PATEAROA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2394, 18 January 1900, Page 33

PATEAROA.

January 8. — You will doubtless be publishing, in due time, a list of the men who are leaving New Zealand to risk their lives for our benefit in South Africa. As everyone takes a keen interest in the fortunes of our gallant fighters, and as nearly everybody knows everybody else in this little corner of the world, I would beg to suggest that you publish, in addition tc the names of the men, the corps or district to which each man belongs. While on the subject, I would like to add that though we are all convinced of the ability of each of our colonial representatives to tackle any two Boers successfully, to those of us who are aware of the extreme toughness of the material of which the majority of our young colonials under sft Bni are composed it seems strange that the taste ol the selectors should run so much to legs. Where there are haidships to endure and downright hard work to be done, more especially in the place where bullets most do congregate, give me the man that obscures least of the landscape. Hats are easier mended than heads. We are all keen to hear an account of the doings of the New Zealand contingent from the Witness special.

Cricket — The first match played by the local club this season was brought off on Christinas Day, when our men secured a victory over the Linnburn team by an innings and 36 runs. For the losers W. King '(9) and T. Johnston (U) were the highest scorers in an aggregate of 53. For the home team F. Schrick (21), J. Wilson (20), O'Dowd, a,nd M'Lean (14 each) came out on top in an innings of 97. The Patearoa bowling was very good indeed, M'Lean taking 11 wickets for 18 runs, and J. Johnston 13 for 33. Two days after the. above match a powerful (paper) team of Naseby cricketers came over here to add another friendly tussle to the many that have been played between the two teams in past seasons. In the single innings of Patearoa, O'Dowd (13}, Cambridge (12), and J. Johnston (11) were highest contributors to an innings of 85, whiio in Naseby's double effort (43 and 27), Malcolm, with 11, was most successful. Although there were several members of the Naseby team whose cricket experience has been much greater than that of any of otir follows, a victory for the latter by an innings and 15 runs proves that even average batting, good bowling, and wide awake, alert fielding make the side possessing them hard to beat. Had the fielding of the visitors generally been u;> to iv ± f orm shown by Gossage and Malcolm (ilie veterans of their team) a much closer game would ha'-o resulted. All the same otir boys aie to bo congratulated on the improvement U± kb'fij. %U'i°Ji n s!: pla£ si&ce the jpa'JQaa-

tion o£ the present club three years r.go, and I liave evei3' faith m their ability io show winning foim throughout the season.