CRICKET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17185, 8 November 1926, Page 9

CRICKET

" BEST TEAM WON." " AUSSIES " RETURNING HOME. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The Australian cricketers, homeward bound from England, arrived at Auckland by the Aonuigi this afternoon. The party 'included Mr. Sydney Smith, manager, Collins, Macartney, Hendry. Mailey, Kllis, nrimmett, Woodfull, Ponsfonl. Ryder, Everett. Andrews, and Richardson.'| Four other members will return later, namely, Taylor, Oldfield. Bardsley and Gregory. The first three have prolonged their stay in Eng land, while Gregory stopped at Chicago. It in expected that the majority of thesfc will return by tin Niagara on her next voyage. : ' No doubt the best team won the ashes, and we have, no grudge," said Mr. Smith. "England's victory "ill do a tremendous amount of good for the game in both countries. Perhaps we bad been inclined to think wo had the best cricketer,- in the world, and England had crown discouraged by the run of losses." Mr. Smith added that the tour had been a, success financially, and all the members of the team were a happy familv. The team had been mosl hospitably entertained and the public in terest in the tests was the greatest, on record of the trames in either England or Anstra'ia. England had a large number of promising; all-round players coming on. and the next series of tesl.s in Australia, in 1928-29 promised to be fxeeotionallv keenly contested. Australia had been handicapped to some pvfent bv the injuries sustained by Gregory and Everett, the team's two fast bowlers.

While not particularising on the men's performances, Mr. Smith said Macartnev bad proved himself the best batsman in the world, while Woodfull had been a wonderful find as a batsman.

Col'in? agreed with Mr. Smith regarding the loss of " the ashes," saying that England deserved to win. She had the better team.

The Australians will be the guests of the Auckland Racing Club at Ellerslie to-morrow, and will sail at. noon ot: Tuesdav. being expected to reach Sydney on Friday.

JUBILEE REACHED GLSBORNE METHODIST CHURCH. The jubilee of the Bright street Methodist Church, Gisborne, was commemorated yesterday. Large congregations gathered at the three services held during the day, and impressive sermons were delivered by the Rev. C. H. Laws, 8.A.. D.D., principal of tho Theological College. The unpropitious weather did not detain the members of the church from attending in large numbers. A thanksgiving service was hold in the morning. Communion in the afternoon, and "the people's service in tho evening. Tho Rev. Mr. Laws conducted the morning service, and took as his tost Deuteronomy XXXII, 7. The preacher remarked that those who took an interest in the Methodist Church could look back, during tho 50 years of its life, with feelings of honorable pride. He likened the growth of the church to the creation of an artist's violin. First the special tree with tho right texturo and fibre was grown, and then out of the well-seasoned) wood' the instrument was carefully moulded and put together; so it was in all spheres of life. He asked the congregation to look back with him to those men and women to wdiom the community owed so much. It was to the early pioneers, the men and women with courage, initiative, industry and tenacity of purpose, that tho church owed; its greatness, and ho urged his hearers to take a lesson from their devotion. " WONDERFUL INHERITANCE." Moral and spiritual progress could not bo measured in figures, continued Mr. Laws. Tho church had been the centre of comfort and inspiration for many lives throughout its years; faithful men and women had attended there, and if the walls could only speak, what a message they might tell! People of to-day had entered into a wonderful inheritance — better than all materialistic gain; they had inherited a great tradition which it was their duty to hand on to their children bttter' than when they found it. Li this age the speaker was haunted with a fear that there was something lacking in the churches. There was evil in the streets, and seven out of 10 of tho young men never attended the churches. There was only one way to make tho house of God prosperous; it was tho way of sanctity andtpraycr. At the evening service Mr. Laws gave a stirring and impressive sermon on man's personal relationship to Christ, and the brotherhood of the Church, taking as his text the lash verso of St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians.