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English champion of English billiards From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Cook (15 June 1849 – 30 June 1893) was a professional player of English billiards in the 19th century. He won the World Championship on five occasions.[5][6]
Born | 15 June 1849[1] Sandy, Bedfordshire[1][2] |
---|---|
Died | 30 June 1893[3] Brompton Consumption Hospital[3] |
Sport country | England |
Highest break | 936[4] |
William Cook began playing billiards at about the age of eleven, and played a lot with the professional Alfred Bowles. But because he did not leave school until sixteen, and was a chorister at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, then later at St Saviour's, Paddington, he could not devote the majority of his time to billiards until 1865.[1]
Cook beat John Roberts Jr, son of the dominant player of the time, John Roberts Sr, in a match in 1869,[7] and then challenged Roberts Sr for the title.[8] As this was the first match for the World Championship, five players, which included Cook, with Roberts taking the chair, formed a committee to draw up a special set of rules for the game. The committee also involved representatives from three leading billiard table manufacturers.[9] The committee were persuaded by Roberts that the highest test of a champion would be a table on which the greatest accuracy was needed when playing pots. Cook was an expert at the spot stroke.[1][10] The pocket width was reduced to 3–inches[lower-alpha 1] (from the original 35⁄8–in), and the "D" and spots were adjusted so that Cook's spot stroke strength, derived from his proficiency at consecutively potting the red ball from its spot was weakened.[13][14] Cook was nonetheless considered the favourite, and the 20-year-old had improved much from his win over Roberts Jr the previous year.[15] Before the match he wrote a letter to the Sporting Life, stating that he believed that the smaller pockets would not affect his game.[16] At 1:38 a.m. on the morning of 12 February 1870, Cook defeated Roberts 1,200-1,083 to win the title,[17] and won a newly created trophy, £100 and a Maltese cross.[18] The Prince of Wales attended the match at St. James's Hall. This match ended the dominance of Roberts Sr, as the wave of new players took over the game.[19][20]
Roberts Sr did not challenge for the championship again. But Cook was to meet his match in the son, John Roberts Jr, who beat him 1,200-552 in a challenge match for the Championship in April 1870.[11] William Cook won the championship on four further occasions between 1871 and 1874, by beating Roberts in three finals, and Joseph Bennett in another.[1][5] On 24 May 1875 he was beaten again by Roberts,[21] who would go on to dominate billiards for the next thirty years.[20]
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