THE NATIVE FOOTBALL TEAM. (Per Press association.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1929, 9 November 1888, Page 26

THE NATIVE FOOTBALL TEAM. (Per Press association.)

London, November 4. A match was played yesterday between the Maori team and Northumberland County. Each side scored a goal, and the game was therefore drawn. The Maori football team defeated the Newcastle Miners' Club by one goal and five tries to one goal and two tries. Adelaide. November 5. News is to hand by the mail under date London, October 5, of the first match of the New Zealand football team in England. It was played on October 3, against Surrey County. The attendance is estimated to have reached the enormous number of 50,000 people. On entering the field the Maoris were received by the vast concourse with cheers. Keogh kicked off for the Natives, who kept the ball in Surrey's twenty- five until just on the point of half time, when apiece of brilliant passing by the Englishmen enabled them to secure a try. The kick at goal was a miserable failure. In the second spell the New Zealandcis played up with great determination, and their fine condition began to tell in the scrummages. Ellison and Lee rushed the ball across the line, and Goldsmith fell on it. aud secured a try, from which M'Causland kicked a goal. Ellison got the next try, but ,M'Causland failed -with the kick, though he should have secured an easy goal. The viotory of the visitors was deservedly popular,

EXIT CRICKET ! ENTER FOOTBALL ! (Home Paper.) Now the bat and the ball, and the wickets withal, Must be shunted aside at the coining of Fall— Ab the tarnation Yankees our autumntide call. Now the batsman begins to repair his poor shins, And he ruefully grins as he counts up his wins, And tots up his totals of " outs " and of " ins." Bead, Abel, and Grace will be quite onfc of place, Ao our interest falls off in the "average" race, And the season of Football approaches apace. Now the lion of Swinton ia roused— to its loss ; And the laurels of fame are made o'er to— Nick Ross I And the three stumps make way for the two upright poles, And the scoring of runs to the scoring of goals. While the Cornstalks of Cricket stand sadly aloof, While the Maoris of Football are scooping the oof. Now the writer on sport cuts his monodies short, And ceases the Goddess of Cricket to court ; For the Football reporter goes forth to report, And his lexicon out to the press tent he hauls, Where he hunts up new naraea for the goals and the balls, a „ And the goal-po3t a " fortress" or "citadel " calls I Now the rhymer leaves " cricket " and " wicket" with pain (For has he not worked them again and again? ) And he tries to rhyme " football" and "fortresa" in vain ; No longer he watches for Fillingesque catches, But ruefully patches up rythmical snatches On League fixtures, bye-games, and Challenge Cup matches 1