BANQUET TO THE TARANAKI CRICKETERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5710, 11 January 1876, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE TARANAKI CRICKETERS.

The Auckland (Jacket Club, last night, gave a farewell banquet to the Taianaki team at the M;ur Hotd, Albeit-stieet. At !) o'clock shaip some 30 sat down to enjoy the cateiing of hobt (ionium ; and after justice had been done to the fea^t, the business of the evening was proceeded with by the cluuiman, Mr W L Recs, propping in lapid succession the toasts of ''The Oucen, the Prince and fancess of Wales, aud the Royal family,' "His Excellency the Governor," "His Honor the Superintendent." He then gave the toast ot the evening, "Our visitor* from Taranaki.' They had been vanquished, but lathei by the circumstances against which they had had to contend than by the superiority of the opposing teams. Victorious 01 defeated they were equally welcome, and Auckland would not fad to leturn the compliment Taranaki had paid by either this season or next bending a return team. The speaker then referred at some length of the advantages to the individual, and to the bod) politic, ot manly Raines, which stiengthened not only the body, but also the mind —The tov>t was drunk with musical honour.. — Mr. Davis returned thanks. The pieaent Taranaki team did not repi efacnt that piov nice. They had mei i ly come to have a friendly game, and weie pelfectly astonished at the heartiness of their leception— a hcai tineas which could hardlj have, been exceeded if they had been an Australian, 01 even an English eleven. He concluded by proposing '-Success to the Auckland Cricket Club. Y> They had done much for cricket in Aucklaud, and if any pn.otof that weie wanted, they need only look to the splendid cucket ground at Lllcishe. With the toast he coupled the^ name of Mr V. E. Rice, vice-chaiiman — The toast was drunk with musical honours — Mr. Rice, m leturning thanks, refeued to the subject of a central club, for which he did not think Auckland as yet ripe. Though they had been so unfortunate in their first match, it was by no means their intention to have been so, and thov hoped to make up for it at their visit to Taranaki. He proposed "success to cacket," coupled with the names of Messrs. Douglas of T.uauaki, and Lankham of Auckland.—Mr. Lankham responded, and gave a short history of the progress of cricket m Auckland duruig the last 30 years He referred to the coming of a team from Y\ ellington in 18o2, and to the trip of the Auekeleven to the South last season. It was a euiious fact tint the only province with winch that team did not play was the only one which had sent a team to Auckland this year _Mr. Douglas also acknowledged the toast. In the course of his remarks, he spoke in favour of numeious clubs, as they tended to enema age and pioduce good ciiLketing better than did the existence ot one cluS in a place. -The chanmau called upon Major Tuke to propose the next toast, " The ladies — Major Tuke buetly proposed the toast named.— Mr T. L White being named for the task by the Chairman, returned thanks m a humourous speech, which caused roaia of laughter— Mr Rice proposed "I he 1'iess," coupling with it the name of Mr A. K, U cr— Mr King icsponded, and dwelt at some length upon the advantages to be derived from an Associated Cricket | Iub -~ Mr. Cotton having proposed "Our \\ orthy C'hanman, 1 ' to winch Mr. Ree* eloquently icponded. Three cheers w ere given for the Taianaki team, by the Aucklanders, and throe for the Auckland cricketers, by the Taranaki men, and the company separate.