CRICKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 277, 21 November 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

CRICKETS.

"It never rains bub it pours 1" but Auckland cricketers do not objecc bo bhis pro' verb when it implies that we are to be invaded by no less than bwo Soubhern provinces, as both Wellington and Chrisb. church inbend sending teams this season to try their sbrengbh againsb our boys on bhe Domain. The Wellington team will be a representative one, while bhe Can tabs inbend sending, as on thoir lasb visit, a Wanderers team, which proposes playing cwo-days' matches with bhree of our clubs— Auckland, Gordon and Unibed. The Canterbury Association also intend to send up three or four of the best men outside the Wanderers, and at tho conclusion of the latter's matches in Auckland a sub-eommib-tee chosen from their eleven would fill up the vacancies required, when ib is anticipated thab a fairly representative team could be pub in the field againsb bhe Aucklanderu.

The weather lasb Saburday was anything bub pleasant for our favourite summer game. The ground was a bib sotb, bco soft for bhe brundlers to get work on, and the ball was very greasy, making it a difficult task to bowl wibh safe deliveries. Although the light was also very bad, tho conditions were in favour of bhe babsmen, hence bhe good scoring.

Parnell have made a good sbnrt with Gordon, and the latter will want their besb babbing talent for bhe occasion, as ab presenb bhere are only two of bhe Parneliibes out for 170. 1:1. B. Luak was, on account of a touch of influenza,an absentee, and Gordon felr, the loss of hia bowling. Ike Mills played a fine innings for his 81 (nob out), giving only one possible chance. Holle was playing carefully, when ho attempted an impossibility, and paid the penalty. Lawson scored freely for his 39 (nob oub). Both he and Mills received loud applause as bhey retired to the pavilion. No less than six bowlers were on, and even thoir captain (J. N. Fowke) took off the mitter.s and tried his luck, but, like the othi.rs, he got pepper.

Auckland made a very poor start against the St. Mary-Onslow. The first wicket pub on 24 runs, and bhe fifth fell for 39. Brabazon hold his wickob up in a cautious manner, and allowed O'Brien to pile on bhe runs, and when play ceased, Auckland had 101 for vine wickets, tho lasb wicket having pub on 27. O'Brien showed some of his old form for 37 (not out), while Arneil (14) and T. Neill (21) again proved a successful partnership. Stone and Rowe divided the bowling honours. ,

Do-pibe bhe slippery state of the ball, some very good bowling performances were done in tbo junior matches. In the StabParnell contest, 1). Edwards captured six of ParneU's wickets for 86, and also accomplished the hat trick, clean bowling (.larkson, Paterson and Gideon with throe successive bails; in eaoh case the middle stump wns dislodged. Kelly, for the Victoria 11., also repeated Edwards' performance by securing threo of Newton's wickets with throe consecutive balls.

Tho batting of Auckland 11. againsb the Grammar Schoolshowed great-Improvement. Harknoss made things lively for his 33, while Seccombe(26) and Thompson(2l) also batted well. Howard looked as if he was going to cause a lob of trouble whon McPherson caused his rebiremenb by a phenomenal catch off his own bowling. With fin 9 weather next Saturday, this match should prove a close one.

Parnell 11. made the good score of 142 against bhe Star. F. Brown played a brilliant, .innings for his 66 (nob out), and Elloy made things very merry for the fieldsmen in contributing his 32, made in double quick time. This match should also prove a close one, as Star have amassed 31 for the loss of one wicket. St. Mary-Onslow's second eleven have made a good stand againsb bho Shoreibes, and bhe labber will have to play carefully if bhey want to win. The Wanderers look as if they are again going to fall ab bhe hands of Vicboria. Bub one never knows. Where were bho Surreyibes lasb Saturday? Ib does not* look well for a new club to lose their second contesb by default. The scoring in the Newton-Victoria 11. match was very poor ; the bowlers, Mills and Hobson for the former, and Hamilton and Kelly for the Vies., had everything to themselves. J. T. Harkness, who made 33 not out for Auckland 11. against Grammar School, is the latest addition to local cricket. Harkness hails from Nelson, and is the makings of a first-class bat. I hear he is likely to be included in the first eleven of the club for their nexb mabch. Harkness is also a foobballer, and plays a good game ab threequarter. He is living in the Grafton district. With Bob Lusk and Harkness in their ranks, the Grafton districb will have somebhing bo say nexb season. The cable lasb week informed us that Soubh Australia had beaten Victoria again somewhat easily, and that GifHn and Lyons were the heroes of bhe event. In bhe mabch lasb season, played on January lst and following days ab Melbourne bebween Vicboria and South Australia, the latter won by an innings and 62 runs.- G. Giffin made 237 and J. J. Lyons scored 51 in 32 minutes.

