ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8062, 1 October 1887, Page 6

ATHLETICS.

FIXTURES. FOOTBALL. Oct. I,— Siracem v. Links, at Kemnera. Oct. 8.- Sole fifteen Ponton by and Gordon v. aalacted fifteen from bn.la.no6 Senior A.K.U. Clubs, at North Shore. CYCLING. Oct. I—Opening run of Waltemita Bicycle Club, from Greys tree t. AQUATICS. Oct. Final race (.namruiar coarse) or America Cup Thistle v. Volunteer. FOOTBALL. < 'The football season is dying hard, and still a few matches are played every week, and others are on the tapis. Last week the only Rugby game was a challenge matoh between a team .from Huntly (Waikato) and the PonsonLy Second, the winners of the junior Clip. The visitors were consider' ably heavier than their opponents, ami played a strong hard game, but wens not as olever in their work, or played with as much combination as the Ponsonby, who eventually defeated them by nine point* to two. Throughout the game both forward divisions erred greatly in picking up £ and what dribbling was done wan poor. With the high wind that was blowing, the side that had i.t for the time being should have done a great deal more kicking than was attempted, bat with the exception of these two defects the play throughout was good football, and no doubt with a season's more work, the Huntly team will be no mean rival for our local juniors. The Thames team, which has daring the season just ended shown that it was much above the ordinary run of country clubs by defeating the North Shore team, and playing Ponsonby to a draw after a hard battle, was on Saturday forced to lower their colour; by the Grafton Club, which had journeyed to the Thames for the matoh. The beating was a decisive one, the local men going down before their riiitors to the tune of 15 points to niL

One of the hardest fought matches between the Association Clubs was played last week at Remuera, on the occasion of the meeting of the Saracens and Links. Although the former had somewhat the best of the game the latter were more fortunate, and managed to score. Their win, however, was disputed on the ground that the goalkeeper had stopped the ball before going through the bars, and wis the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Auckland Football Association on Thursday evening. It was finally decided that the win was a fair one, and therefore the two contestants will meet again this afternoon to play off for the supremacy of the year. Each club has made up its mind to carry off the trophy, and the best game of Association football yet witnessed in Auckland is expected. The following team is the selection of the Saracens Norton, Beale, Shakespear, Howard, Moresby, Gould, Owen, Keid, Hodgkinson, Binney, and Shepherd. The Links' team is : —Heather, Davenport, Massey, Newcourt, Douglas, Wooler, Mercer, Matthie, Mollwraith, Harvey, and Nay lor. A match will be played at Dilworth's this afternoon between two teams .chosen by Messrs. Wheatley and Goulstone from among the members of the Y.M.O.A. Gymnasium.

The match set down for Saturday next between a team selected from the Ponionby and Gordon Clubs against e a fifteen chosen from the Grafton, North Shore, Albert, and Auokland promises to be one of the most interesting that hare yet been played this year. The game is to be played at the North Shore grounds, and the proceeds are to be devoted to the assistance of a well-known kiokiat who had the misfortune to seriously injure his foot in one of the matches in the beginning bf the season. The hurt was at first thought trifl ing, but it was subsequently found to have affected an old break in the player's instep, and lis has been for some months incapacitated from work. It in hoped that all footballers and the public generally will do their utmost to make the match a big success, so that a decent sum may be handed over to the unlucky individual. »

I understand that the Ponaonby Club intends to commemorate its dual victory this year by holding a social and smoke concert at an early date. Advantage will be taken of the gathering to distribute the badges won by the members of the first and second fifteens, and most probably the trophy won by J. N. Baxter at the oluu'B half-mile race at the beginning of the season, and the presentation of which has been so long delayed, will be handed over to that gentleman, CRICKET. At the annual meeting of the Auokland Cricket Association, held on Thursday last, the usual business was done, and the cups won last year presented. That for the second juniors now becomes the property of the Alpha Club, as it has won it for two seasons in succession. There were several alterations made in the Association's

