BILLIARDS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1588, 22 March 1879, Page 4

BILLIARDS.

JOSEPH BENNETT AND T. TAYLOR

FOR £2OO.

A match of 3000 up for £2OO on a championship table, between the above players, was played at St. James's Hall, Bennett conceding a start of 200 points. At 7.20 play commenced, and at midnight, when it ceased, the game stood—Taylor 950, Bennett 731, the former having absolutely made 19 points more than Bennett. On the second day the advantage was still all with Taylor who was in rare form, in addition to haviDg all the luck, and at twelve o'clock the respective scores were—Taylor 1923, Bennett 1343, Taylor being thus 580 ahead. On the third evening if ever a match looked a foregone conclusion for anyone this did when, at a quarter past six, proceedings commenced in the presence of the largest company that has been in attendance at the start on either day. Ab will be seen from the details given below, Bennett, although so much in the rear, showed great improve ment on his past form, and during the first hoar gained a peroeptible advantage. At the time mentioned above, the ex-Champion raised the hopes of his partisans by commencing his first essay with three grand cannons, and by first-class play continuert on until he had by sheer skill made 39, leaving his opponent a double baulk, and after the latter had failed to score, he twice repeated the operation, and was again the first to make another decisive move with 26. Tom now got in with 26, but two essays later on Bennett equalised matters by making a similar contribution, following it up with 11. Full game—Taylor 1965, Bennett 1489. At this point the balls broke badly on either side, the result being a succession of safety misses, not a solitary break worthy of notice occurring until the game had slowly crept up to 2003 against 1529, when the younger player made a very fine run of 42. Bennett no fewer than five times went on without obtaining a point, but then he in three successive essays ran together 17, 36, and 12, which called forth 14 from the younger man. With the game at 2090 against 1596 Taylor off a miss from his opponent contributed 23, but after he had supplemented this by 13 and 19, the giver of points put together a magnificently-played 31. Nothing daunted, Taylor was at(ain|busy with 27, yet this was of no great advantage to him, as at 1623 to 2182 the ex-Champion was once more at the fore with 30, coming to grief at a fine cannon, "which he missed by the merest s<hade, and almost directly he supplemented this with two more useful breaks of 30 and 20. For some twenty-five minutes the play was miserably tedious, 17, 12, and 14 alone relieving the monotony, until at the conclusion of two hours' play the game stood— Taylor 2268, Bennett 1742, at which juncture each in turn put on 22. Once again a most unproductive period ensued, a brace of thirteens from the scratch man and 21 from his antagonist being all that was worthy of tho slightest notice until the respective scores were—Taylor 2330, Bennett i 1829, when the former gave the spectators a treat by running together a brilliant contribution of 40, all deserved. It was now the turn of the ex-Champion to be busy, and his supporters began to fancy thore was just a chance of his making matters look a trifle more rosy, as with the assistance of 45, 41, 45, and 35, he came up with a rush, touching 2025 to 2460. Taylor failed to score, but in his next attempt he put in 18, after which the best breaks made were 16 from the elder player and a dozen from his opponent, until the game was called 2527 against 2063, when Taylor being iu put some spirit into the game by making a hardly-earned 25. Bennett made a grand cannon, but came to grief. H'a opponent, however, not scoring, he got in again, and opening with a bit of luck, he added 34. Only a fluky red winner followed from Taylor, but he was not long idle, as his antagonist added but a few points. For both players the balls now broke badly, but the leader at 2566 to 2105 got another chance, which produced a handy little score of 34, when he just missed a losing hazard, and let Bennett in with the balls nicely placed, but a well-deserved 30 alone ensued from the essay. Only 8 came of Taylor's attempt, whilst, following on, the top-weight, aided by a little luck at the start, got together 30, when he failed to score a red loser. A beautiful hazard was Taylor's next shot, and getting the balls well together he looked like making a stand, but came to grief after adding 18, the full game at this point being Bennett 2160, Taylor 2636. Taylor at his next innings obtained 27, and having assisted his opponent's score by giving him a miss, put on 25, after which he Ml off again, and the elder cueist had his turn, running up 24 and 31. When the game was Bennett 2273, Taylor 2721, the former made two small, but grandly played, runs of 28 and 12, the larger break almost entirely off the red, and the other by fine cannons. Taylor replied with 28, and then a slight lull occurred, until the game had raached Taylor 2773, Bennett 2316, when the former scored 24, and Bennett in his follow-on forced the ball on the table. The junior player gave a miss and his opponent did likewise, but the leader having failed to score, the veteran put on 11, but this was all that was done for some time, neither man getting into double figures until the game was—Bennett 2340, Taylor 2*24, at which point the latter put on 27. Bennett scored red winner, and leaving himself angled, was obliged to give a miss, leaving the balls safe. The veteran made 5, and then his opponent came out with a beautifully-played 51, and ran into the last century, with a lead of 555 points. Nothing daunted, Bennett responded with 46, made with consummate skill, and his opponent followed on with 14 and 13, the game at this point being called—Bennett 2400, Taylor 2947. When the game was—Taylor 2947, Bennett 2341, the former went on and ran clear out with an unfinished 26, a winner by 569 points, at 11.46.