" Cricket " says ib is a curious fact bhab a lare.6 proporbion of our prominenb professionals of the presenb day possess monosyllabic rfames ol four letters each. The following eleven would be capable of rendering a good accounb of ibself againsb any combinabion, viz :—l, Hall, Yorkshire ; 2, F. Sugg, Lancashire ; 3, Gunn, Nobbs ; 4, M, Read, Surrey ; 5, A. Ward, Lancashire ; 6, Bean, Sussex; 7, Peel, Yorkshire; 8, Wood, Surrey ; 9, Tabe. Sussex ; 10, Woof, Gloucesbershire ; 11, Mold, Lancashire. This eleven comprises seven fir3b-class babsmen of all sbyles, a firsb-class wickeb-keeper, four firsb-class bowlers of varied style and pace, and bwo oub-fields who are second bo none. Five of bho beam (if nob six) have played for the full sbrengbh.of England versus Ausbralia.

No less than three Christchurch cricketers reached the coveted century last Saturday week. In the United—Ashley County match, T. D. Harman, for bhe former, made 101 (not out); playing for Midland against Addington, J. D. Lawrence scored 127; while in the junior contest between Lancaster Park and United No. 2, Cooke, for the latter, made 121 (nob oub), without giving a chance. Very little interest is manifested by bhe public in Sydney cricket. The Association even failed to make a draw by engaging a band.

" Jumbo " Barnes, of Christchurch, wellknown to the lasb Auckland beam which visibed bhe Soubh, for his brilliant.fielding in the slips, has been pub into the Midland's junior team. Wheatloy, who was another promising player of tha same beam, has also had bo go down, bo make room for juniors. I mentioned lasb week bhat Lord Hawke's eleven had been defeated by Philadelphia. In the return match the Englishmen turned the tables on the Americans and won by four wickets. Scores :—Philadelphia, 58 and 119 ; England, 82 and 95 for six wickets. In order to till up time England went in again, and scored 330, Hawke (76) and Key (100) being the principal run-makore. Their nexb mabch was againsb sixteen of the Metropolitan League Clubs. At the call of time the Englishmen had made 365 for seven wickets (Hewibt 113, and S. M. J. Woods, tho Australian, 92).

A cable to the Australian press states that although Lord Hawke's English team were be;tten in the opening contest of thoir American tour, they have been easy winners in bhe other games.. According to the latest programme, bhe English cricketers in Austraik were bo have commenced bheir first match, which is againso Soubh Australia, on November 20bh (yesberday), 2lsb, 23rd and 2>.th.

Amongst the many cricketing stories told is one of a well-known actor, who in a match stood bravely up bo defend the sticks. Ab bhe first ball sent up to him be made a mighty swish, which, although ib missed bhe ball'and allowed ib bo travel as far aa bhe long stop, succeeded in flattening bhe three stumps and sending the bails flying rodo away. As tho doughty Thespian still remained ab his poßb, and was evidently congratulating himself bhat the ball had passed harmlessly by, the wicket-keeper said, " You are out ; why don'b you leave '!" "Me!" exclaimed the indignant artist, as ho gazed at the smothered --vickcb . "no fear. Why, I knocked thab down myself. You can't fool me !"

Mr J. W. Askew, who has been one of bhe foremoao in working i\<> bhe North Shore Crickeb Club, and in getting bheir new ground made, lefb for Nelson on Thursday lasb, where he inbends starting in business. Mr Askew was also a prominent foobball enthusiast.. ATHLETICS. Ab a meeting of bhe New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association lasb week, ib was resolved : " Thab a New Zealand Amateur Athletic team be sent to England in tho season of 3.592, provided that suitable representatives aro available, and thab Messrs Hemplon, Batger, Hutchison and Wood be written to asking whether bhey could join the beam in bho event of their being finally selected, the selection to be made afber the Now Zealand Championship Meeting iv February, 1892." A long conversational discussion took piaoo as bo tho best course to adopt to obtain a guarantee of the necessary funds, and tosecuro a representative team. The question of funds was held over. G. B. Shaw, the ex-Cantorbnry hurdler, is adding fresh laurels to his many victories on the English track. At tho London Athletic Club's meeting on Soptember 24th ho won the 440 yds Hurdle Raco Challenge Cup b_v syds in 61 3-sth sec. On September 2(.bh, with i_\d< start, he won ihe 100 yds handicap, and on 'he same day annexed the 120 yds Hurdle Challenge Cup Race in 16 3-bth sec.

