POLO.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2597, 16 March 1923, Page 2

POLO.

THE TOORHET OPEKS.

RANGITIKEI DEFEATS TE AWAMUTU,

RANGITIKEI 9, TE AWAMUTU 4

The Polo Tourney of 1923 opened yesterday at the Podding Jockey Club’s grounds, Rain overnight made the ground somewhat heavy and m places tne ball did not travel freely. The high wind seemed troublesome at times, and interfered occasional y 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 conlioi of the game. Mr. Mexican Stewart was scorer and time, keeper. TE AWAMUTU v. RANGITIKEI.

The lirst match was Rangitikei A v. Te Awamutu. Rangitikei attacked, but r J'e Awairiutu .speedily cleared and W. Kay. by splendid play and a straight run down the held, scored lirst blood. To Awamutu: 1; Rangitikei; 0. Te Awamutu again attacked and carried the ball neany to their opponent’s gua., where Rangitikei got a tree hit tor a foul and R. Wilson made no mis. take with his shot. Rangitikei: 1; Te Awamutu: 1. Rangitikei attacked strongly and got the ball behind x Awamutus goal. On resuming the second spell, Rangitikei missed a good snot right in front of the goal, which carried the ball behind. Almost immediately after Rangitikei niiSS-d another easy shot ana again the bad went behind. With a good concerted attack, Scott carried the bal down the field and G. H. Wilson scored. Rangi. t.kei: 2; Te Awamutu: 1. Rangit kei again attacked, and good play by Scott carried the ball behind. Immediately after, Scott scored with a fine back stroke. Rangitikei: II; Te Awamutu: 1. Te Awamutu, by good play, princ pally by Tayor, carried the bah be. Innd. N. Scott, by asp endid run on resuming for the third spoil, 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 b ick.hand stroke, taut N. Scott came a .iiiii, and taking the ball from halfv.ay, scored. Rangitikei: 4; Te Awainutu: 1. Te Awamutu then attacked, W. Kay taking the ball to goal, where he rost his stick. Play was even for some time in the fourth spell, when Levin did some brilliant riding, out. I aeing and outriding his opponents on several occasions, and saving his gdal. Te Awamutu then made a strong at. Lick. 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 hack-hand strokes. Te Awamutu continued to attack and F. Taylor scored. Rangitikei: 4; Te Awamutu; 3. In the fifth spell, Te Awamutu made s weral 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 pcored from a melee in front of Te Awamutu’s goal. Rangitikei: 7; Te Awamutu: 3. H. Wilson made some g'ood 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 iwo 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 bv W. Kay, and a good goal by Scott. Rangitikei: 9; Te Awamutu: 4, In the seventh spe’l, the players were getting d stinctly 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. tikci’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 ball 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; Rang- tikei: 0. Pareora got an advan. i,age 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 sp.e'l, Rangitikei carried the ball behind. From the play out, Miller had a shot, but A. S T ' 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 a, shot in front of the goal, missed. Shortly after, Orbell, who was play, ing well, scored. Pareora: 5; Rang!, tikei: 0. Pareora set up another at. tack, but the ball went behind: short, ly after, Orb Ml 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. Prom a strong combined attack, Orbell again scored. Pareora: 10; Rangitikei: 0. Rang!, tikei put in a strong challenge, and R. Da'rymple scored their tirst 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. Pareora was still having much the better of the game in the seventh spell, and from a good position, Miller scored, and the game ended: Pareora: 12; Rangitikei B: 1. Rangitikei were quite outclassed 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’e Cup. Rangitikei A plays Hawke’s Bay, and for the Handicap I 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, Rangitikei A 2, Te 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 b® contested prior to the Bracelet