ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9026, 12 April 1888, Page 6

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Cricket.A meeting of the Auckland Cricket Association was held yesterday evening in the Albert Hotel for the purpose of considering the amended proposals made by the City Council to the Association concerning the management of the Domain Cricket Ground. There was a representative attendance, and Mr. W. F. Buckland was voted to the chair. The propositions submitted by the Council were read, and run as follows: — That a professional cricketer be appointed in. connection with the Domain Cricket Ground ; that such professional should manage* ground, allot the wicket, receive moneys, and' account and report weekly to the Council: that all fees be paid on application. That the following expenditure be authorised annually in connection with the ground Professional's salary and use of lodge rent free ; labour, £100; manure, seed, and sundries, £50: total, say, £300. That Bicycle Clubs be charged a fair annual fee for the right to practise on the ground in such places and at such times as the professional may think fit; that applications be invited, by advertisement, for a professional cricketer,who shall state the salary required." In order to test the feeling of the meeting. Mr Crowe moved and Mr. Johnson seconded Ero forma, " That the proposals be accepted y the Auckland Cricket Association." A lengthy discussion ensued, in ' which the speakers almost unanimously objected to the terms offered by the City Council, as they

considered that their effect would be to entirely take any,control of the ground out of the hands of the cricketers. Finally Mr. Mc- . Kinney moved, and Mr. Testro seconded the fallowing amendment: —" That the Cricket , Association do not ; approve of the proposi- ; tions submitted by the City Council, and think that as the cricket < ground haa been satisfactorily managed by the cricketers in past years, the question of the engagement of»-a professional, -and the. spending of their money should 'be left to their own discretion." On being put, this was carried without dissent, amid applause. A vote of thanks to the trustees of the ground, and Mr. J. Mumford for their past services, was carried unanimously. A draft of revised rules and regulations for the government of the Cricket Association was I {hen submitted by the commitee who had been appointed to revise the old by-laws. I The new regulations are modelled upon those of the Auckland Rugby Union, and are upon a much simpler ana more workable system than those now in force. It was, however. decided that their consideration be adjourned till the evening of Wednesday, the 25th inst. Football.— Grafton Football Club will hold a practice match on Saturday at Potter's Paddock, for which a Taus will leave Victoria-street at two o'clock. The following teams will play :—Mr. Lecky's fifteen : Lecky, Twiname, Spencer, Stewart, McKenzie, Sheddon, Firth, Muir, Higgins, Skinner, Mathieson, Kissling, Ohlson, McCausland, Walker, Gibbons, Pilcher, Mahon, Heron, Head, and Buckland. Mr. Madigan's fifteen : Madigan, Brown, Elliott, Maclue, Graham, Hill, Norton, Conroy, Camwell, Moresby, Suiter, Wynne, Clarke, Anderson, McCausland, McHugh, Ferguson, Binns, Donald, Hayward, Smith, Brown, Ramsay, Boord, Rich, Fountain, Stevens (2), arid Richardson. A practice match of the Gordon Football Club will be played at Potter's, Epsom, on Saturday afternoon between teams chosen on the ground from the following :—Anderson, Ansenne, Bedlington, Belcher, Binney, Binns, Booth, Buckland, Burton, Campbell, Clarkson, Clayton, Clutsam, Collins, Cooke, Cooper, Cruickshank, Davis, Diddams, Dixon, Dodds. Gould, Hackett, Hempton, Hooper, Hoskins, Hunter, Ifwerson, Jervis, ] Kenderdine, Lawford, Lusk, Maseneld, McCausland, McKeown, Moginie, Murray, Otway, Pardington, Plummer, Poland, Scott, Shiels, Smart, Thompson. Walker, Wilson. The half-mile race for the members of the Auokland Football Club will also take place at Potter's on Saturday next, and will be followed by a practice match. The following handicaps have been declared : —Scratch, O'Hare, Owen, Coleman, Maude, Collins, McDermott; 10yds, McCarthy and Goodman; 12yds, Roche; 15yds, Martin, Goodacre, and G. Walker: 18yds, Pullman, Williamson, Miller; 20yds, Stewart, Murray. E. H. Clayton, White; J. Walker; 22yds. McDonald and Cooke ; -25yds, Wilsted, O'Cononr, Solomon: 30yds, Moore; 32yds, J. R. Stewart and Bailey ; 35yds, Parker ; , 37yds, Moore: 40yds, Finlay and Henderson; 55yds, Moore. Ponsonby Regatta.—A meeting of the Ponsonby Regatta Club was held on Tuesday evening in the Club Hotel. There was a food attendance. Mr. Thomas Peacock, 'resident, in the chair. The business of the meeting was the paying over to the successful competitors the prizes won at the regatta on Easter Monday, and those for the races subsequently decided. The chairman in presenting the prizes remarked that although the amounts were in some cases smaller than the committee would have wished, the competitors must remember that they contested not so much for the worth of the trophy as , for the honour and glory of winning, and he hoped that the club would next year be able to give increased prizes, and have a meeting ' on a larger scale than that which had been ' recently held.