The Kohukohu (Hokianga) people intend holding athletic sports in bhab township on Decombor 28th, and it might pay a few of our professional runners, who wanb a pleasant holiday, bo pay tham a visit. The programme is an attractive one, and amongst the many event)* are a handicap hurdle raco. 2;".oyds, £3 ; cup handicap, 100 yds, £3 10s and £1 : 20 minutes go-as-you-please, £2; half-mite handicap, £3. Second prizes are also offered, and an extra prize of £2 will be given to the winner of tho greatest number of events. Full particulars can be learnt by writing to Mr A. W. Ellis, the Secretary, at Kohukohu.

In referring to the rocords made by W. T. Macpher.*on in bhe 100 yds and 2noyds ab tho last Now Zealand Championship Meeting in Auckland, tho New York ■"Spirit of the Times " says :—"lb will.be noted bhab our Antipodean friends not only havo record-breaking sprinters, bub bhab bheir record babies are guarded wi l h such intelligent sbriebness as makes them worthy of unquestioned acceptance all over the world."

To show how bhey breab crooked races in Victoria, British Columbia, I cvii tho following from an exchange of that city : — "This was anobher first-class fake, and was properly sat upon. A horse called Jee Wynne was matched to run 440 yards againsb Gibson, bho English champion, in half bhe distance, bhe stakes, .$125 a side, being posted with the club, and bhe horse being given a flying start. At the pistol shob, the great foobracer, who bus a record of 9_ for the 100 yards, brotted along ab almost a snail's pace, waiting for bhe horso, which, if he had exerted himself, he could havo beaten easily by 25 yards or moro. Bub he wasn't running to win—bhere was more money in losing—and the horse won by a few feeb. The judges properly said 'No race ;' all bebs arid pools are declared off, and when one of bho interested parties summed up sufficient nerve to say ' Why not?' informed him thab bhe Jockey Club want no races of bhab kind on bheir track."

Some splendid performances were dono at the first championship meeting of the Metropolitan Association of tho Amateur Athletic Union, in New York,on September 12 and 19. Luther Cary won bhe 100 yds in 10 l-sth sec, and the 220 yds in 22 3-sbh sec ; Remington, the quarter-mile in 4-9 4-sbh sec ; W. C. Dohm, the half-mile in lmin 57 3-sth sec ; Conneff, the mile in 4min 27 3-sbh soe, and the fivo mi!e3 iv 26min 22sec. Shearman defeabed Curtis, the English crack, in the mile walk, in 6min 49 l-sth sec. Nicoll won bhe bhree-mile walk in 23min 1 4-sth sec ; Copland, bhe 120 yds hurdles in 16 l-sth sec,- and bhe 200 yds hurdles in 26 3-sbh sec (2fb 6in hurdles) ; Nickerson, the high jump wibh 6ft; J. Mooney, the broad jump with 21ft 2?in ; G. R. Gray, the shotputting with 21fb 2.fin (world's record) : J. S. Mitchell, the hammer-throwing with 139fb 2in (world's record), and bhe bhrowing the 561b weight with 33fb 8-__fiu (also world's record). A weok laber at the Manhattan A.C. Meeting, Dohm won the half mile handicap from scratch in lmin 54£ sec; Conneff, the mile from scratch, in 4min 21Jsec; Curtis, in the mile walk, showed bhe Americans a clean pair of heels in 6min 36 2-sbh sec. He did bhe firsb quarber in lmin 23sec, which is ojsec fasber bhan the American record. Gray improved his shob-pubbing by sending ib 46fb 7fin. and Mitchell threw the 561b weighb 34ft 6iin. THE KING. The following funny ibem aboub Slavin has been widely prinbed in America : —" Do you suppose the Immigrant Bureau will decide thab Slavin is an artist?" "Certainly. Didn't he first put a head on another man, then display his colours.*and finally wind up by painting the town?" A glove fight took place at the Zealandia Hall, Invereargill, on October 51st, between Pettengell, of Wellington, and J. Jarvis, a local boxer. The terms were thab the latter had to stand up ten rounds, bub he foolishly forced bhe pace ab bhe sbarb. and ab bhe end of bhe sixth round he cried enough. Bob FitzMmmonds, bhe Australian pugilist, did a plucky acb at Sacramento. Cal., on September 13th. A Chinaman attacked some hoodlums wibh a knife at a restaurant, and Bob,- seeing that mischief was likely to occur, had a tussle with the Chinkie, and after a desperate struggle he succeeded in gebting bhe knife and knocked the celestial oub with a well-directed blow on the jaw.

Con. Riordan, of Australia, defeated a Prussian named Max Fenner on August 21st at tho Pacific Club, San Francisco.

