EXTRAORDINARY BILLIARD BREAKS

Southland Times, Issue 1201, 25 January 1870, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY BILLIARD BREAKS

The week ending 30th October witnessed some of the greatest triumphs ever achieved at billiards. Mr Mardon, writing inlß4B, mentions an extraordinary display by Kentfield, the celebrated " Jonathan " of Brighton, who, some years before, scored 57 consecutive spot-hazards, and made altogether a break of 196. This seems to have been the highest run then known. Fourteen years later John Boberts, who succeeded to the championship, in a match at Saville House, put together 346, including 104 spot-hazards, and up to 25th October this remained the best run, although J. Boberts, jun., W. Cook, jun., Charles Hughes, J. Bennett, and J. Herst all managed to approach it pretty closely. The two first named have been looked on as the " coming men ;" they have played two matches for money and won one each. On 25th October they met at theßoyal Hotel, Dale-street, Liverpool, to play 1000 up even. The game ended disastrously to Boberts, jun., who was defeated by 351 points, Cook, jun., scoring breaks of 104, 351 (including 77 spot-hazards), and winding up with 123, in which were 34 " spots," Boberts's best runs being 71 and 102. Time, 2 hours 5 mm. The table is new and rather easy. On 26th October they played a second match of 1000 up, even, at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Moss Side, Manchester, and again Cook's star was in the ascendant, Boberts being beaten by 633, Cook making breaks of 64, 97, 143, and 359, including 112 spot hazards. Time, 1 hour 35 mm About 350 gentlemen were present, and the applause was tremendous. It is needless to say that two such breaks stamp Cook as one of the most skilful players the world ever produced. We have been furnished with the dimensions of the pockets, and fiid that the table on which the 112 hazards were made (by Bailie and Swallow, Manchester), is rather more difficult than ordinary. The balls used were 2 l-16th inches in diameter. .