POLO TOURNEY OPENS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 March 1923, Page 4

POLO TOURNEY OPENS.

RANGITIKEI DEFEATS TE AWAMUTU.

RANGITIKEI 0, TE AWAMUTU 4

The Polo Tourney of 1923 opened yesterday at the Feildlng Jockey Club’s grounds. Rain overnight made the ground somewhat heavy and in places the ball did not travel freely. The high wind seemed troublesome at times, and interfered occasionally with the play. Considering the weather, there was a fair attendance. The games were started prompt to time and everything worked smoothly. Mr. Allan Strang was umpire and had excellent control of the game. Mr. McBean Stewart was scorer and time. kcGp»GX* TE AWAMUTU V, RANGITIKEI. The first match was Rangitikei A v. Te Awamutu. Rangitikei attacked, but Te Awamutu speedily cleared and W. Kay, by splendid play and a straight run down the field, scored first blood. Te Awamutu: 1; Rangitikeh 0. Te Awamutu again attacked and carried the ball nearly to their opponent’s goal, where Rangitikei got a free hit for a foul and R. Wilson made no mis. take with his shot. Rangitikei; 1; To Awamutu: 1. Rangitikei attacked strongly and got th,e ball behind r Awamutu’s goal. On resuming (lie. second spell, Rangitikei missed a good shot right in front of the goal, which carried the ball behind. Almost immediately after Rangitikei missed another easy shot and again the bad went behind. With a good concerted attack, Scott carried the ball down the field and G. H. Wilson scored. Rangi. tikei: 2; Te Awamutu; 1. Rangitikei again attacked, and good play by Scott carried the ball behind. Immediately after, Scott scored with a fine back stroke. Rangitikei: 3; Te Awamutu: 1. Te Awamutu, by good play, principally by Tayor, curried the ball be. hind. N. Scott, by a splendid run on resuming for the third spell, took the ball to Te Awamutu's goal, but by bad shooting, missed his chance of scoring. Frank Taylor saved his goal by a good back.hand stroke, but N. Scott came again, and taking the ball from halfway, scored. Rangitikei: 4; Te Awamutu: 1. Te Awamutu then attacked, W. Kay taking the ball to goal, where he lost his stick. Play was even for some time in the fourth spell, when Levin did some brilliant riding, out. pacing and outriding his opponents on several occasions, and saving his goal. To Awamutu then made a strong at. tack. W. Kay carried the ball well down the field and D. Kay scored. Rangitikei: 4; To Awamutu: 2. Levin again saved his goal by some splendid back-hand strokes. Te Awamutu continued to attack and F. Taylor scored. Rangitikei: 4; Te Awamutu: 3. In the fifth spell, Te Awamutu made several attacks, but Levin outrode Kay near the goal. Rangitikei then turned the tables, and K. Scott took the ball right .down the field, and scored. Rangitikei: 5; Te Awamutu: 3. Rangi. tikei still pressed the attack, and Nelson Scott, after some good riding, enabled Levin to score: Rangitikei: 6: Te Awamutu: 3. After a concerted at. tack, Rangitikei scored from a melee in front of Te Awamutu’s goal. Rangitikei: 7; Te Awamutu: 3. H. Wilson made some good runs in the sixth spell and then play quietened down for a bit, but W. Kay seizing an opportunity, scored for Te Awamutu. Rangi. tikei: 7; Te Awamutu; 4. Rangitikei then put in some very strong attacks, and some very fine riding resulted in two behinds. Still attacking, Nelson Scott scored. Rangitikei: 8; Te Awamutu: 4. The principal feature of the rest of this spell was the stopping of Levin by W. Kay, and a good goal by Scott. Rangitikei: 9: Te Awamutu: 4. In.the seventh spell, the players wore getting distinctly tired. Rangitikei got two behinds, and then Te Awamutu made a good run, but Levin rode Kay off, and spoiled his chance. W. Kay then performed a like service for his side, by outriding Scott, the ending: Rangitikei: 9; Te Awamutu: 4.

RANGITIKEI B v. PAREORA. Shortly after play commenced, Pareora got behind, still attacking, Pareora got the ball in front of Rangi. tikei’s goal, and had two shots at the goal with no result. R. Scott carried the ball down field with a brilliant run, but the bull hit his pony’s foot and he lost his chance. Orbell carried the ball well down the field, and got a penalty for a cross, from which A. Ellworthy hit a goal. Pareora: 1; Rangitikei: 0. Pareora got an advan. tage through having their full team on the ground when the gong sounded, and pressing this advantage, scored. Pareora: 2; Rangitikei; 0. Orbell, who was always about, had a shot at goal, but only a behind resulted. From the start of the third spell, Rangitikei carried the ball behind. From the play out, Miller had a shot, but A. S E i worthy saved. Pareora still pressed and W. Scott made a good save, but Pareora were not to be denied and scored from a short shot in front of the goal. Pareora: 4; Rangitikei: 0. Miller made a very brilliant run from one end of the field to the other, but his last stroke lacked direction. W. Scott put in a good run and looked like scoring, when he lost his stick. On resuming for the fourth spell, Rangitikei pressed Pareora, and from o shot in front of the goal, missed. Shortly after, Orbell, who was play. Ing well, scored. Pareora: 5; Rangi. tikei: 0. Pareora set up another at. tack, but the ball w r ent behind; short, ly after. Orb dl again scored. Pareora: fi; Rangitikei: 0. Pareora still control, led the game, and Orbell again scored. Pareora: 7; Rangitikei: 0. The fifth spell was a repetition of the previous one, Orbell scoring two goals. Pare, ora: 9; Rangitikei; 0. From a strong combined attack. Orbell again scored. Pareora: 10; Rangitikei: 0. Rangi. tikei put in a strong challenge, and R. Da'rymple scored their first goal from a shot immediately in front of the posts. Pareora: 10; Rangitikei: 1. In the sixth spell, Pareora con. tinned to press the game and Orbell was once more successful in putting the ball through the posts. Pareora: 11; Rangitikei; 1. 1-ureora was still having much the better of the gam" in the seventh spell, and from a good position. Miller scored, and the game ended: 1 Pareora: 12; Rangitikei B; 1. Rangitikei were quite outclass-ed by their more experienced opponents, and their ponies did not seem to have had so much experience as Pareora's. The matches to.day are for the Savil’c Cup. Rangitikei A plays Hawke’s Bay, and for the Handicap Cup, Te Awamutu plays Rangitikei B. In connection with the Handicap Cup, the first, round of which is played to-day; commencing with ' Te Awamutu v. Rangitikei, the following are the handicaps of the teams.Hawke’s Bay scr., Pareora 2, Rahgitikei A 2, Tfe Awamutu 9. Rangitikei B 15. It has been decided to reduce the Ladies’ Bracelet race to three furlongs, and the Wellington Polo Cup is to bo contested prior to the Bracelet.