Billards

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 461, 25 May 1899, Page 5

Billards

•* Disappoint'ng” is the only term that can be fairly applied to Jwhat has been constantly described as “ the match of the season,*’ and there

is no doubt that Dawson made a fa.tal mistake in agreeing to break the original conditions of the articles, which stipulated for a “neutral hall” (says a writer in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic NewsJ. ' During the week’s play at the Argyll Hall there was really nothing in it between the two men, for, at the end of the first half of the match, Roberts only held a lead that his opponent could have wiped out in a single good break. Directly, however, that play was resumed at the Egyptian Hall, the whole complexion of the match was altered. Roberts evidently felt that his “foot was on his native heath,” and he went away so fast that the result was placed byond doubt in two or three days. Taken as a whole, the play of neither man was at all worthy of his reputation, but possibly the great importance of the occasion had something to do with this. Dawson, at his best is not the player that Roberts once was, and very possibly never will be, but there is no disguising the fact that the latter has gone off his game. Considering that he will be fifty-two this year, it is not surprising that this should be the case, for very few men of that age retain full possession either of their eyesight or nerve. Under strictly neutral conditions, I fancy that there is little or nothing to choose between the two players.