OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 11, 27 November 1880, Page 91

OUT DOOR SPORTS

The cricket ball was thrown 75 yards at the Grammar School sports on Wednesday. The open sailing boat " Toy " is to be decked over. .

A good bit of the money lost over Trickett, haß been got back by Laycock.

Lyons "peppered" Ross properly. He is generally right.

Bowling and bicycling appear to be very popular at fiunedin this season.

The Otahuhu Cricket Club defeated an Auckland C.C. eleven very easily last Saturday.

The newly-formed Civil Service Cricket Club, played its first match against the Eden Club last Saturday, when it was beaten rather easily.

The cricket match last Saturday, between second eleven West End and Whau Union, was won by the former.

Mr. Geo. Cozens has become possessed of an outrigger racing boat. This is a fresh acquisition to the St. George's Bay fleet.

The Grammar School sports on "Wednesday were very successful. The attendance was good, and the prizes exceeded £50 in value.

A match will be played on Saturday next between the Helensville and the Henderson's Mill Cricket Clubs on the cricket ground at Henderson's Mill. Wickets pitched at 1 p.m.

The news of Laycock's victory at the Hop Bitters contest, was received in Auckland with considerable satisfaction.

■ . There were a great many sailing boats out last Sunday. The large open boat " Mabel " passed anything like her size that she tried conclusions with.' The " Toy " was away on a cruise.

At the cricket match between Otahuhu and Auckland last Saturday, W. Porch for the former bowled 58 balls for 23 runs and eight wickets; A. Beale for Auckland took eight wickets in 180 balls, the number of runs being 24.

The walking contests at the Grammar School sports on Wednesday were inferior to those at the sports last year, the time being longer. It will be remembered that on the last occasion young Holdship acquitted himself very well in the walking match.

The smart little six-ton yacht "Mary," has changed hands this week, having been purchased by Messrs. H. and H. Walker, Reynolds, and E. Keals. They may congratulate themselves on having as staunch little craft as there is in the harbour.

Stephenson's open sailing boat " lmp," which was built recently by C. Bailey, is, I understand, to be brought down from Russell, in order to be got in readiness for the approaching Auckland Regatta. She will be sailod in the sweepstakes' race next Saturday by "Warbrick, and he will also have charge of her on the Eegatta day.

The members of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club, have beon in regular training during the past fortnight, and the various events at their sports are expected to be well contested. The club must be congratulated upon the numerous entries, which may be taken as an indication that the present season will be an unusually successful one.

Fred Grace, says a London contemporary, was, as it were, to the manner born. Before he was ten years old he knocked down over a dozen wickets on Durdham Down with as clean bowling as any one could wish to see. Strange and terribly easy are the exits of this life, and a damp bed has killed one whose life was full of the brightest promise.

The English rowing men never thought Hosmer would beat Laycock. An extract from the •• Sportsman" of October Bth., wired to the New York '* Herald," says :— " Hosmer has arrived at Barnes with his chief supporter, W. McManus, of Boston. He is apparently a poor match for Laycock. He is suffering from a cold."

Messrs. Halstead and Warbnck have arranged an open sailing boat sweepstakes race for £2 a side, to take place in the harbour on Saturday next. Eight boats have entered, and others are expected to do bo during next week. It is hoped by this means that a new vigour and interest will be infused into boat racing in Auckland, and that Saturday afternoon contests will become an institution.

Local cricketers are in a state of eager expectancy, in reference to the proposed visit of the Australian cricketing team to Auckland. The New Zealand tour is now looked upon as a certainty, and it is therefore to be hoped that a meeting will be held at once for the selection of a suitable team. In this connection, I might be allowed to suggest that arrangements might be made by which our representatives could get to work as early as posible.

The Australian eleven are expected in Melbourne about December 1. From letters received, it appears that at the end of thoir tour the team were completely knocked up, having travelled 1700 miles in tea days to play matches. The batting averages for the tour have been made up, and compare most favourably with those of the first eleven. Murdoch and M'Donald have both made more than 1000 runs, with averages of 22 and 21 respectively, and eleven out of the thirteen have achieved double figure averages.

The following cricketers are in regular practice at Christchurch for the match with the Australian team :— Messrs. D. Ashby, H. J. Beswick, W. Beard, C. C. Corfe, E. J. Cotterill, E. Fowler J Fowler, J. (Fowke, C. Frith, W. Frith, E. T. A. Fuller' M. J. Godby, J. Hartland, W. E. Leach, W. Leach, H W. Moore, A. M. Ollivier, E. J. Boss, W. P. Keoves, H H. Seoretan, E. C. J. Stevens, G. Watson, J. Wheatley, A. White, and F: Wilding. Many of the above names are well known to Auckland players.

The Auckland Yacht Club has, I am glad to see, awakened from its lengthy period of inactivity and dormancy. New officers have been elected, fresh yachts enrolled, and everything tends to the belief that the season will be one of prosperity for the club. Now, that these preliminary steps have been taken, it would not be out of place that arrangements should be made for afternoon regattas during the season. Small prizes might be offered, and these would be nearly if not altogether covered by the entrance fees. The proposal merits at least a trial.