rules, the most important of which was ono concerning the deoiding of matches which happened to bo unfinished when the time for their being played has expired. At the rule -'in regard to this matter stood in times past, manifest in justice hag been frequently done by a olab having a draw allowed them whan there was not the slightest reasonable pro* bability of its winning the game. For instance, say two team» stood equal in the number of wins for a oup or trophy, and one had made gay 250 runs, while the other bad i six or eight wickets down for about 80 runs ien time was called. According to the old las the match would be a draw and the tter still equal so the former, whereas, as e alteration now made provide*, if the nings had been decided by playing oat the rmer would in all likelihood have scored 0 win which they deserved. I have received a lenghty list of statistics the Parnell Cricket Club, the winner of st year's cup for second teams, which want space precludes me from publishing in :tenso. The highest batting averages are iose of C. White, 2471, ft. Orowe 24*2, Angus 18 8, T. Brown IS '5, and J. >rdan 14*1, while in bowling M. Angus is set with a fine average of 18 runs per icket, W. Gardiner 3 5, A. Hill 3 6, and T. rown 4 8, following in the order named, he trophies presented for competition were on by the following B->st batting aveige, C. White; beet bowling, T. Brown; it presented by Mr. F. Tomlinson for the j'ghest score during the season, W. Ripley. As the cricket ground, owing to the top jessing, is quite unfit for practice, Icketers are reminded that they can spend pleasant hour this afternoon at the Bat tew to be held at Mumford's, High-street, wo o'clock.' frhe Gordon Cricket (Hub held its annual feting this week, and a very satisfactory Hprt for the past season was shown by the ojfcera. The , numerous prizes donated last j% were presented to their respective win- §, aw*, offers were received from Messrs. Giles, Bchmitt, Gilfillan, Esatn, Gallagher, Bat), Quintal, Black, and Ryburu, to preBeiftrophies for prowess in the different deitments of the game this season. '& new senior Suburban Cricket Club bidiair to hold a prominent place in tho Dora a records during the season. Several welipown cricketers have joined its ranks ; and, only guided by a judicious manage* mens who are to be elected on Tuesday evenw next), its career should be one of succel Intending members are asked by advenement to s.tteud the meeting, to be held ajthe Albert Hotel, oa Tuesday next. AUCKLAND UNITED C.O. I mrriHa AVXRAOaS | (being arai ages In doubls figures ) |„ No. of No, Of Most AVer spame, ran «. leu in ins. age. J. ToitroTl I ~ 291 9 61 27-8 D. Lynch 1.. .. - 176 10 37 17 6 . K.J. Y&ie|_ „ 157 9 62 17 4 B. McPfaerfn _ .. 172 11 58 I*7 0. BowdonU ►. « 113 8 71 14'8 W. Harriet. _ „ 131 10 23 13*1 A. D. McOdjmick _ ..100 8 62 12'4 0. K. M/.Comiok .. .. 93 9 23 10 J. Gardiner . „ ». *9 i 2* 12'1 \ _! l BOWX.I 1 ® A VEIIAO tS. v No. of NO. of No. 0f!,,. Arsr Nuße balls, runs. wkU. Udns ' age. Mumfcrd .. .. 85 57 6 1 9 3 Stemsoa .. .. 1000 402 37 6 9 1032 A. U. Mctormick ... 752 258 . 20 48 12*18 K. Ucl'bKion .. 477 231 17 7 13'lf J. Gar<liutr_ .. 300 134 7 10 19*1 D. Lynch .. „ 257 164 7 13 22" ~ AQUATICS. ~ With the leason not yet opened, there is little doing in aquatic circles yat, but getting ready of boats and seeking for new members for the several rowing clubs, etc. A topio of great interest among yachting men is, riowever, the races for the America' Cup ietneen the Thistle and tie Volunteer, fucih disappointment was felt in Auckland lien the news came through announcing the ®eat of the British represeitative, eipeclly when the weather vmspoken of as c*i, for it has always been considered that l>i|fc-wind sailing was the Thistle's strongest . poi|. The result, however, seems to point othiwise, or that the Yankees sailed their oli;pkr better, at she was the first to catch tho \eezs after almost a flat calm. A strong fe« lift was caused by the suspicion of Mr, Jamil Bell, the Thistle's owner, that his bout Id been doctored, but everyone will be glad fcilearn that it has proved to be ground' less. \ ' i The rarioua medals won at the last regatta oithe Auckland Bowing Association, some t^-ty-three in number, have just bees completed by Mr. Teutenberg, and are now on view»t the shop of the secretary, Mr, J. C. Co&e, in Victoria»street. The winners of the seior bona fide and senior amateurs gig races |eing one and the same orew, the gentlemei comprising it decided instead of having tm sets of silver medals to have one' of gold foijfche two races. The result is that one of the prettiest medals I have seen has been manuVctured for them. The design ia a Maltese cibas, with a pair of sculls crossed under a circular centre, in which is a splendid engraves of a four-oared gig, with; Rangitoto is the disUnoe. The reverie bears the nines of the winners, and the races won. "Ihe other mndals are silver, and are of a ten panted star ihape, with a centre similar to th\ gild ones. Those for the junior whale baits are sinilar in shape and j design, but have a gold centre. The trophies are, I am infomed, to bt presented daring j the forthcoming week. Arrangements have bee) made for a couple of inter-clab rowing mashes between the j Ponsonby and West End Clubs. The races , chosen are » senior gig rase for medals pre* i sented by .Professor Carollo and a maiden race under 10iL They are fixed to take ■ place on tho third Saturdty in October, and each club will shortly choise the orews who are to compete. As usual, the crack ysiht Jessis Logaa is one of the first of our load clippers to take the water for the season for »he is to be launched this afternoon. She has been submitted to a thorough owrhaul daring the past month, and is fitted with new standing gear throughout. She wll cruise th a season under a different guise frtm last yea;.', as she has been painted white throughout-; CYCLISG. The "biking." seasot of '87 begins this afternoon at half past two o'clock, by the inaugural ran of the Waitemata Bicycle Club. This starts fron the firebell at the

foot of Grey-street, and will be attended by a great number of members and outsiders, indeed any person possessing a machine is requested to take part in the procession. A feature of the show will ba the variety o.

machines ridden, among which will be boneshakers, racers, roadsters, tricycles, kangaroos, eta. On Saturday last a namber of local wheelmen made a rau from Devonport to the Lake and back, and did some good travelling, the roads being in splendid condition. Considerable correspondence has been going on between the secretary of the New Zealand Cyclists' Alliance and Mr. Cooper, of the W.B.C, relative to the championship races for the year. The gold medals for these raoes are to be made from a variety of sample designs forwarded to Cnristcharoh from Auckland, and will be much handsomer than heretofore. The Alliance have decided to ask Fred. Wood, the renowned cyclist, to come over to their tournament, and compete with their local men in a series of test races of one, five, and ten miles, and intend to pass a by-law allowing amateurs to run in these races without injuring their status as amateurs. Jason.

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