The Burroughes and Watts' Tournament

C. Dawson v. E. Diggle

Dawson excels himself and wins easily

BY what must deserve to rank as one of the grandest bits of match-play—as apart from exhibition billiards —known in the history of the game, Charles Dawson, whose previous performances in the big annual tournaments now read as nothing short of prize puzzles, beat that fine cueman, Edward Diggle, in wholly surprising style. A great game was expected between them, the balance of opinion ruling favourably to Diggle's prospects.

But, as events most conclusively proved, his concession of a solid thousand points were of no use to him in the face of his opponent's very exceptional scoring. Known all the billiard world over as a great player and a pre-eminently stubborn fighter, there lingered still a belief that he just lacked those finer touches which are the outstanding characteristics of his compeers, Stevenson and Diggle. As a strokeplayer, more particularly as an executant of the winning hazard, Dawson has long stood out by himself.

He is not so graceful as Stevenson nor so refined a manipulator at close range. But take him at the all-round and at the top of his form, as we saw him last week, who is going to say that a more effective scoring force has ever graced the annals of billiards? He was simply wonderful from first to last. All the time that thick-set frame of his with the one-two-three addressing of the cue-ball and plain, but wonderfully truthful, delivery upon it, filled the picture framed by the environment of admiring spectators at Soho Square. Really, Dawson rose to the highest nights of billiard fancy.

Rumour had it that there existed some sort of a grievance between these at one time inseparable comrades-in-arms. This was supposed to be not unconnected with John Roberts' return to the game two seasons ago. It was said in authoritative quarters that Dawson meant to leave no stone unturned to give Diggle the beating of his life. And so, in truth, it came to pass. Dawson started out as he was destined to go through nearly every one of the chapters devoted to this 9,000 up. He scored 750 to 111 on the first afternoon. He seemed to jump straightaway into a sympathetic understanding with the pace of the table, the angles thrown by the balls and cushions, and the surrounding conditions. As a rule he is an uncertain starter. But on this occasion he would have been mistaken for the most adaptable of all players. He simply juggled with three-figure breaks. In between he kept a watchful eye on safety and the fitful, uncertain efforts of his rival. His work was replete with confidence from the outset, and it was plain that Dawson could see himself in no other light save that of a winner. And all the while Diggle, obviously ill at ease, was sadly, disappointing his friends and admirers. He had not expected such a summary incursion into his start as the loss of some two-thirds of it in the first hour-and-a-half's playing. This unpleasant awakening proved no inconsiderable factor in serving to put the taller artist more out of touch with his task than ever before. And he missed many easy strokes.

It was at the back-end of Tuesday afternoon's play that Dawson caught his man to the cry of "2,060 all!" Going on he finished up nearly two hundred ahead.

Not till this phase of the game woke him up to realise the true state of affairs did Diggle display his real form. Then for a couple of days he hung doggedly on to the leader who still continued to cut out a very fast pace. Yet there was always something unconvincing, something forced, as it were, about Diggle's work. It lacked freedom and ease. He was only happy when he had steered the three balls to the head of the table and was practically there expounding the close scoring game, of which he is such a past-master.

Otherwise, he threatened to break down at every second or third shot. His losing hazards from the D and many of his ball-to-ball cannons seemed to be played in half-hearted fashion. He broke down, or badly played, quite a number of them. Really, hoping against hope are the words that can best be suited to the goodly proportion of Diggleites who attended every sitting and diligently awaited better times. Beyond a few outbursts, which momentarily eased the very one-sided appearance of the markingboard, these never came.

To show the spirit in which this game was fought out reference must be made to the "conscientious objections" laid by Dawson on two, if not three, points. First, he appealed for a foul when Diggle handled the red ball to rub off some dirt which it had gathered up. But he lost sight of the fact that the ball was lifted up from the billiard-spot and, further, that the referee himself had handed it to Diggle.

Secondly, Dawson conceived that some sinister design was behind Diggle's innocent brushing of the table with his handkerchief and again he said "Isn't that a foul?" Then he took it into his head to inquire of the marker whether a hundred or two hundred points too many had not been hoisted to Diggle's account.

The latter's pertinent reply of "I don't think he's put on enough," provoked a roar of merriment, in view of the fact that he still languished some seven or eight hundred points in the rear. But as he was at the time well set upon a break the interruption did him no good, and a stroke or two later he broke down at an easy red winner. Still, these ill-laid objections of his rival served to fire Diggle up to some more determined billiards than he showed before or afterwards. Yet they exercised no tangible effect upon the game.

Dawson rose to the very summit of his form with the introduction of the second part of this still interesting struggle. Well as he had played before it was all completely eclipsed by what he accomplished from this time forward. Diggle played well and averaged over fifty points per innings throughout the Thursday.

That high rate of billiard speed was, however, poor as compared with Dawson's headlong career sitting by sitting. A momentary reaction came on the Friday afternoon when Diggle gave his best showing of the week. While doing so, and for the couple of hours which preceded the evening sitting, that player's friends flattered themselves that he might yet, at the eleventh hour, turn the tide by some miraculous bit of scoring. Little did they anticipate what was really in store, and how completely Dawson was to reassert his supremacy—even if that were needed. Imagine, if you can, the busy plying of his cue, the sensation on sensation as he ran straight through his quota of points while Diggle could only contrive to collect a bare 19.

This set the seal on the winner's work. But before the end he contrived to make the highest break of the week, a 508. He was found in something of a desultory scoring mood on the last day, when Diggle had his full share of the marker's attentions. Eventually, however, the little Yorkshireman—a typical son of the broad-acred shire—went out a gallant winner by no fewer than 1,721 points. His victory lends a most open appearance to the tournament, as four players of the six engaged in it have almost equal chances of gaining the first prize. The heats are being played on an admirable standard table by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts.

SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY

HEAT IX : C. Dawson (scratch) v. E. Diggle (rec 1,000)

COMPLETE AVERAGES FOR THE HEAT

COMPLETE AVERAGES TO DATE

TABLE OF RESULTS TO DATE