Lawn Tennis.

(Bt Hwka..) A. F. Wilding has again been carrying off honours in England, his latest achievement being the Shropshire championship. Wilding beat the holder, E. V. Jones, 4—6.,4 — 6., 9—7,9 — 7, B—6, and secured the Challenge Cup. He won the handicap singles from the owe-30 mark, and with Hawse annexed the doubles handicap. At Redbill ho won the Thompson Challenge Clip, - beating A. D. Pebble 6—o,6 — 0, 6—l.6 — 1. At Northumberland i.. tho competition for tho Championship and ChaLengo Clip, valued at 30 guineas, Wilding produced a mild sensation in tho fourth round by Uking t>he first i>et from H. L. Dofcerfcy 6—l,6 — 1, and stood two games to nil in Ck« next sot, but Do&orty eventually won by I—6,1 — 6, 6--3, 6—o.6 — 0. In the doubles at the samo meeting Crawley and Wilding reached the fourth round, bat wero ben ton by Doherty and Hillyard 6—2,6 — 2, 6—2.6 — 2. In the combined Wilding and iUiss Longhurst were beaten in tho fourth round by Doherty and Mrs. Sterny, who won, 6—3, 6—3. Wilding and Miss Anth&uy won the Handicap Combined. , Without doubt tho young Now ZeiUarider must havo improved his gamo considerably since ho left these shores, v and, will give o«ir best men a severe task to outplay him on his reGum to Now Zealand. 'At a big tournament lately held in Europe there appeared a boy iKinied Robert Wallet, who is described as a wonder at the game. He is only sixteen years of age, tod is tho chaanpion of tho College boys of France. He is now considered ( ono of the best players in Fruico, and with little improvement will bo a champion at Wimbledon. So muck for starting the gamo while young. Yet some playoff, who Avill never even be faiv at tb»^game, want young players exelnded frtm club*. The attention of the Wellington Association should be drawn to the rules of some of the chibs affiliated to it. Who ever heard of a clnb hirving a Life Committee and a Life Match Committee? • That of cMirae- means that it is simply a private- club, and although three-qu«.rf"ers oi th« members desire certain alterations, tbo Committee simply reigns supremo. Tho local Association hns power under rule D, claitso 3, to alter this, as nfJflia-t-rfl clubs must have "a constitution to (he satisfaction of the Council." It would be much better to hn.ve no club at all in erne's district than a club run on such lines as above atafctd. Tho Association should for the sake of tho sport either compel fair play to be given to members of clubs whoso rules ore *t fa«lt by having rules altered, or the e.ub'n niuno should bo erased from tho Association. Tho "chosen six" of New Zealand gavo tho spectator some idea of their stylo of play last Saturday at the Brougham > Hill courts. All fh o players ' showed some very nice piny. Tboir stylo and strokes were udmircd, but as a team ono noted a lack of condition. Tho team was picked 1 noarly two months ago, und were expeotcd to go into training. Two or three of the players wero possibly in fair condition, but tbo others wero row, and they cannot in the time acquire the condition expected of them M'hcn chosen to represent New Zealand. Tho Dovernor, Lndy Plunket, and party woro present, and took a great inlercwt in tho several contests played, but Mie high wind must hove robbed the exhibition of moot of the finer points). Tho Wellington, Lawn Tennis Association's annual meeting called for Wednesday lapsed for want of a quorum. The Thorndon, Horoktwi, Ncwlown, lloro- , whenua, and Brougham Hill clubs wew | represented, and the Hon. Treasurer and Secretary wove in attendance. It must be depressing to activo delegates to roll up and yet ibo unable to do business, xlio natural consequoHco will bo that the sport Trill suffftr. My remarks on this matter last week were borne out by WedneMl&y's, result. First and foremost, the clnbs axe to blame for not h«vmg fit a««i proper delegates to reprceent th«m, and vko could blame tke trMcers if they deelimed to tako oflteo again until real honest workers aro sent to represent the clnba? The authorities at Homo havo been roused up by a leading article in tho oflicial organ of tho Lawn Tennis Association (Lawn Tttmia nnd Croquet) which runs somewhat aa follows: — "Britiahors) are often struck with tho fact that Continental tennis enthusiasts do many things ne regards the sport better than wo ourselves j but nothing can ever have struck them more forcibly than the paucity of opportunity afforded^ in England | of playing lawn tennis during the winter season. At Paris, Lyons, Stockholm, and many other places beautiful covered courts have been provided, and surely when such excellent examples are hold up to vs — and examples which have added to tho development and, steady improvement of their* payers — we in, this country ought at least to equal, if not surpass." The above should onco and for all stamp out tho id*a that the game