ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Mail, 21 July 1892, Page 25

ATHLETICS.

OUR ATHLETES AT HOME.

By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. ANOTHER VICTORY FOR BATGER. (PRESS association.) London, July 14. At Manchester, j r esterday, Batger won the Quarter - Mile Hurdles from scratch in 59 4 ssec. P. Wood was third. London, July 17. At the athletic sports held by U-lackheath Harriers yesterday, P. Wood won the One Hundred Yards Handicap, with L. A. Cuff second. TLIEIR PERFORMANCES AT TUFNELL PARK. The London correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, writing under date of June 11th, sends the following description of the sports at Tufnell Park, at which our amateur athletes made their debut in England : Our New Zealand visitors conld scarcely have inaugurated their English campaign under happier circumstances, in so far as surroundings are concerned. The weather is perfect, and the ground just about right, experts tell me, and the attendance the largest ever known at this suburban meeting. Sir Julius an l Lady Vogel wereamongst the early arrivals, and occupied front seats in the pavilion. Mr Perceval turned up a little later. He is the only Agent-General here The New Zealanders h.va just arrived. Hempton is unwell, and was lying down moßfc of the morning, and neither of the Woods are fit. Batger is Cuff’s one great hope to-day. He was very fit up to Jast uighn, when he met with two slight but annoying mishaps. Let us hope they won’t affect him. The opening event was a Hundred Yards Handicap (open, twelve heats). L. A. Cuff (4Jyd ), Cunningham and Hempton (scr) were in this, but Cuff alone ran. i unningham considered he had no ebanoe on the 4£yds mark, and Hempton preferred reserving himself for the Hundred Yards Scratch. Cuff ran in the sixth heat, which was won by Bell (7£yde), Baker being second. Time, 10 l-ssec. Cuff was simply not in it, and is evidently far from fit. Experts remarked that he galloped the whole way. Half Mile Scratch Race—Smith, Birchfield Harriers, I ; Jones, Essex Beagles, 2 ; White, Tuffnell Park Athletic Club, 3 ; 1 >. Wood, New Zealand Athletic Team, 4. W. J. Fowler (Finchley Harriers), A. R. Williams (Lea Harriers, Kent), W. Hughes (Australian Students’ Club), Cripps (Highgate Harriers), and Lutnaii (Highgate Harriers) also started. Time, 2min 4 5 sec. This was a grand race, at least it appeared to me far more interesting than the hundred yards sport. Wood went to the front after travelling a short 1 distance, and passed the quarter j mile winning post with a comfortable lead of perhaps ten or twelve yards. Some hundred yir ls farther on, howev> r, he seemed to stop suddenly and waß easily caught, first by Jones and then by Smith, A capital race ensued between the lastnamed pair, Smith leading Jones opposite the pavilion and winning (it seemed to my inexpert eyes) comfortably. The local man ran third ; Wood, close up, fourth, but he seemed much distressed, and it

afterwards transpired that a slight cold was the cause. At this point I had to rush off to get back to town to catch the mail at the General Post Office. I left a reporter behind, however, with instructions to wire me particulars of the other events, and they arrived jsst five minutes before the closing of the mail, so my notes are brief. One Hundred Yards Scratch Race. Three prizes : first prize, silver cup ; second priz9, case cutlery (eighteen pieces) ; third prize, case carvers, blaok plaid mounts (three pieces)—’she first two in each heat to run in the final. Hempton won the first heat easily in 10 2-ssec, but was beaten by C. A. Bradley, of the Huddersfield County Club, in the final after a grand race in lOsec (dead). Four Hundred and Forty Yards Handicap (open)—ln the first heat Peter Wood (New Zealand) scr, H. Brown (Tuffnell Park Athletic Club) 15yds, Felby 22yds, Neok 25yds, Ball 27yds, Jones 30yds, Davies 35yds, Cronin 38yds and Nevvlove 40yds competed. Peter Wood ran well in this heat, but had no show at scratoh. He ran fast for three hundred yards, but failed to stay, and came in sixth. Felby, with 22yd8 start, won the race. Four Hundred and Forty Yards Hurdle Handicap (open)— A, R. Williams (London Athletio Club), 28yds, 1 ; H. W. Batger (New Zealand), scr, 2. The following also ran:—Godfrey B. Shaw (London Athletic Club) scr, L, A. Cuff (New Zealand) 12yds, B. C. Green (London Athletio Club) 15yds, C. B. Waylen (London Athletio Club) 20yds, W. Kent-Hughes (Australian Students’ Club) 30yds, Cecil Shaw (London Athletic Club) 36yds, T. White 28yds and F. Denman (Blackheath Harriers) 45yds. Batger ran fairly well, but was beaten by five yards by Williams, whoso time was 61 4-ssec. Bafcger’a time was 62 I 5860. He said he felt very weak afterwards.