OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 31, 16 April 1881, Page 327

OUT DOOR SPORTS

— S. Mahoney took Tom Macky's wicket with the first ball last Saturday. — One ball in each innings was sufficient for Isaac last Saturday. — Wallace and Sinmis both made good catches in the West End and Onehnntja match. — Kilpatrick took live wickets for the Alpha juveniles last Saturday. — The small yacht "Sybil" will be sailed at the Ponsonby Kegatta by Jack Bell. — Lewis made 20, not otit, for the "West End last Saturday. —The Mahoneys took eight West End wickets in the match, between that club and Onehunga. — Onchunga defeated West End on the result of the first innings last Saturday. — The "Imp" will not come down from Russell for the Ponsonby Regatta. — Marshall will sail the "Madge" at the Ponsonby Kegatta, should she compete. — Unless active steps are taken, the Auckland Football Club will fall through this year. — Rowe has a long yarn to tell re the match Civil Service v. Otahuhu last Saturday. — Halstead and Morpeth are both expected to I compete in the sailing race at the Ponsonby Regatta. — The " Sabrina" (Stodart's) will not compete in the large yacht race at the Ponsonby Kegatta. — The Civil Service Club has arranged a match with the West End for next Saturday. — Lankham, jun., assisted the United second eleven in their match against the Alpha juveniles with 35 runs. — Hunt will sail Carr's "On Dit" at the Ponsonby Kegatta. — One of the Sibbins's has bought the " Zip" from Holmes. —Jack White will sail tho " Observer" at the Ponsonby Regatta. — It is very improbable that the " Toy" will compete in the second-class yacht race at the Ponsonby Regatta.