should onjjs be played for a. few months in tho year, mid one authority when asked if a player to bscwno a champion should only practice for so many months in the year, has replied if you wish to become an expert at anything in which "skill is ■ reqnired, you need not be afraid of getting too much practice, na long as you stop whon you bogin to feel yourself tired. Praclico the whole year round if you have the opportunity, as practice alone makes perfoct." Tho Chateau D'tox Lawn .Tennis Chrb, 1 which is considered one of tho most attractivo clubs on tho Continent, admits players down to the, ago of 12 years, t and reserves one court for beginners. This club has been known ns a home for lawn tenniß for years. Junior players arc eagerly sought for in England and on the Continent in anticipation of getting from them champion players for the , future. According to tho morning paper, Miss Hilda Hitchings, of Napier, who has boon scoring wins in handicap events in England of late, was lady champion of New Zealand up to tho time she left for England. Miss Hitchings certainly did win tho championship, but was beaten before she left for England. OfleUet, [Bt Thk Mid.] * Lancashire gained thoir thirteenth victory by defeating' Essex at Manchester by 10 wickets. Scores: — Lancashire 411 (Sharp *lo7, not out, A. Hornby 89, Tyldesley 87, Spooner 86) and six for no wickets ; Essex 89 (M'Gahey 24) nnd 327 (M'Gaboy 66, Freeman 66, Keigwin 64, Carpenter 47). Tho Yorkshire-Gloucestershire fixture at Dowsbury was drawn after the following scores : — Gloueeatershiro 186 (Jossop 48, Thomas 42) and 343 (Thomas 76, Board 58, Sellick 49, Jessop 43) ; Yorkshire 279 (Dentou 72, Rhodes 46, Higgins 42, not out, Hawke 36, Hirst 36) and 47 for ono wicket. At Beckcnhnni Kent defeated Somersetshire by oight wickets, the victory being well deserved. The figures were: — Somerset 326 (Poyntz 05, Lee 48, Lewis 46) and 177 (Poyntz 48) ; Kent 367 (Maaou 126. Marsham 63. fiavnumr Mn nnd 139

(Humphreys 60, A. Hearno 30, Seymour 28, not out) for two wickets. After some interesting cricket tho Sussex and Survey match, at Brighton, endod in a draw, Surrey, with two wickets to fall, boing 16 runs on. tStihsox compiled 579 (Fry 181, Ranjitsinhji 152, Vino 65) ; Surrey 245 (lLnyward 106 Davis 58) and 350 (Haywaid 112, Holland 59, -Raphael 66) for eight wick«t«. Owing tq rain the Notts-Leicesterahho match was drawn. Tho figures were: — Leicestershire 253 (King 60, Odcll 63) and 363 (Coo 93, Wood 79, King 65) ; Nolls 217 (lremongor 90) nnd 111 for four wickets (J. Gunn 47, not out). Warwickshire defeated Hani»«hiro bj; an innings and 164 runs. W. Quaifo scored 193 before ho was caught in the country by Chignell. Warwickshire's total was 521 for nine wickets. Somerset defeated Surrey at tho Oval by an innings and 43 runs. The latter team scored 116 and 149 (Abel 65), and the former 308 for seven wickets (Woods 123). Lancashire defeated Gloucestershire at Liverpool by an innings and 79 runs. Scores: — 'Laiicashiro 346 (Sharp 74); Gloucestershire 125 and 142. Warwickshire defeated Essex at Leyton by eight wickets. Scores: — Essex 133 and 157 (Carpenter 56) ; Warwickshire 153 and 139 for two wickets (Quaifo 56, not out). Tho Yorkshire-Notts and Sussex-Der-by.shiro matches were abandoned on account of rain. Tlio Yorkshire-Lancashire match after a splentHd strugglo at Leeds ended in a draw. Scores: — Yoikshiro 403 (E. Smith 98, Hirst 65, Tunnicliffo 55, Lord Hawke 64) ; Lancashire 173 and 163 for three wickets (Tyldesley 108, A. H. Hornby 59, in tho first and second innings respectively). . Notts beat Surrey at Kennington Oval by two wickets after a hard game. Scores: — Surrey 239 (Nice 61, LevesonGower 50) and 177 ; Notts 220 (J. Gunn 100) and 197 for eight wickets (G. Gunn 86, J. Gunn 44). For Abel's testimonial fund the amount collected was £155 16s 6d. Hampshire gained their first success this season in the county championship, when they beat Derbyshire by nine wickets at Derby. Wright, who mado 44 in Derbyshire's second innings, completed his 1000 runs for the season. Midttßesex gained a decisivo victory over Somerset at Taunton by an innings and 15 runs. Scores:— 'Middlesex 443 (BH<tom 141. J. Douglas 114, Hunt 76. not out, R. Bo»pl«s 50) ; Somerset 248 and 180 (Johnson 74). Kent beat Essex at Canterbury by 219 runs. Scoro«: — Kont 392 and 253 (J. R. Mown. 133, S. n. Day 81 and 65); Ewtcx 332 and 94. At Bristol Gloucester beat Sussex by 168 runs, giving the home team their third victory this season. Scores: — GloucoMor 172 and 227 (0. 0. H. Sewe'll 87, W. S. A. Brown 60) ; Sussex 90 and 141. Tho Worcestershire- Warwickshire match at Worcester ended in a draw. Clem Hilt is about to many a granddaughter of the late Mr. William Hart, M.L.0., of Launceston. Mr. Hart made a largo fortune out of , tho Mount Bischoff mino and other ventures. _