CYCLE RACING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 368, 9 March 1932, Page 11

CYCLE RACING.

Close Finishes at Evening Meeting.

Novice and cash cyclists competed in several races at English Park yester3ay, when the series of evening meetings conducted by the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic, Cycling and Axemen's Union was continued. The fields in the cash sweepstake races were large, but there were

several scratchings in the novice events. The times recorded were fast, and the finishes were close. C. M’A lister show-

ed great improvement by defeating H. Hobson for the second time in the elimination series of quarter-mile novice scratch races. The races resulted as follow:

HALF-MILE NOVICE HANDICAP— First heat: W. Guy (29yds) 3, B. Crew (45yds) 2, W. Miller (85yds) 3. Time—--63 4-ssec. Second heat: G. Goodge (45yds) 1, S. North (50yds) 2, E. Fergussor (85yds) 3. Time—64 l-ssec. Third heat: L. Farrant (90yds) 1, H. Hobson (scr) 2, P. Noonan (10yds) 3. Time—6ssec. Final: Goodge 1, Miller 2, Farrant 3. Farrant and Fergusson led from the start, and had a of thirty yards at the bell lap. Goodge took the lead at 200 yards to go, and won by two yards. Time—63 3-ssec.

ONE MILE NOVICE HANDICAP—C. M’Alister (scr) 1, S. North (80yds) 2, H. Hobson (scr) 3. Miller took the lead, followed by Goodge and Crew. The field bunched with a lap and a half to go. A close finish. Time —2min 19 l-ssec.

NOVICE MATCH RACE, quarter-mile, H. Hobson v. C. M’Aiister—M’Alister 1. M’Alister went to the front at once. Although Hobson made desperate efforts to draw level, he was unable to do so. Won by four yards. Time—3ssec.

QUARTER-MILE SCRATCH RACE, novice riders—W. Guy 1, FI. Hobson 2. Guy led throughout and won by two yards. Time—3s 4-ssec.

QUARTER-MILE CASH SWEEP— First heat: A. C. Ritchie (scr) 1, H. A. Jones (25yds) 2, H. J. Crofts (15yds) 3. Time—3l 3-ssec. Second heat: E. A. Frandsen (10yds) 1, C. Bright (23yds) and W. Good (36yds) equal 2. Time—31sec. Third heat: W. W. Crofts (25yds) 1, L. M. Hartigan (45yds) and W. F. Wilcockson (30yds) 3. Time—--30 2-ssec. Fourth heat: I. J. Lester (25yds) 1, A. R. Hawke (27yds) 2, W. K. Weir (22yds) 3. Time—3l 4-ssec. Final: W. W. Crofts 1, Lester 2, Frandsen 3. A splendid race. The field rode flat out to bunch in the last twenty yards. Inches separated the placed men. Time—3lsec.

HALF-MILE CASH SWEEP—First heat: W. Good (75yds) 1, A. R. Hawke (70yds) 2, T. M. Lohrey (65yds) and A. Mugf.ord (80yds) equal 3. Time—63sec. Secotfd heat: T. D. Griffiths (65yds) 1, H. J. Crofts (30yds) 2, W. W. Crofts (65yds) 3. Time—62sec. Third heat: H. A. Jones (50yds) 1, I. J. Lester (45yds) 2, E. A. M’Kaskell (30yds) 3. Time—64sec. Final: Jones 1, H. J. Crofts 2, Hawke 3. Good . and Hawke led for the first quarter, and the field bunched with a lap to go, Griffiths being in front. Jones went to the front in the straight to win by a length. Time —63 l-ssec. MAIREHAU CLUB. The Management Committee of the Mairehau Sports Club met last evening, Mr E. A. M’Kaskell presiding. Mr A. R. Mutton reported that he had received several donations of cash and trophies for the twenty-five miles Australasian cycling championship, to be held at English Park on March. 19. Prize money to the value of £l9 10s was allotted to the event. A supporting programme, consisting of cash and novice handicaps and fiat races, was drawn up. Mr W. J. Walter was appointed referee. I Suburban Cricket. After a spell of a fortnight, the Suburban Association competitions were continued on Saturday in light rain. Only two of the senior A games were played, as the wicket at Sydenham Park was considered unplayable. a »*# N. Stokes added to his long list of good scores by hitting up 71 for Beckenham against Sunnyside. Opening with Clarkson, Stokes played a chanceless innings until the score reached 15 for four wickets, when he lost sight of a good-length, straight ball from Watson and was clean bowled. Stokes has scored 489 runs this season in. ten innings, and has an average of 48.

R. Sherriffs played a good knock for 37, and lcoked like staying in for ever, but skied one to Gordon.

L. Watson, who is generally considered only a change bowler, secured the best figures for Sunnyside. He bowled eight overs with scarcely one loose ball, and his deceptive flight got the batsmen in trouble. Sunnyside had the worst of the light when they commenced their innings, and Chinnery and Thompson were content to keep their wickets intact.

The "wicket at Richmond Park did not seem to be as badly affected as some of the other grounds. Play did not begin in the Shirley-St Albans match until 2.59 p.m., by which time the pitch was fairly easy, favouring the batsmen, if anything. L. Kirk and F. Agassiz played the St Albans bowling with confidence, and it was not until they had made 54 that a separation was effected. Agassiz being caught by a substitute fieldsman, off Ebert, when his score was 28. E. Taylor was the newcomer, and he soon showed his worth by the free manner in which he attacked the bowling. Many balls stopped short of the boundary, owing to the outfield being slow. Kirk and Taylor’s bright partnership of 98 runs for the second wicket was brought to an end Kirk = caught by Ebert off Dibden Kirk s score of 84 included twelve fours. ECummings did not get properly started before he edged one from Pickup to the wicket-keeper. Greenwood, who w a playing a good itame A. Davis then was associated with Taylor in another prolific partnership, adding 90 for the fourth wicket and carrying the score to 249. Davis made a useful 32. Mitchell and Taylor held the fort until stumps with the score at 272 for four wickets. Tavlor was unbeaten with 108 to his credit and gave a delightfully free exhibition of batting. This was his second century this season. The St Albans bowlers received little assistance from the wicket, and did not present any great difficulty. The *f mr wickets fell to four different bowleis.