Untitled

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 948, 27 February 1897, Page 5

By 'Habbieb.'

COMING EVENTS.

Feb. 37— West End Trial Fours, St. Helier's Bay.

March 13 — Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club's Autumn Carnival, Domain Cricket Ground. March 17— H.A.C.8. Society's Gala and Sports.

March 17— Cambridge Athletic Club's Meeting. March 17— Ngaruawahia Regatta.

CRICKET FIXTURES. BENIOBS. March 6— Auckland v. United, Gordon v. Parnell.

FIBBT JUNIOBS

March 6— Gordon v. Licensed Victuallers, North Shore v. Onehunga, Belmont v. Parnell, Auckland v. Pitt street Mutual, Newton v. United.

SECOND JTJNIOBB,

March 6 — St. Albans v. Belmont, Ponsonby v. North Shoie (B), Auckland v. North Bhore (A), Gordon v. Surrey, Parnell v. Grammar School, United v. Clarence.

Last Saturday proved by no means a pleasant day for cricket, there being a high wind blowing and a very bad light all the afternoon. Fortunately the rain held off until about a quarter of an hour before time, when it set in in earnest. The wickets were in good order, but the grass was very long, owing to an accident to the mower, and this militated greatly against the scoring. Theie was a smaller attendance of the public than usual, owing, no doubt, to the threatening look of the weather. Of the Senior contests most interest was taken in the Parnell-United match. The former, with 5 wickets down for 23, continued their first innings, but were soon dismissed for 63, batting one man short. Stemson secured the four remaining wickets. United started their Becond innings badly, Cuff and Labatt being both out to Mills, with only 11 runs scored. D. Hay and Stemson, however, made a fine stand, and the score reached 80 before the latter retired. The innings closed just on the call of time for 200, United batting one short in each innings. United being 83 ahead on the first innings, this leaves Parnell with 284 wanted to win. The Auckland- Gordon match resulted in an easy win for the former by an innings and 38 runs. Gordon scored 110 in their first and 94 in their second innings. Though handicapped by the absence of Pabat, they should have done better than this. The batsmen all round, however, showed signs of want of practice, which is not to be wondered at, considering the long interval since cricket was last played, no less than four weeks having elapsed.

Holle secured 3 wickets for 15, D. Hay and Stemson, the two highest scoiers, both falling to him. Lawson. was top scorer for Parnell with 17. Holle (12) was the only double figure, Woods being not out with 9. St. Paul was unsuccessful in Gordon's first innings, but in the qecond he did one of the best bowling feats of the season by securing four wickets for 2 runs. E. J. Cotterill, who has been out of luck all the season, had a turn on Saturday. In Gordon's first innings he was not out with 12, and in the second he was top scorer with a very useful 27. I. Mills - was the most successful bowler for Parnell, with 4 wickets for 79 runs. Ike claimed to be entitled to 6 wickets because both Cuff and Labatt were l.b.w. and bowled at the same time. C. Kissling was the highest scorer in Gordon's first innings, with a well hit innings of 44. He showed himself especially partial to St. Paul's bowling, and laid the wood on with great vigour. He has improved wonderfully aB a batsman of late. Stemson was in his very best form on Saturday. He captured 7 Parnell wickets for 36 runs in their innings, and on going in to bat he scored 45 by some of the beat hitting seen on the Domain this season. Off one over of Mills's, he made no less than 18.

