In the Open Air

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13904, 15 May 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

In the Open Air

SPORTS AND PASTIMRS. The annual rejwrt of the N.Z. Boxing Council referred to the great pro- _ gress that had taken place during tin* season in the matter of competitions, and to the increasing public interest that had been shown in the sport. With two exceptions all the affiliated Associations had two or more competitions during the past year, and reports received refer to much improvement in the standard of boxing. The feeling that was once displayed in certain quarters against boxing is gradually disappearing, for the community now realised that boxing, under present mles. rontrolled l>y recognised government, and supported by prominent citizens, was deserving of the Fame support that was accorded to other robust and manly sports.

"Reports are to hand from most of the deer-stalkers who went to North Otaco and the average .size and quality "of the heads on the well-known stilkin" grounds were better than in anv previous year, and this is following upon a very severe winter. IHe theorv that shooting the best heads deteriorates the herd is therelore much discounted, as there are plenty of good youn" stags coming on to take tlie places of these, shot. The only part of the forest where deterioration has taken place is where the ground is over-stocked with deer and there is an absolute .shortage of feed. Jr-I. Forbes, of Christchurch, has just returned from the Hunter Valley where he secured a magnificent thirteennointer 4o inches in lensrth of horn, and three rovals. one of them liemg a most symmetrical specimen. Captain Prowse. of H.M.S. Powerful was also in the Hunter, and, although arriving late, he filled his license with three royals* and an eleven-pointer, the latter being a very fine head. rte is verv pleased with his trip. Mr and Mrs W "R. T.awson ffrom "Enplane!) went to the Morven Hlls, and though are small there in (-imnar"on with those from other parts of the forest they enjoved some excellent sport. Mr Spiers, of Kurow, shot n very fine ffmrteen-nointer and two royals in Temple Creek. Lake Ohan. Many of the heads got recently are much better than were those secured in April.

Ilome papers report that the Oxford crew, wii'eu practising for tlie great boat race, had a remarkable experience. Paddling up stream to Hamniersmith in extremely rough conditions, so much water *was shipped tnat the boat was in danger of sinking, and at last the men had to disembark and emptv the craft. With a strong southeaster! v wind blowing, the flood was verv favourable for a fast mile, or even a «*ood bridge trial had the crew rrone out about 10 or 10.30, but the men were, called for 11 o'clock, and as that was shortly before high water, it was necessarv to wait until the tide turned. When' the boat was launched the wind was holding up the ebb, and there was a perfect sea on all the way to Hammersmith, and even beyond. As the twisting of the river brought the breeze behind the ebb between Chiswiek and Barnes, the coach very wiselv decided to take the crew up and row down from Barnes to Hammersmith, bnt in making the upward ionrnev in the seas, and with the men splashing all over the boat, the era It became nearlv full of water. Indeed the state of the boat became so bid that no one would have been surprised if it had sunk. On arriving at Barnes it had to be taken ashore at Green's and emptied, and halt the orew had to wade into the river to lift the craft out.

' The chief contest decided in the wrestling tournament at the Alhambra Theatre, London, recently, was in » the match for the middle weights in which Joo Carroll and Crozier had wrestled thirty-five minutes without a fall In the end Carroll had tto retire owing to an injured shoulder and knee, so victory went to the coloured man. Previous to Carroll having to give up he and (.rosier had each gained a tall. Crozier won the first fall at the end of 26min. lftsee. hard work Attachin" in turn the men had got on their ' feet a<*ain, and the black rushing in hack-heeled Carrol, and pressed him down Carroll had complained of his Shoulder not being quite right■«»'"»« to the force with which he had been nut down previously by Lemm and it was obvious in the second bout he «rald not exert his ««ial st W ll^' ,? his left arm. After twenty-eight minutes he wished . to retire, but roconsidering his decision he phickiU went on. and almost. ,mmed,at*lv afterwards he put Crozier down with a neat bodv roll and press down. Tn "innine Crozier. however Carroll also hurt his right; knee and he had to irivp nn although wrestling \uti f dWoeoted f-nger. Connolley proved f.,r too big and strong for .Tames Foster " scissors hold and arm hold ga.n- ---": the former two f-irly mucklr won Voile: Tpnirii soon disposed of Lasnrwo with «■ cross buttock and cmtHi bold. th« Frenchman heing hopelessly outclassed.

THE AUSTRALIANS AT HOME: The following is the. programme of matches in be played by the Australians in England: — MAY. 17 —v Surrev, at the Oval. 20-v. M.C.C., at Lord's. •>l_- v Oxford University, at Oxford. 07—FIRST TEST MATCH, at Birmingham. x . •M—v Leicestershire, at Leicester. " JUNE. ; i_ v . Cambridge University, at Cambridge. ... 7—v. Hampshire, at Southampton. \lV— v. Somerset, at Bath. 14-SECONI) TEST MATCH, sW17—Vacant (probably Scotland). .?]_ v Yorkshire, at Bradford 54— v . Lancashire and \orkslnre, at "" ' Manchester. op-_ v . Scotland (two days), at Ivlui-

JULY. I—THIRD TEST MATCH, at Leeds. -_ v Worcestershire, at Worcester. V>—v" Gloucestershire, at Bristol. l?,_v. Surrey, at the Oval. H> v Yorkshire, at Shetheld. »->_ v Derbyshire, at Derby. ««1-FOURTH TEST MATCH, at Manchester. 09—v Yorkshire and Lancashire, at HulL AUGUST, o—v South Wales, at Cardiff. :>-v Lancashire, at Liverpool. 9—FIFTH TEST MATCH, at the Oval. 13—v. West of Falkland (Devon, Cornwall, etc.). at Exeter. IC—v. Gloucestershire, at Cheltenham. -,1 — v Kent, sit Canterbury. ?a—v! Middlesex, at Brighton. <>fi—v. Sus=ev. at Brighton. »)—v. M.C.C.. at. I.nrdV SErTEMBER. ;* —v. Essex, at Levfori. fi- v. An F.rniHml Eleven (Mr Bamford'si. at Fttoxetf-r. 9—Scarborough Festival, at Scarlwirongh. 13—v. South of England, at Hastings.

Mr C.•' B. Fry, at a distribution ' of prizes at St. George's school, Harpenden, on March 20th, said lie disliked very long races in school sports, and condemned the modern craze for what they were termed Marathon races. There was no sense in running distances like twenty-six miles along the high road, and it was a pitiahlft sight at the end of those races to see men coming in looking scarcely human in their terrible exhaustion.

'• Punch '" has immortalised the golfer who invariably attracted a gallery to "hear'' him play. This •roller was surely a major or a colonel. It has been suggested that the story concerning, say, a general would be absolutely unprintable. For example, he must have l>een of very high rank who found himself at a big professional match in disapproval of the tactics of the crowd. "Confound this crowd!" he cried. "Just look at tliem! They're nearly all women and children! What the want to come here for? Why. it, man. a fellow can't, even get a decent swear!"