The Crucible Quiz: Greatest Matches

1st Place: Dennis Taylor (35) Steve Davis, at the 1985 Final

25% of the votes

It's not a surprise that The Crucible Quiz is gonna relive in it's first position, the 1985 World Championship final, still a keeper of the BBC2 audience record, with 18.5 Million live spectators watching the historic match which ended later midnight, in a way you already know how it was, but we're gonna now remember in our Crucible-Warm-Up.

This final of course, is commented in every snooker match on TV since it happened, 25% might be few for it but let's remember that 31 years has gone since then! And before 2001 only 3 matches received votes, the oldest one apart from this one, was the 1992 Final which Stephen Hendry beat Jimmy White 18-14 to claim his second title, that match finished 5th placed in The Crucible Quiz.

So it proves how important for Snooker history this final was, let's enter then in the 1985 World Snooker Championship again after 30 years.

What happened before

Steve Davis, at the time already a three times World Champion, was defending the crown he gave his blood for winning in 1984, when he overcame Jimmy White in the Final 18-16. But despite he should already be called the greatest ever player in the Sport, he was far from being the crowd favorite player out there, with an in-form Alex Higgins getting the attention from them. Higgins was the only man who prevented Steve Davis to win a World Championship in the previous four years, but this time future had Dennis Taylor on Davis' way. Taylor had played a World Final even before Davis, but he failed against Crucible debut Terry Griffiths in 1979.

Bill Werbeniuk compiled a 143 Break in his 10-8 victory against Joe Johnson in the first Round, in the time it was the 3rd highest ever Break for the World Championship, and of course, worth of 6 thousand pounds for the Highest Break prize.

But he lost 3-13 against Cliff Thorburn in the second Round, same round that Alex Higgins suffered a memorable 7-13 loss against Terry Griffiths, there are people who think it was the point his career started a never-ending downhill.

Seeded 11th, Dennis Taylor impressed on his run to the Final as he beat Silvino Francisco 10-2, Eddie Charlton 13-6, in-form Cliff Thorburn 13-5 and Tony Knowles 16-5 in the Semi-Final with a session to spare. The Northern-Irishman never looked in trouble in any match and showed he was far away from any opponent until then.

In the other side, Steve Davis also did fly scoring 10-8, 13-4 and 13-6 wins against Neal Foulds, David Taylor and Terry Griffiths respectively. Then in the Semi-Final, Davis also spared a session off on his 16-5 win over Ray Reardon.

It had to be - and of course proved to be - a great final, high leveled and with a lot of excitement.

What happened during

The Final - which one still makes me shake when I watch - known as the Black Ball Final, was such a classic and one of the most remarkable moments in sport's history.

In the start, it wasn't looking to be Taylor's turn as he lost 9 out of the first 10 frames, but then started off the most famous comeback in Snooker history, as he tied 11-11, and the match came close until it was 15 all, but then Steve Davis conceded only 6 points in the next two frames, as he went 17(35)15 up putting himself just one away from the title.

But the character from Northern Ireland won the next and then made a 57 Break in frame 34 to force the decider.

The decider took over an hour and Steve Davis led by 18 points with 22 in the table. Then, what a time for Dennis to put in the Greatest Shot of his career as he potted a brown onto yellow's pocket with Cue Ball close to the Top Cushion. His position on the Blue wasn't ideal but he managed to pot it on Green's pocket and got Pink in the same pocket, to complete the most fantastic and famous 15 Break in Snooker's history. He then attempted a cross double in the black to the left middle, and managed to hit jaw, putting black on top cushion and Cue Ball in baulk cushion, giving the Crucible the hotter atmosphere it's ever seen. Steve Davis then played a safety putting Black in the baulk cushion and white in the top. That safety should be worth of winning the match but then Dennis Taylor attempted to double it on left corner top pocket and managed to get it safe despite missing it.

Steve Davis then played a shot attempting to cross the black in a top corner but double kissed black and gave a chance for Taylor to pot it on Green Pocket.

Dennis Taylor missed and left in for Davis Cue Ball on left side top cushion and black around left corner top pocket. Davis hit it too thick, left in the same pocket and cue-ball in the middle of the table. Dennis Taylor pots and makes his famous celebration shaking his cue in the air, pointing his finger and kissing the trophy's lady.

What happened after

After that, Steve Davis suffered another shock as Joe Johnson defeated him 18-12 in another famous final in 1986. But then Steve managed to win another three World Championships last of them in 1989, establishing a record that did stand until 1999 when Scotland's Stephen Hendry won his 7th World Championship.

Dennis Taylor never felt again the atmosphere of a World Championship Final, but he pocketed £60.000,00 in 1985 and of course won The Masters later on his career, getting through another deciding frame by beating Alex Higgins 9-8 in the 1987 Final.

Just want to thank everyone who voted, I really appreciated a lot doing this Quiz, which showed us how traditional the Crucible is, and of course - just like always - it's gonna be great seeing new fans watching and discovering what the Crucible is.

Atmosphere out there is unexplainable, the World Championship with those long matches taking days to be decided requires the best from the player Mentally, Tactically and of course, they gotta be playing their best, other way you won't go far, so it's always nice to watch, particularly if it's your first World Championship.

Just can't wait anymore for the World Championship, which begins in a matter of days, on Saturday 18, once the Qualifier is over I'm coming here with the draw and a preview.

The first place on The Crucible Quiz Favourite Player will be posted in the blog soon, who's your money on for the winner? Reigning Defending Champion Mark Selby? Five-times Champion Ronnie O`Sullivan? Non-in-form Ding Junhui, the Chinese star? Recent Triple Crown winner Shaun Murphy? Four-times Winner and back-to-form John Higgins? or a new kid on the block? Keep an eye on our Facebook and the other eye in my Twitter to receive at any moment, an exclusive number or a tip for who's the winner.

I'm also very happy to announce that I had a chat with WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson, in which we share ideas of how Snooker can grow around the World, and what's got to be done in South America, where Snooker has had only one professional event in it's history.

Since I started with the page back in 2012, it's the most important point of my Snooker life, as an analyst and blogger. He's the most important man out there in the Globalization of Snooker and to talk to him in a feature for the Blog is great and even better sharing my ideas with him! Keep your attention in the blog for our exclusive chat with Ferguson soon.