OUT OF THE PAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 233, 2 October 1925, Page 5

OUT OF THE PAST.

ONE OF AUCKLAND'S CAPTAINS

DAYS OF W. XV. ROBINSON. CHATTY LETTER FROM ENGLAND. One of the stalwarts of cricket and football in the early days of Auckland was Y\. \\. Robinson, an ex-University man, who captained tiie Thames Rugby football team fifty years '„go. and later captained both the" Rugby team and the cricket team of Auckland province He was not with the first Rugby team that made a tour of other provinces from Auckland in 1575. being then in Thames. It is recalled that the team failed to win a match. Mr. Robin-on, however. wa3 captain of the first Auckland cricket team that made an extensive tour a year or two later, and surprised everyone by beating Otago. Canterbury. Wellington and Kelson in the days when Xel=on and Christchurch were the great cricket centres of NewZealand.

"As a Curiosity." When crhket and football is discussed in Auckland by old-timers the name of W. W. Robinson invariahly crops up and mention is always made of him as a particularly fine sportsman. Many of those who knew him here may not be aware that Mr. Robinson is still above board, residing at Wellingborough, in England, and at TS

years of age, is still taking an active interest in cricket and football. and following the games in New Zealand as well as in Britain. He saw the 10-4 All Blacks play at Leicester and N )rthampton. Writing recently to Mr. 11. C. Beale, of Auckland, now a cricket old-timer, who was a colt in the ISfsj Auckland eleven captained by Mr. Robinson, he mentions that at Lei-ester he met a contemporary in cricket of Mr. Beale in Mr. F. J. Ohlson, headmaster of Maungawhau School. The doyen ot Auckland cricket writes: "He (Mr. Ohlson) gave mc introductions to miuy ot the boys (All Blacksi, saying 'this is the man who coached mc and introduced Rugby in Auckland.' So I was stared at as a curiosity."

Still Learning at Seventy. In the course of a chatty letter Mr. Robinson reminisces about his Auckland days. '"I often sit and smoke my pipe and recall the many little events of my 25 years' experience in Xew Zealand at work and play, and I never regret those happy, though sometimes strenuous, days," he writes. '"Keep playing (cricket) as long as you can," he advises. ''If you leave off you will feel it difficult to begin again. My last four years in New Zealand I pretty well gave it up, but I began again here, and played with several good teams with success. I have done a lot of coaching the boys at the school here for over 30 years, tor the pure love of it, but I have not played in any matches for ten or twelve years. You know I did have an idea or two about how the game should be played in the old days, but seeing and playing with plenty of first-class men did" mc no harm, and the continual coaching of the young has taught mc a good deal. I am sorry to say there are several things done by first-class players which are unorthodox, and these absurd mannerisms are what the average boy picks cut to imitate, without the effect. I don"t think enough attention is paid to coaching bowling, to style of delivery, and the kind of bowler a boy should become. Boys nearly all either bowl as hard as they can. or try all sorts of weird freaks." With regard to New Zealand, and Auckland cricket in particular, I wrote years ago advising coaches. Albert Relf was a good one. tieorge Thompson was one I helped teach when he was a boy at school here. He became a professional, and was a fine bowler, could hit. and was a defensive bat. But good players are not alway-. good coaches. I know this from the many good masters I have watched coaching here. It is the little things that matter, and upset the whole machinery of batting."

Memories cf Auckland. I Recalling early days in Auckland, he | mentioned that when be came to Auck- j laud from the Thames he joined the i United Cricket Club, but as it was the [ strongest club, and as many of his pals . were in the Auckland Club, he left the j United, and was never forgiven by some | of the United players for leaving them. J Though he had been a successfuul captain of the Auckland team the Unite,! | players had him superseded for a game against Canterbury at the Domain. It j was a disastrous match, Auckland even- I tuallv having 120 runs to get to win. , and being all disposed of for 13. "Perhaps it was my luck I was not captain that day." he writes. He mentions that he captained the Auckland | team in 22 matches, of which 19 were j won. 2 lost against Canterbury, and one drawn against Wellington. Concern- I ing the drawn game he mentions that j he was criticised for bowling himself j too lonp in the second innings. He \ got 3 for 24 in the first innings, and | 0 for 34 in the second, but points out j that he bad had the other bowlers on, J and then when he went on, tossing his j left-hand leg break on the off side for ; stumping and catching, he had two chances of stunVping and two of catching missed off his bowling.

In conclusion the old cricketer con- \ tjratulates Auckland on the win against Wellington last year, remarking that I the wicket in the second innings ap- j pea red to be one he would have liked I to bowl on. He also sends congratu- ' lations to -Tack Mills and H. Gillespie i for their big score against University, and to t'is Dacre for his performance against the Victorians. Apparently the old Auckland skipper still keeps a close eye on the Auckland Eleven.

Stewards were being appointed in con-' ncction with the forthcoming Auckland A. and P. Summer Show. A name was mentioned, when the president rose and said: "Gentlemen, this man is busy en a contract, and he cannot attend meetings of the executive, but he is willing to act. He told mc that if we would hold our meetings on wet days, then he could attend." Much laughter greeted I these remarks, and it was renewed when La member asked for a schedule of the wet day 3 between now and the show, so that the convenience of the cautious contractor might be studied. Scores of packets of cigarettes, which were taken to sea and dumped after their destruction by the recent tire c». the Federal steamer Kent, bave reen washed by the tide on a number of the Auckland beaches during the past few days. At Takapuna and Milford the small boys are reaping a rich harvest in their quest for cigarette cards, and daylight risings are the rule. The boys' one complaint, however, is that the cigarettes are absolutely unsmokable.