THE CHAMPION BILLIARD PLAYER.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 708, 26 September 1876, Page 3

THE CHAMPION BILLIARD PLAYER.

Mr Ji Boberts, jun, champion billiard player of England, played his first exhibition match here last night at Warner's Hotel, giving Mr Gollop, a Nelson amateur, 600 poirts out of 1000. Though Mr Gollop played pluckily, and some splendid strokes during the evening, it was apparent shortly after the game commenced, that the cham pion had measured his antagonist's strength, and after reaching an easy margin would give him a chance, and the result justified this supposition, for the scoring towards the latter portion of the game was slower than would otherwise probably have been had Mr Roberts been on his metal. When the game was called Boberts 802, Gollop 812, the champion had the cue, having so far on the break made 41, 9 being spot strokes, and closed his break with 96 additional pointß, scoring in all in this break 137, 36 of the strokes being off the favorite spot. The next highest break made by the champion was 105, of which 99 were made off the spot. He also made breaks of 66, 65, and 55 during the match. The highest break made by Mr Gollop was 18. Mr Boberts' play throughout exhibited excellent precision, good judgment as to Btrength, with perfect confidence in himself, and easy and quick manner of playing, seldom considering his stroke. It waß also particularly noticeable how seldom any of the balls m play were allowed to remain in foaulk, and the immense side used with little {force. Mr Boberts also has the faculty his father used to possess of running through a ■"cush" ball with perfect ease even if not hard up. About 130 personß were present when the game commenced, Mr Gollop leading off with a miss in baulk, the champion following with another under the right hand cush. After a no score by Mr Gollop, Boberts played a long losing hazard into the left top pocket, missing the next stroke. Gollop, aided by a flake at the start, scored up to 10 when the champion, by excellent all round play, made 27 and a miss cue. After a fluke into the middle pocket by Gollop, he brought up hifl score to 34. Boberts then made two winning hazards, and succeeded in the second one to place his ball in position for the spot stroke amid applause, putting down the red ball after this 33 times in succession, the enthusiasm of the spectators having worked up to a high pitch when he tried for the 34th time and missed. Game, 116 to 634. Some excellent all round play was shown by the champion from this point oE the game, his faculty of nursing the balls being exhibited on several occasions, and the unerring precision of his losing hazard, in one or two instances a hazard being made into a top pocket when the red ball was about the centre of the top cush, and apparently close up, the champion's ball being about the centre of the table. Exhibitions of fine all round play continued at intervals with breaks of 17, 26,45,27,57,52, and smaller numbers, the champion, however, unable to succeed in mauceuvering hiß balls to the desired spot, had scored 27 in that break, when an interval was called the game then

standing 500 to 702. On resuming the game the champion scored another 20, and his opponent at intervals played some excellent shots, 757 was reached when the champion having by much tact and wonderful play succeeded in arriving at the spot stroke put the ball down 13 times, and continued to do so 23 times longer, finishing the break with 15 other points made by three losing hazards and six cannons. From this point the game seemed to go somewhat dull, as the champion evidently desired nob to win by as many as he could have done, and though not so anxious to make the spot as hitherto, a specimen of superb billiards was shown in an excellent break of 56, by hazards and cannons, one or two of the latter off the back of the balls and cross-angled, being astonishing. Mr Gollop played pluckily up to his last stroke, and at 10.25 the game was called—Roberts, 1000 ; Gollop, 868, the champion thus winning by 132 points, the game being played in 1 hour 54 minutes. The hundreds were scored by Mr Roberts as follows: —lst, Bmin ; 2nd, llmin; 3rd, 12min; 4th, lOmin ; sth, 14mm; 6th, lOmin ; 7th, 12min; Bth, 15min; 9th, 6min ; 10th, 16min. At the termination of the match the champion, who was heartily cheered showed his powers of manipulation of the balls, making some wonderful Bhots with his fingers, and also performed a remarkable return cannon, the ball having first been made to jump over a cue held across and a few inches above the table. This evening the price of admission has been reduced, when "Mr Roberts will again play. Mr Gollop, giving him 700 points out of a 1000. He will also play five games of pyramids, giving his opponent 3 balls out of each game. As Mr Weston, who for a long time held the championship of the colonies, is now in Ohristchurch, many persons have expressed a desire to see him play the champion here, as at Dunedin when pitted against him the scoring is said to have been faster by Mr Roberts than he had done for a long time previous. Mr Weston has the name of being good on the spot stroke, and this advantage over ordinary amateurs would tend to increase the interest that would be taken in the match by the public.