A GREAT BILLIARD MATCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 6

A GREAT BILLIARD MATCH.

ROBERTS V. PEALL.

As might be expected (writes the English correspondent of the Australasian), the match between John Roberts, jun., and W. J. Peall, spot-barred, for £500 a-side, Roberts giving Peall 12,000 points out of 24,000, excited very great interest all over England. The contest lasted a fortnight, with play every afternoon and evening. The room was crowded daily, and it is said that Roberts's gate money exceeded £2000. The articles provided that of the gate money Roberts was to have threefifths, and Peall two-fifths but ' Roberts bought up Peall's share of the gate for a lump sum, namely, £350, and so made a really good deal. The result was in favour of Peall, who won with a margin of 2590. I have no doubt whatever that Roberts, long before the game was over, was satisfied that ho had underrated his opponent. He -played often in marvellous form, on one occasion 1 making 1700 while Peall made 200; but for all that on only one occasion had he the best of the handicap at the close of the day's play, and this, I think, was,, on the second day of the match. Therefore all , through the match looked the good thing for Peall it ultimately proved to be. ' Roberts, however, never fell to pieces, and even on the last night made a desperate} effort to prevent defeat. He started with three consecutive breaks of 177, 200, and 120, and these he made whilst Peall scored 10. Later on, too, Roberts came out with the third best spot-barred break of his life, "making 551 before breaking down. His record break in public (spot-barred of course) is 690,' and his next best GO4. His two other highest breaks in the match wore 415 and 418. Peall, ot course, came nowhere near these figures, but he made any quantity of breaks of over 100, and ho succeeded once in running tip; a break of 285. Now, a man who can' score 285 at spot-barred billiards is no " slouch" (as the Yankees have it), andtakes a lot of catching when receiving half the game. This, as I have said, Roberts soon found out, but although he set himself too big a task, he still remains the most marvellous' man that ever handled a cue.' , There can be little doubt that Roberts overtaxed even his wonderful ability, when ho set himself such a gigantic handicap. I •must confess that I, too, thought lie could give any one living half the game, but now I do not. It takes such a dreadful lot of pulling up ; 10,000 points in 25,000 would make a good match of«it with Peall, and I see Roberts lias challenged him for any amount up to £5000 to give him 9000 in 24,000. This, however, not until the champion has concluded his trip to the Cape, India, and Australia, on which he starts almost immediately.