Warren, the ex- Wellington rep. cricketer, has cast in his lot with the North Shore Club. Ball, as usual, batted vary steadily for Gordon, getting 51 in the first innings, and 15 in the second. - Clayton was Auckland's most successful bowler in Gordon's first innings, with five wickets for 37. Substitute Joe Walker had an enthnsiastic crowd of Newton barrackers to applaud his efforts in the field. A. Brown again showed that he relishes the Parnell bowling, and he was left not out with a capital innings of 21. An invitation to send an Association Football team to New Zealand has been declined by the English Association. Bell (North Shore) played really excellent cricket for his quoted 49, and was very unfortunate in being run out by Webster when within one run of the halfcentury. Molle was given out caught off Stem - son, and later on the latter was dismissed in the same manner off Holle. Each batsman was emphatically of opinion that he was not out. The Handicap Steeplechase to be contested at the Auckland A. A. and C. Club's Autumn Carnival is open to all amateur members of local cricket or football clubs whether members of the A.A.C. Club or not. P. O. Kane the well-known secretary of the City Football Club, has accepted a similar position in connection with the H. A. C. B Society's Sports, to be held on St. Patrick's Day. Capable management is thus assured. The committee of the Ngaruawahia Bowing Club has selected the following to represent the club against the West End on the 17th March :— J. Marshall (stroke), E. Eathbone (3), J. Brown (2), W. Collins (1). West End will row in a Ngaruawahia boat, and a very close race should result. The programme for the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club's Autumn Carnival to be held on March 13th appears elsewhere in this issue. Entrieß for all events close on Saturday, 17th inst., at the Metropolitan Hotel, between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m. Parnell 11. were weakly represented against Licensed Victuallers last Saturday, and after disposing of their opponents for 91 runs (Ford 44) made an exceedingly sick exhibition with the bat, being all disposed of for 18 runs. Brierley took 6of their wickets for 5 runs, and Todd 2 for 7. Thus ' Velox ' in the New Zealand Referee : — ' A well-known Wellington resident, in Auckland on a visit, wished to back Fred Hunt, of Rangitikei, against E. Reynolds, of Auckland, for £100. Reynolds, it is said, was not willing to forfeit his amateur status for the amount, but was prepared to race for £500 aside.' The Five Mile Cycle Handicap for the valuable Enfield Challenge Cnp should be one of the most interesting events at the Amatuer A. and C. Club's sports on 13th March. Last year E. Reynolds was the winner, and should he succeed in getting home first thiß year, the Cup will become his absolute property. In the event of the Ngaruawahia Regatta proving the success which is confidently anticipated, the committee intend to increase the prizes in the Senior and the Junior Gig Races to £7 and £6 respectively. The prize money, as advertised, is already guaranteed. The time for receiving entries, for pedestrian events to be contested at the MU. Oddfellows' Premier Picnic, on March 6th, has . been extended to this (Thursday) evening at the Cook-street Hall, from 7 to 9 o'clock. Jflntrieß for bicyle races close to-morrow (Friday), with Mr Stewart, at Ellisdon's, Queen-street. It has been generally held this season that the North Shore C. C. were a one-horse team, who owed all their successes to Geo. Mills. Their performance when, without his services on Saturday, in Bcoring 176 againßt Newton, must however, go far towards dispelling this illusion, 1 Dug.' Hay made the ' lion's ' share of the runs for United. Going in first, he was out at the eighth wicket, with the total at 190, and his own score 92. This is the highest score he has made in senior cricket, and it was very bad luck not to get the century. Had the grass not been long . he would certainly have been well over the coveted three figures. He was out l.b.w. in each innings. His Maori Majesty, King Mahutu, is taking a lively interest in the Ngarawahia Regatta, and is summoning all his people to be present on that occasion. There should be a muster of considerably over a thousand natives, and the dances with which they are to greet the arrival of the excursion train from town should be worth going a long way to witness.

J. W. Pollock, of Wellington, has been reinstated as an amateur by the N.Z. A.A.A. It is, I understand, practically decided that a New Zealand football team will visit New South Wales during the coming football season. Mr John Marshall, president of the Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club, will present the prize for the 440 yds handicap at the forthcoming meeting. After a lengthy absence from the running track, 'Wally' Winks has again gone into training with a view to the distance event at the Amateur meeting in March. Lesna, the French cyclist, at Melbourne recently lowered the five-mile Australian record from lOmin 25aec to lOmin 13|sec, and the record for ten miles from 21miri 35aec to 20min 44sec. A number of Napier and Taranaki athletes are expected to compete at the Amateur Club's sports on March 13fch. It is moreover quite on the cards that A. H. Holder will also be a competitor. The H.A.0.8. Society's programme of sports for the gala to be held on St. Patrick's Day' is well worthy the attention of both amateur and professional athletes, Entries close on Saturday, 6th Marcb. Following up their policy of encouragement to schoolboys, the focal Amateur Athletic and Cycle Clubs have placed a one mile cycle handicap for pupils of primary and secondary schools upon the programme for their Autumn Carnival. The West End Kowing Club's regatta takes place to-day (Saturday) at St. Heliers Bay, and judging by expectations, a capital day's sport may be looked for. 'Eighty-eight men have signified their intention of competing. This means twenty-two crews, and the committee will use four gigs in a heat, which will certainly tend to make the contest very interesting. The committee have been granted the use of a gasoline launch by Mr Henderson for starter's boat, and the flag will be wielded by Mr. W. Edwards, the deputy captain. Professor Carrollo will act as judge, if his engagements will permit. The Newton Band will attend, and as tickets are going off rapidly there should be a large attendance. The final outing of the season will take place at Lake Takapuna on Easter Saturday afternoon. It is reported that the ladies of Ponsonby intend presenting a set of prizes for competition, as a slight recognition of the open-handed generosity of the Club for the past two seasons, and it is proposed that the affair shall take place next month. Well done, West End 1 and if the weather proves propitious, doubtless the popularity of the Club will be further enhanced.