WELLINGTON NORTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1914, Page 4

WELLINGTON NORTH.

Wellington North (bracketed with Fetono as the winners of last season's senior championship look forward to a good season. Last season they played nine matches, won seven, and lost two. Early in tliaj championship they were defeated at the\ hands of East A and Central, but thereafter won all their matches, including two against Petone. The junior eleven had a. fairly successful season, playing nine matches, winning five, losing three; and, drawing one. They gained first place in the B Grade of the junior championships. Like most of the other clubs, North have in the past suffered somewhat through the sparscness of the attendances at the practice nets, and there is still much room for improvement in this respect. * The matter of seeming practice wickets at the Basin Reserve instead of Kelburn Park is one at present under consideiation by the committee. It was thought that by securing Kelburn Park (being in the club's district) there 'would be better attendances, but it turned out otherwise, players not rolling up as well as they did when practice was carried out on the Basin. Tho club have been unfortunate in losing L. F. Casey, their fastest bowler, who has returned to Dunedin. W. Ryan, last year's secretory and treasurer, has thrown in his lot with the Main Expeditionary Force, while Whalley and H Wilson, two of the junior men, are in Samoa- with the Force there. Berry, another junior, was also a member of the same contingent, but he has returned and will be playing this season. Manning is a doubtful starter among the senior players this season, but the club have been fortunate in obtaining the services of S. C. Eaton, late of the Eden Club; Auckland. Their senior eleven will therefore, with the exception of Casey (and possibly Manning), be the same as last season, while their juniors will again be a fairly strong combination. PETONE. There will be a few changes in the senior Petone eleven this season. E. Smyrk is a member of the gamoan Garrison, and W. J. Hardhara, V.C, departs with the main contingent. A valuable acquisition to the club will be Gordon, of the St. Albans (Christchurch) Club, who comes here with a reputation as a batsman and a bowler. Then, again, Grear, a Manawatu "rep." bowler, has transferred to the club, but there is some doubt as to whethur he will be an active member. As many as nineteen members of the club are doing duty at the forts, but these men will not be away all at the samo time, and it is hoped that the junior ranks will not be seriously interfered with. Nino new members have joined, and they will fill some of the vacancies that may happen to occur. The Petone Club cater especially for their younger players, and this year schoolboys will, as was the case last year, be given free games in the third grade matches. Petone were the run-ners-up in the third-class, final in spite of the fact that only three of the eleven's players were over 21 years of age, the rest being boys. Everything points^ to a very successful season for this club. WELLINGTON EAST. Every cloud has its silver lining, and although many familiar faces will bo missing from the ranks of Wellington East senior players, necessitating one eleven this year instead of two, there will be some compensation in the fact that it will be able to make its one eleven a fairly strong one. It is a considerable drain on the resources of any club in a city such as Wellington to maintain two senior clubs in the field, and it invariably means a weakening of the junior teams, to which all clubs have to look for supplying reserves. Smith, M'Girr, Watson, and Lennox, all well-known players, will be away on "active" service in Samoa, at any rate for part of the season, while Young and Carter, two other players of repute, will uphold the club's honour in the force which goes to Europe. Brice was also in the first Expeditionary Force, but he was invalided home, seriously ill with pneumonia, and if he plays at all this year it will probably be when the season is well advanced. C. Grimmett will also be an absentee — he has gone to Australia — and throe other of the club's members are at the forts. Thus

it will be seen that East's strength has been seriously depleted, but the team I ivill not be altogether without reinforcements. Lumeden, a Wanganui ex-rep-resentative, has joined their ranks, and Phillips, who played a few matches for Post and Telegraph last year, will also wear East's colours this year. One of the men most sadly missed will be who is a fast bowler, and any slub which loses a fast bowler sustains i severe loss. In spite of all the changes, however, East hope to give a good account of themselves. They will probably 3tart practice on Saturday week. VICTORIA COLLEGE. Victoria College are in the hap^py position of having most of their senior playbi's available for next season. Their most serious loss is Howe, the* redoubtable wicketkeeper, who played with the "reps." last year. He, too, is in sunny Samoa. M'lntosh, their fast bowler, is away in England at present, but it is expected will be back soon. Four or five men in the junior division have taken their departure, and lack of members will probably prevent a third-grade team from being entered. As far as is known, the club have ao new talent in sight. •