ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7644, 22 May 1886, Page 6

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FIXTURES. /Newton r. Albert "V "United v. Auckland J ! Ponsonby v. Newton } Ma* 20 < North shore v. Gordon f Tl .i_ 17 May a» -v Albert v. Auckland f July l? t United v. Grafton ) ! Worth Shora v. Auckland Albert v. Gordon ( ~ „ Grafton v. .Newton f July 24 United v. Ponsonby J / Albert v. Grafton ) t„„, 0 ) Gordon v. Newton ' "l Auckland v. Ponsonby f < United v. North Shore ) (Grafton r. Gordon \ ,» J Newton v. Auckland f . ._ ") Ponsonby v. North Shore f ( United v Albert ) juniors. Return matches / Grafton v. Gordon ) Mav a J Nelson v. Auekhnd ( - 9R May 8 < oDfion j,jr v. Walteraata f Juns 28 (, Manukau v. Atheletlcs ) / Athletics v. Grafton ) ] Gcrdon v. Nelson ' t „,_ „ * *] Auckland v. Ponsorby l"* ' 3 ( Manukau v. Waitemaca ) ( Waiteraata v Auckland ) \r„» 0.7 ' Athletics v. Gordon ( Ma y * 2 'I Graft >n v. Nelson f Jol r 10 (. Mauukau v. Ponsonby ) I Pon-onby v. Nelson } *r„_ 29 -c' Waitera ' 4ta v. Gordon f , , Way 29 ) Athletics v. Auckland ( J 111 ? 1? (.Manukau v. Grafton ) { Nelson v. Athletics } t„. - J Ponsonby v. Gordon f , . 1 Grafton v. Waiteraata l" ( Msnukau r. Auckland ) ( Ponsonby v. Grafton ) t„„„ 10 J Waiternata v. Athletics I rim June 12 -j Auckland v. Ganlon f Jql 31 V Nelson v. Manukau ) SNelion v. Waitemata } in J l'on*onbr v. Athletics ( . , _ 619 1 Grafton v. Auckland h Aa « urt * ManuUau v. Gordon ) AQUAT CS. Baach v. Teemer for the championship of the world. AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN MATCHES—MAY. May 13—Lord Sheffield's Eleven, a Sheffield Park. May 17 —Notts, at Nottingham, May 2U—Surrey, at Konnington Ova). stay 24—M.C.u and ground, at Lords. May 27—Oxf. rd University, at Oxford. May 31—North of England, at .Manchaster. FOOTBALL. Ik the ground at Newmarket is to ba ft permanent ground for our senior fifteen#, it is advisable that thn union should make some provision for the comfort of players by erected a small shed as a dressing-room. Attention to the gates would also be an improvement. The Auckland Rugby Union have received no communication yet from the Wellington association" re the visit of their repre»en« tative team, announced some time ago. Victoria lias adopted the rule of changing ends every half-hour, and it has been pronounced a success, giving each team a chance of what wind there may be. Wonder has been expressed that it was Dot put into operation long ago under their rules. The opening match between Melbourne and Hotham, won by the latter, attracted a crowd of over 2000 to the M.C.C. ground. Many of the principal Southern clubs of the colony have secured gymnasiums for the winter. A match has bean arranged between the Christchurch F.C. and the South Canterbury F.C., to be played at Timaru on June 19. The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union have elected the following officers :—President, Mr. R. Diibson; vice-presidents, Messrs. F. Logan, F. Fulton, and R. D. D. McLean ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. Black.

In regard to the visit of an English football team to the colony, "Forward," in the Otago Witness, has been permitted to make the following extract from the letter of a well-known authority on the game —" If a team does go from here to New Zealand which I very much doubt—it will not contain the leading players of the day. I am acquainted with men in all the leading southern clubs — Blackheath, Richmond, London Scottish, Queen's, Middlesex Wanderers, West Kent, etc., and speak by the book. 1 had a long talk with Sir Rowland Hill, who is a thorough football enthusiast. He fancies that a good team will never be able to leave England, as it is so difficult for men to get away, and, apart from that, footballers as a class are not a wealthy lot. It is said that the Sydney team will probably play two matches in Wellington during their proposed tour. The intercolonial match, under association rules, between Victoria and New South Wales, has been fixed to take place in Sydney, on July 10. In ISS4 New South Wales won, while last season Victoria carried the day. CRICKET. It is announced that Shaw's team of English cricketers will leave England for Australia in September next. The Australian Eleven practised on the ground of the Uhiswick C.C. prior to opening their tour in England. There were forty-three scores exceeding the century in Victoria last season. J, Roberts, 203, for Richmond v, Incognita, topping the list. Scott, of the Australian Eleven, had an average of 39'2 in five innings for Melbourne University, and was top average. A new pavilion, at a cost of about £4500, was expected to be ready for the match, Australians r. Notts, on the Trent Bridge ground this week. The juniors still continue playing in Melbourne for Messrs. Boyle and Scott's cup, and attract large assemblages, upwards of 2000 attending at the North Fitzroy ground to see Ormond meet the local team. In referring to the season in England, an Australian newspaper says "W, G. Grace will be to the foro for Gloucester as usual, and the veteran, Dr. E. M. Grace, will alio don the flannels for his county this season. There is fine batting in the county eleven, but, as usual, in bowling a decided weakness will be made manifest. For Surrey all the old players will be again available, with the exception of H. W. Bambridge. Prospects of the coming season for Kent are very hopeful. Lord Harris, it Is believed, will ba able to aid his county on several occasions this season, for which, so far as Kent is concerned, a splendid programme has been arranged. The Canterbury week will open with a match besween Kent and the Australian team. G. F. Vernon will be all there for Middlesex, and the Oxonian, J. G. Walker, will also play for that county this season. In batting the team will be strong, but there will be a lack of bowling power.*' Carlton had an unbeaten record in Vic* toria. Of thirteen matches played they won five and drew eight. They defeated East Melbourne in a very pronounced manner. Tunnick carried off the batting honours with the fine average of 69, while in bowling Midwinter headed Morris by a fraction. East Melbourne has'also a fine record, having lost only two matches out of twenty-seren, nineteen of which were against first-class clubs. • Melbourne, during the season, played in all thirty matches, losing only six, and of the thirteen first-class matches played, only three were lost, viz., to Richmond, East Melbourne, and Carlton. South Melbourne won three matches, lost three, and drew five.

One of the most uninteresting cricket sea* sons on record has at length dragged its wearying existence to an end (says " Midon" in the Loader, in reviewing the pait season in Victoria), and throughout the length and breadth of Victoria the stumps have been drawn and flannels put away until the Ist of next October. The English Press in commenting upon loading incidents in connection with the ISSS [season in the old country, frequently referred to the lack of public interest shown in the game during seasons in which Austtalian elevens do not visit England, club and county matches failing to enlist the attention of those thousands who every alternate season since 1878 have witnessed the sensational matches played by the Australians. When the mahy remarkable incidents connected with the play of Australian cricketers in England are recalled, this is certa'nly not to be wondered at, the phenomenal character of their play having been consistently maintained from the earliest exploits of Gregory's eleven to the splendid performances of the team o» 1884.

In batting averages for all matches in Victoria G. E. Palmer had the splendid record of 86 '20 for six innings, with an aggregate of 43L runs, while G. J. Bonnor came next, with 65 - 50, five innings, and 262 runs; J. Mcllwraith, 43 66, 17 innings, and 699 runs.