OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 6, 23 October 1880, Page 45

OUT DOOR SPORTS

The opening of the boating season at Lyttelton, on the 9th, was celebrated by a procession of four boats and three canoes. The Intercolonial BoAvling Match between Victoria and New South Wales, will take place on November sth. A Swimming Club has been formed at Christchurch, and arrangements are now being made for the use of the West Christchurch School Baths. The Union Cricket Club (Whau) has commenced the new season with Mr. A. Brett as captain, and Mr. Bollard, vice-captain. The Auckland Amateur Athletic Club has published a programme of ten events for the Carnival in the Domain Cricket Ground, on November 27th, Entries close on November 13th. The opening of the boating season on Saturday afternoon brought out a very large number of yachts and open-sailing boats, and scarcely one of the "cracks" were absent. It is not improbable that the oAvner of the clipper yacht, Jessie Logan will apply for a permit to enable him to dispose of his boat on the art union principle. It has been decided to hold the Ponsonby Eegatta on the first Saturday in December or March, and subscribers will be communicated with, in order to ascertain which day is the more suitable. Mr. H. Blackwell, of the London German Gymnasium Club, has just accomplished the feat of riding on his bicycle from Land's End to John o' Groat's, a distance of 800 miles, within thirteen days, boing an average of over 68 miles a day.

A number of the English sporting journals express the opinion that the Australians would have beaten the Gentlemen of England had Spofforth been able to play. The Auckland Cricket Club opened the season last Saturday with a scratch match, between teams picked by Messrs. Earl and A. Beale. The scores were 102 and 89 respectively. Verity 40, and Beale 29, were the best batters. The newly-organised Civil Service Cricket Club has commenced its existence under circumstances of a most promising nature. There are already more than seventy members, and it is anticipated that about thirty or forty other names will be handed in. The Whangaroa residents are arranging for their annual Eegatta, which takes place early next year. Several open boats have recently been built in Auckland for that place, and the sailing contests are therefore expected to be more interesting than on previotis years. The A thletic Sports at Ellerslie, on Prince of Wales' Birthday, promise to be very successful. Seventeen entries have been received for the birthday handicap, nineteen for the quarter-mile handicap, twenty-one (including the champion) for the two-mile walking contest, and eighteen for the one-mile. Messrs. Dudley and Evans, tAvo members of the Pioneer Bicycle Club, went for a trip from Kaiapoi to the Waimakariri Gorge bridge and back home through Christchurch last week. They left Kaiapoi by the morning train, by which they went as for as Oxford, whence they did the rest of the journey on their bicycles. The distance travelled was about 96 miles. Bicycling appears t> be popular Avith several young men in Auckland just now. Princes-street can boast of an accomplished rider, while Chapel-street possesses another, and Ponsonby a third. It is said that several machines are on their way out from England, and no doubt a club will be formed here in time. Mr. H. D. Morpeth, P.R. Club, the winner of the sculler's race at the last Ponsonby Regatta, has ordered a new sculling boat from Messrs. Donnelly and Sullivan of Sydney. She will arrive here shortly, and her owner will then go into training as an intending competitor in the amateur sculling race, at the nest Auckland Intercolonial Eegatta.

The Auckland United Cricket Club commenced the season last Saturday with a match between the first eleven and twenty-two Colts. When the stumps were drawn, the score stood at 208 for the loss of eight wickets, and the match will be resumed to -day (Saturday). There was some tall scoring made from the bowling of the boys— W. S. Ivens got 81, Buckiand 33, Testro 26, Lankhom 18. It is not improbable that a twenty-four hours' walking match will be arranged between young Scott, well known here, and Professor Miller, recently referred to in this column as the self-styled champion athlete of the world. Austen, the trainer of the former, has been entrusted with the necessary arrangements for the contest, wliich is expected to take place m Melbourne. Although still very young, Arneil may now be looked upon as one of the best batsmen that Auckland possesses. He made the best score in the match last Saturday, between Colts and first eleven of the West End, viz. 29, and his style of batting wasxxmversally admired. The only other player who succeeded m getting into double figures was Lynch, who brought tip 26 before being disposed of. A Cricket Club A\*as successfully formed at Henderson's Mill, on Saturday last. T. Henderson, Esq. jun., has accepted the honorary presidency. Mr. Win. A Ellis, hon. sec. and treasurer; and Mr. Walter Saville, captain of the team. The season opens on Saturday next, October 23rd, at 1.30 p.m. A suitable piece of ground has been obtained near the racecourse, and within two minutes' walk of the intended station on Kaipara Railway Line. On Saturday, the 9th, the Thames cricketing season commenced. The opening match was eleven versus twenty-two (a scratch team). The wicket was very dead, and the bowling of Lawless and Steadman was fearfully destructive to tho twenty-two, who were all out for 36, a formidable array of " duck-eggs " appearing on the score sheet. The eleven then went to the wickets, and when stumps were drawn had made 52 for the loss of six wickets. A large number of ladies were present. It is singular that such a comparatively small number of our young men should interest themselves in rowing and sailing matters in Auckland. We possess a beautiful and safe harboiu*, and everything favours these healthful and pleasant pursuits, and yet billiards and pastimes of that nature appear to afford greater attraction to our youth thau the manipulation of a scull or the handling of a sheet. The Auckland, Ponsonby, and North Shore Rowing Clubs all desire an infusion of new blood, and we trust that it will be forthcoming. What a pity it is that the Auckland Regatta Committee has not included in the published programme a race for scows or barges, und if it is not now too late, I would certainly advise them to make provision for such a contest without delay. If the course could be kept within the limits of the harbour, the fun of the spectators in witnessing the race would be very considerable. There are now several scows in course of construction, and a number have been built since the last regatta, so that our fleet of these peculiar and unshapely specimens of marine architecture is not altogether an insignificant one. Although the question of sending a representative cricketing team south this season is still being discussed, it is considered doubtf ul whether the necessary cash can be raised, and therefore it is likely that the scheme will be abandoned. The gentlemen who are usually the largest contributors to these enterprising objects have already subscribed towards the erection of a pavilion in the Domain, the building of a yacht to compete at the Melbourne Exhibition, and to other funds. There can, however, be no harm in making a running canvass of the town, in order to see whether the necessary money would be really available. Act sos.