— It is openly asserted that the "Jessie Logan" was afraid to meet the " Toy" at the Ponsophy Begatta. — It is expected that four or five entries will be received for the special sailing race added to the Ponsonby Eegatta programme. —The "Hattie May" and "Sybil" are favourites for the small yacht race at the Ponsonby Regatta. — The Ponsonby Regatta has made an extra sailing race for boats under thirteen feet over all. The first prize is a silver cup, with £1 added. — The handsome cup presented by Mr. W. Stanford will be competed for in the champion scullers' race at the Ponsonby Eegatta. — Whatever has become of the Parnell cricket club ? We have noticed several of its members have played for other clubs and done themselves credit. — Lynch, the captain of the West End Cricket Club, has at present the highest average for Sharland'spresentation bat. — The energetic secretary of the Ponsonby Football Club is already stirring up the members with a. view to retaining the enviable position which they held last season. — The best score for Onehunga in the match with West End was 15, contributed by Donovan. He was rim out just at the time when he was rapidly increasinghis total. — A novel and exciting cricket match will take place in the Domain on Saturday between an Auckland team and a team from the Opera Company — both teams appearing in fancy costume. — The owners of the "On Dit," "Nellie, "Zip," "Imp," "Coy," "Devonport," and " Ottawa" say they will not enter for the third-class open-sailing' boat race if the " Young Colonial" is allowed to compete. — The most numerously contested event at the Ponsonby Eegatta will be the model yacht race. Half the boys of Auckland appear to have constructed miniature ships to compete on the occasion. — The "Madge" and " Observer" are pretty evenly backed for the second-class open-sailing boat race at the Ponsonby Eegatta, but, if anything, the " Madge" is more favoured than her opponent. — Should the tub race at the Ponsonby Eegatta eventuate, it will very probably be the most interesting contest of the day. Last year, it created immense fun. — Captain McKenzie acts as starter at the Ponsonby Eegatta, vice Captain Farquahar, who retired in consequence of a slight difference with the Club officers. —W. Dignan was too much for W. B. Taylor in the sculling match last Monday, and the latter was beaten by two lengths. Taylor's friends attribute his defeat to the heaviness of his boat. — The cricket clubs that had engaged the cricket ground last Saturday, have consented to allow their matches to stand over, thus leaving the ground free for the costume match between Auckland cricketers and members of the Opera Company. — The Ponsonby Rowing Club havingaccepted the definition of an amateur oarsman, it is expected that the Auckland, North Shoi*e, and Ponsonby Bowing Clubs will all be represented in the gig race at the regatta on Monday. — The new twenty feet open-sailing boat which was being built by J Harrison to compete at the Ponsonby Eegatta, has beon purchased by Dr. Wright. She is now being decked over, and consequently it is very improbable that she will be entered for any race. — The owner of the "Toy" says he will not enter his boat for the second-class yacht race unless the "Jessie Logan" competes. The "Toy" has been unbound — her seats having been taken out, and this is supposed to have materially increased her speed. — It is expected that the championship race between Albert White (Auckland) and Heurn, (Wellington) will take place in the harbour of the Empire city. Should White be defeated, he will be allowed £25 for expenses. —The West End Cricket Club lias several times challenged the United Cricket Club to play a return match, but for reasons known only to themselves, the members of the latter refuse. Perhaps the bat in Piobinson's window will explain it. — Hearn, who has accepted the challenge of Albert White to row for £300 and the championship of New Zealand, has the reputation of being an excellent oarsman. It is said that he has competed in leading races in the Australian colonies. ° I —It was reported during the week that Wrigley's open-sailing boat "Terror," which defeated the " Madge" at Tauranga, was coming up to Auckland to compete at the Ponsonby Regatta next Monday, but upon enquiry, T find that there is no foundation for the statement. — It is said that the owners of .sailing boats under twenty feet intend to make up a <fcj. sweepstake race on Easter Monday, instead of competing at the Pousonby Eegatta. The reason for this step is that a very large prize has been offered for the first-class races and a miserably small one for the second-class. — Hanlan and Ross's challenge to row a double scull race with any two men in the world for as much as £1000 a-side, has been accepted in an unexpected quarter. On January 15th, Messrs. M. F. Davis and John A. Kennedy, of Portland, Me., America, sent £200 to the Boston Herald, with an acceptance, in which they propose to row for £600 a-side, and will allow the challengers £100 for the privilege of naming the course This plucky otter will be a surprise to Haitian and mate! and should the race be arranged it will excite considerable interest. Davis and Kennedy are said to form a splendid pair, to be well matched, and to have had lone practice together. —The Ponsonby Regatta Committee willhave only themselves to blame if the race for second-class sailing bon.ts at their aquatic sports on Monday is a complete fiasco. It has always been the custom in Auckland to allot the highest prizes to those races which are the most numerously contested, and in which the greatest amount of interest is takeu. Such a course has not been pursued in the present case. It is well known that for months past professional and amateur builders have been preparing boats to cor^ete in this race, and the outlay in each instance must have been nearly £40. It was anticipated that the entries would have exceeded fifteen, and I could count on my fingers fully that number who intended to compete. Amongst these were the "Madge," "Imp," "Observer," "Eunice" and a number of others. Some of them had gone to the expense of ordering new sails, and they bad been prepared for the contest at considerable cost to their owners. And mark the encouragement which, the Committee otters. The first prize announced to be given is £6 and the second, £2. If the club had been short of fund's or other races had been of more importance, then I could have understood it. But no one will attempt to deny that the second-class race was expected to be the best contested one, and that in which the general public took more interest, and it is apparent that the club was not short of funds from the fact the first prize for the large open-sailing boat race consists of a silver cup a silk flag, and £5 in money ; and the second prize, £,'6 Now the secretary and committee know just as well as I do that they cannot by any possibility get more than five entries tor this race, and I am almost certain that the competitors will be confined to Yates's " Shrimp" and Jones's "Magic." And so this is what the Ponsonby people call fair. Two boats compete for prizes valued at fully £15, and about fifteen boats arc ottered a sop of £8 The boat owners themselves are thoroughly disgusted and it is -very probable that not a single entry will be sent in. A sweepstake is proposed, and unless the committee increases the prize and extends the time for receiving entries, I feel certain the race will be a complete failure. '