class billiard match is made manifest by the large attendances which have resorted to the building during the first week's operations.
The chief breaks were:—151, 129 and 119 by Diggle, to Stevenson's 134 and 116. The scores at the close of play stood thus—Stevenson, 1,394; Diggle, 1,192.
Chief breaks—Diggle, 233, 172, 152 and 131; Stevenson, 161, 108 and 107. Scores—Diggle, 2,869 > Stevenson, 2,728.
Breaks—Diggle, 216 and 113; Stevenson, 116. Score— Diggle, 4,282; Stevenson, 3,780.
Breaks—Diggle, 162, 143, 138, 121, 112, in, 109 and 101, to Stevenson's 329, 256, 209, 153 and 134. Scores— Diggle, 5,803; Stevenson, 5,156.
Chief breaks.—Diggle, 217, 155 and 122; Stevenson, 3^5. Scores—Diggle, 7,060; Stevenson, 6,589.
Diggle gave his best exhibition of the week, almost increasing his lead by a thousand points. Chief breaks:— Diggle, 285 (twice), 188, 184, 115, and 104. Stevenson, 155 and 122. Half-way totals:—Diggle, 8,925. Stevenson, 7,503.