HOCKEY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7451, 27 May 1911, Page 7

HOCKEY

(By "Hoquet.'O It is to be regretted that the weather conditions last Saturday afternoon Were such as to necessitate a postponement or all hockey matches in this city. With tho hockey shield still in our midst, and the prospect , of a shield game wrth M.anawatu next week, very little ..time is left in which to give tlm selector a chance of choosing tho Wellington team and of giving the team some needed practice ere the game eventuates. The postponement committee of the association, cannot altogether bo blamed (as it has been in some quarters) for there being no games last Saturday, but it is certain that had the committee known earlier in the day that the council erounds were available for play, the throe senior games at least would , have been contested.

Next Saturday afternoon the first of this season's challengers (Manawatu) for tho hockey shield will call upon Wellington to defend their title to the yossession of tho shield. At the present time there is very little excitement being aroused in connection with this game, as no doubt most supporters of tho pastime in .Wellington are already satisfied as to the probable winners of •the match. However, at the time of writing there is every prospect of the rain which set in early yesterday morning continuing, and it will, therefore, interfere somewhat with this afternoon’s comes. Should it bo absolutely necessary to postpone tho games on account of the wea ther, the selector will have nothing left bnt to pick the representative team on their performances three weeks ago. If this be tho case, Wellington cannot he oxpecte'd to put up so good a fight. Taking into account the close nature of the two previous "rep." games with Manawatu, and tho possibility of Wellington being "off colour” next Saturday, there is no telling what may happen.

The present challenge sent in by the Manawatu Association for the shield makes the second that has been received from this association .-moo Wellington succeeded in wresting the tdiield from Auckland in September, 1909. Within two weeks- of the shield being wrn by the Wellington team from Auckland, Manawatu' came down to Wellington, and on the Day’s Bay ground played the local team for peftsession of the shield,

but tho game ended in a wn far Wellington ,by 3 goals to one, Laid year Mauawatu did not play a' t hield. game with Wellington, but all the ■ same a representative , match was piayod, tho local team travelling ■to Palmerston North on the King’s Birthday. After a game which was not up to the usual representative standard. Manawatn were again defeated, this time by two goals to niL

A letter has been received by tho Wellington Wednesday Association iromthe Maniawatu body, asking if it would bp possible for the representative match between the Manawatn B team and the Wednesday representatives to be played earlier in the day, so as to allow prayers to -journey across to Day’s,Bay and witness the Shield match. 'Phis tetter wilt be considered at the meeting of the Wednesday Association executive, to bo held next week, when it is quite possible that the wishes of tho Manawatn body will be agreed to.

No matches under the control of the men’s association will be held next Saturday afternoon, owing to the representative match with Mauawatu. Since this decision has been arrived at there' has been a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed, principally among the junior and third-class players, about the post poning of the games. Although the arguments Used by tho players against the postponement cannot very well be refuted, the decision of tho association was only arrived at after careful deliberation. If a holiday were hot being observed next Saturday it. was quite possible that junior and third-class matches would have been played, but the executive, taking into account that many players will bo going away fen the whole day, decided to cancel all games.

The following team lias been selected by Mr C. H. Warden to play for Manawatu against Wellington next week;—Short, Kerslake, Walkley,'Moore, Sorenson, bason, Webb, Minogue, Amos, Pitt, and Crump. TO-tfAY'S FIXTURES. Th© same fixtures as drawn up by both tbo men’s and ladies' associations for last Saturday afternoon will be adhered to for today’s contests. TEAM AGAINST MANAWATU. The selectors (Messrs Cusack, Manning and Baynes) of the Wednesday As-, sooiation met lost evening and selected the following team to represent Wellington against Manawatu B representative team on the Basin Itoscrvo at 11 a.m. next Saturday: —Goalkeeper; Grindrod ; full-backs: right, Gayford; left, Sherwood; halves: right, Paget; centre, CLemonteon; left, HadfieJd; forwards: right wing, W. McEwan: right inside, Thompson; centre, J. McEwan; left inside, Graoie; left wing, Howe.