Funny bit of dialogue overheard in the Lord's Pavilion, at the last Australio-Anglican match. — Tall, swarthy colonist is slowly walking to the wickets. As is the wont of the batsman, he has stuck his black-fingered gloves in his belt, and the odd India-rubber fingers dangle and wobble outside the white flannel, after a very quaint fashion. Golden-haired little girl, who has evidently been recently studying the natural history of Polynesia, to her mother : "Oh look, mamma ! he's got a little cricketer in his pouch ! " Poor Ethel had evidently mixed up Murdoch and his native marsupials.—

Apropos of the great match between England and Australia, the "Sporting Times" says: — "The fielding of the Australians was nothing short of marvellous. Whilst the Hon. A Lyttelton was at the wickets he hit a boll very hard to mid-on, and started to run. He" had just time to get bock 'ere his middle stump waa broken in two by a well-directed shot from Bannerman (some sixty yards away), whose fielding and return of the ball would have put greased lightning to shame. The wicket-keeping of Blackham, too, was unapproachable.- Notning like it has ever been seen in this country. He actually caught Mr. Lucas at the wicket off a leg hit,"

It is probable that representations will be made to the Auckland Regatta Club with the view of inducing them to alter rule 29, which provides for the dimensions of boats in the second class open-sailing boat race. The beam must not exceed six feet, and it is well known that the " Ponsonby," " Maggie May," " Comet," and "Alert" are several inches over the prescribed width. As the rule stands at present all these boats, which are well known, must be excluded. If it is not considered advisable to alter the rule, perhaps the boats will be allowed to compete with a handicap for extra width. In order that subsequent disappointment may be averted, the boat owners should communicate with the Eegatta Committee as soon as possible.

A gentleman considered to be a good authority on yachting matters, and who has lately come over here from Melbourne, speaks very highly of the Tanewha, when comparing her with the 40-ton yacht^Janet, built at Melbourne for the Hon. W. Clarke. Both vessels compete in the same race, and our informant expresses his belief that the Auckland boat will not have much difficulty in defeating her opponent. The Janet is planked with blue gum, and this he considers is sufficient to spoil her chance in the race. Blue gum, it is well known, binds up very tightly, and the boat will therefore not " give "at all. In this respect the Tanewha has a great advantage, and the fact that no cabin fittings have been made will still further conduce towards the desired end, of not having her bound up too tightly.

A new system of fishing with a line has, says a home paper, been invented by a German. This invention, which was exhibited at the Berlin Fishery Exhibition, excited considerable curiosity; it consists of a small skill, which can be directed without noise to any point in the water by means of a wheel apparatus worked, by a magnet. When the boat has arrived at the required place it anchors itself, whilst the line, with the hook attached, drops into the water. The little skiff contains a battery and an electro-magnet, which are so arranged that the slightest bite made by the fish closes the circuit. Immediately, with the rapidity of lightening, by means of an electro-magnet, the line, hook, and fish are jerked up, and a small bell warns the fisherman that the fish is caught.

I learn that the Ponsonby Rowing Club are about to lose the services of their captain, Mr. W. W. Gudgeon, who is expected shortly to leave Auckland for Grahamstown. Mr. Gudgeon has been a most energetic member of the Club, and was one of the promoters of that institution. The members will miss him greatly, for besides being a hard working member who always had the welfare of the Club at heart, he was a good oarsman and ever ready to take his share in any undertaking that required time, trouble, or personal inconvenience to himself. The genial and hearty face of the captain and his dog "Mac" will be sorely missed during the forthcoming season, and I am sure all the members will wish him and his family health and prosperity in the new sphere to which his duties call him. The Club would be well off were there many more like him in it.

" Pendragon," of the "Referee" thinks the Australians were a little tired at the time of their great match with All England. He says: The Australians worked in the field with a will and a unanimity little less than wonderful. Still, with all their discipline and energy, they were undeniably stale, and, after an hour or two, gave more than one evidence of weariness if not of demoralisation. All who like to see a case tried solely upon its merits, without favour to the one side or hindrance to the other, must, in the midst of their joy at the English team's success, regret that the chance was not more even at the commencement. I do, if only because of the certainty in my own mind that our eleven were quite good enough to stand or fall by, and because, also, it is better in an engagement where honour is the only guerdon to be beaten after a hard fight by a firstclass enemy than to beat one who can afterwards say he was not in a fit condition for the contest.

The Annual Meeting of the Auckland Yacht Club was held on Monday the 18th, at the Club Boom, Waitemata Hotel. There was a full attendance and the following gentlemen were elected as officers for the ensuing year: — Commodore, G. S. Kissling Esq.; Vice Commodore, Street, Esq.; Treasurer, J. Stodart Esq.; Secretary, E. J. Ellis ; Auditors, Messrs. T. Henderson and James Graham; Measurers, Messrs. J. Wayinouth and Thomas Niccol; Committee, Messrs. J. Marshall, K. E. Isaacs, D. Oxley, H. F. Anderson, and W. Buchanan. The meeting then adjourned till Monday last, the" 22nd. It was decided that the opening of the Club take place on Tuesday, 30th November, when the yachts will go through a little manoeuvring up and down the harbour. As far as we can learn the following yachts will take part in the opening: — "Daphne," Kissling ; " Winona," Street ; " Sabrina," Stodart ; "Gleam," Isaacs; "Glance," Featherstone ; "Jessie Logan," Ansenne; "M'Liss.," Haultain; "Mary," Walker; " Lala," Buchanan ; " Toy," Bindon, and a few others. I learn the new yacht " Tanewha," has been registered in the Club books, and goes to Melbourne under the Club's flag. A great number of our leading citizens having become members, I hope soon to see some first class yachts competing at our regattas. ACTffiON.