SPORTING.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 86, 15 December 1885, Page 2

SPORTING.

How few lawn tennis players know how originated I he gams, and where the first game was played ? Tais excellent pastime has now, writes London Truth, been in existence for ten years, and it has probably been a greater source of amusement than anything of the kind ever invented. The origmator and inventor was Major Walter Wingfield, of her Majesty’s Body-guard, who in 1874, wrote a little book, compiled a set of rules, and coined the outlandish name “ Sphairistiko.” The first game ever p’ayed was in 1874, at Colonel Naylor Leyland’s house in Denbighshire. The first public game ever played in this country was at Prince’s Ground, in the summer of 1875, the players being Major Winglie d, Mr Clement Scott, Captain Alfred Thompson, and Mr Albany Erskine. It was openly jeered at by a crowd of racket ’and cricket celebrities, who did their utmost to redicule the game in every way. But in less than one month two courts were taken at Prince’s for every hour in th 3 day, and the racket-players and cricketers had to “ sing small.”