From New York I learn that the new Jersey managers intend offering a purse of 20,000 dollars to J. L. Sullivan and F. P. Slavin. Several New Jersey men are already making arrangements for the contest. They do not intend to go far into preliminaries until the consent of both men is obtained, bub they seem to feel confident of success in this direction. As the programme has been mapped out, so far, the match will take place about April. AQUATICS. W. Holder bells me that unless some unseen event occurs, ha will take the Manola to Wellington in January nextAs tho Akaroa Regatta is to bo held on December 16bh, Lyttelton Regatta on January Ist, Wellington Rsgatta on January 22ud, followed by bhe Nelson Jubilee Regatta, I would suggest to Holder tho advisability of invading all tour places. Ib would cos; very little extra, and aa I have seen the clasa of yachts the Manola would meeb in the four towns mentioned, I think he need have little fear of the results of such a trip. * ,

Many persons interested in yachting and yachb-racing throughout the colonies have expressed decided opinions in favour of the establishment of a Colonial Yachting Record or Bureau, which might serve as a means of recording and preserving the performances of yachts and lists of prizewinners. Such a record would bo of great value to yachtsmen, as at presenb there is no special lisb of winners preserved by any club, ab any rate in this colony. I hopo bhe Auckland Yachb Club will make a note of this suggestion. Tho maintenance of a proper record would entail very libtle trouble indeed. I may mention thab the English Yachting Association has for many years kept a complete record of yachb-vacing in all parts of the world, including an accurate chronicle of yacht-races ab tho Auckland annual Regatta.

There is a probability thab Ca.jtain Gibbs will bake the Spray down to Wellington in January bo contest tho Champion Yachb Race ab bhab porb. I hear, by the way, thac at a recent moating -of the London Yachb Club in bhe Club-room in London bhe Spray was mentioned as bhe iargesb prize-winner in yacht races in tho Australian colonies.

On October 3rd, ab'bhe Porbland Oregon Regatta, Hanlan and O'Connor met Dutch and Stevenson in the professional double race, three miles with a turn, when the Canadians won the 500 dollars by five lengths.

Oa the same day, O'Connor, the American champion, C. Dubch andO. Sbevensou, were called out for the professional single race, three miles with a turn, for a 500 dollar purse. Hanlan did not row. The HanlanO'Connor combination had but ono boat, so they flipped a eoisi to decide who should havo ib. O'Connor won and took bhe middle course, with Sbevensou on the west and Dutch on the east. Al! we.nz away oven. Three .quarters of a milo from bhe start O'Connor was four lengths ahead of Dutch, ho leading Stevenson slightly. O'Connor rounded-firsb and kept bhe lead, finishing ten lengbha ahead of Dubch, he a length before Sbevensou. The time, 24.34, was slow. CYCLING. In the twenty-five mile bicj'cle race of bhe Boston Athletic Association on October 3rd Roland Smith, of New Bedford, covered the distance in 1 hour 19 minutos atid 15 seconds, breaking all American records for the distance. The cycling population of France is sbabed to be 80,000. bhab of tho Unibed States 250,000, whilst England boasts of a reputed muster of 600,000. In a recent test between cyclists and cavalrymen iv Russia, bhe cyclists carried a message twenty-five miles and returned with a reply four hours ahead uf the horsemen. SWIMCSSING. Tho 100 yds Amateur Championship of bhe Wcab of England was decided ab Bristol on September 9bh and was won by E. Boning, of bho Percy S.C., who won bhe final in Imin 12sec. 11. Adams, of bhe Pollokshields S.C. (the holder for the past bwo years), won the 220 yds Amateur Championship of Scotland ab Glasgow on September 15th. Tho time was 3min 6 3-s«ec. The Auckland Swimming Club have published their programme for their spring carnival, and ib oughb to give considerable satisfaction to members. The Club I Championship distance has been fixed ab 50 yards, and in deciding bhis the Club has acbed very wisely, as bhere are several members up bo championship form for bhis /lisbance and I expecb bo see ab leasb six competitors. The ladies' bracelet, 100 yards, which was a pleasanb feature ab tho lasb meeting, is again included, and will no doubb secure bhe biggest number of enbranbs. A 440 yards handicap has also been added, and bhis will give the long-distance swimmers a chance which has hitherto been denied bhem. The usual boys' handicap races, Maiden Race 80 yards, and Calliope Handicap (150 yards) are all included. There is also a neab header, long dive, and plunge, which are always very interesting to spectators, down for competition, and the programme is completed by a tub race and a blindfold race, which supply the funny portion. Swimmers are not doing much at presenb, owing, no doubb, to the fact that many of them are busy training for the athletic sporbs. A meeting of local swimmers will be held next week for bhe purpose of arranging disbricts, rules and matches for the game of waber polo, due notice of which will appear in bhe Star.