ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 30, 21 February 1891, Page 1

ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

That Auckland bicyclists did not distinguish themselves at the recent Championship Meeting must be admitted. For their shortcomings .some weighty excuses may be pleaded ; and at the same time valuable lessons may be learned ■ from their doughty conquerors— -fas est ab hosts doceri ! Our picturesque undulations, however attractive, they may be to the gaze of the artist or globe-trotter, do not render our dwelling place a cyclist’s paradise. Good tracks and splendid level roads abound in Canterbury, and , to those facilities the undeniable superiority of Messrs. Wilmot, Hayward and Ledsham must . chiefly be attributed. Without half the apparent effort of our men those riders kept going at a cracking pace all the way, and still had in hand . a splendid spurt to use at the finish, or whenever deemed advisable. Hitherto our bicyclists have appeared to be content to traverse the greater , part of the distance at a comparatively moderate pace, hoping to win the race, in the last couple of laps. Christchurch men seem to ride the whole time, and yet have plenty to spare for a spurt. Yet physically they are not better men than ours.. How then do they do it? Mainly, by a superior knack of pedalling acquired on the good tracks and roads which enable them to attain and keep up a high rate of speed. In watching our visitors closely we seem to detect a smooth, even, clinging of the foot to the pedal, which contrasts forcibly with the, laboured style of our riders, who appear to dig and strain at their .work. In the sixties when Oxford for nine years in succession beat i Cambridge over the course from Putney to Mortlake, the superiority of the river Isis over the Cam was advanced as an excuse. The Cam, it was said, was a mere sluggish ditch, and it was impossible to acquire a really good < style of rowing on such water. But .the loss of traditional form was as much to. blame as .the river. The last was dredged, and Morrison, ...Oxford’s famous coach, went to Cambridge to restore the lost art to her despairing rivals, who talked of abandoning the contest. Next year Cambridge won, and for three more years in . succession. Thus the great ’Varsity boat race was saved to delight and excite thousands of spectators, we trust, for as long as England is a nation. Let our Bikes, reading this parable i.rightly, exert themselves to obtain a good track somewhere, and get hold of some really good coach to train them in the right way.

Handicapper,” writing in the Canterbury Weekly Press, discredits Macpherson’s reported time for the 250 yards championship. Comparing E. H. Felling’s 24 4-sth seconds world record with Macpherson’s performance he says: “If one man has run 24 4~sth seconds for 250 yards, it should not be impossible to find another man to run the distance in 24 3-ioth seconds, and that man an Australian, but it is not probable that a man could be found to do it on a slower track” Now this contains the very premises upon which we founded our conclusions in favour of the record last week —the slower track being balanced against the favouring breeze rendered the record both possible and in our opinion admissible. “ Handicapper” misled by the Press Association report, which really referred to Owen’s bad start, makes far more of the supposed beating of the

pistol than the facts warrant. The most reliable time-keepers were in the best position to see not only the smoke of the pistol but also the actual starting of the competitors, and it is hardly possible that three expert watchholders could be deceived to the extent of four of five yards, as “ Handicapper” thinks. Those who were nearest the starter declare that the men went off with and not before the pistol. If anybody beat the pistol it was King. However, the matter will be thoroughly sifted before the record is passed. Macpherson’s time for the 100 yards (which three watches made 9 4~sth sec.), although the winner did not get away well, and the breeze was light and not directly behind, is strongly corroborative of his performance in the 250 yards. When going at full speed a runner like Macpherson, who can so thoroughly stay for 250 yards, might easily gain on level time in the last 150, even though the first hundred had taken the full 10 seconds.

In the match Gordon v. Alpha, commenced last Saturday, a curious point arose. An appeal for a catch at the wickets was made and allowed by the umpire, but everybody, including ihe two batsmen, thought that the decision was “ not out.” Norman Williams, who had then made about 25 runs, continued his innings unchallenged, until he had put together some 54 notches. Then the umpire somehow let the cat out of the bag, and a consultation resulted in Williams retiring to the pavilion. Question ? Was the umpire justified in allowing a batsman to continue his innings after giving him out, solely because the decision was not properly understood ? We think not. It was distinctly the umpire’s duty on being appealed to and giving a decision, to see that such decision was given effect to ; while clearly an umpire unless appealed to has no business to order a batsman out; still, under the general law “ the umpire shall see that play is fair,” he is certainly bound to make his decisions heard, and if he finds that any misapprehension of his meaning interferes with the game in its regular and lawful course, he must undoubtedly put the matter right without delay. In the present case the difficulty is to fairly adjust matters after Williams has batted and made so many runs subsequent to the time when he really should have retired. Of course all those runs off his bat must be deducted, but how about the runs made by his partner during Williams' unlawful use and occupation of the pitch ? How true it is that “ the evil that we do lives after us!”

It seems quite possible that cricket among ladies may yet become as popular in Auckland as in the old country. Recently on a private ground in the suburbs 13 venturesome damsels wielded the willow against 7 gentlemen, batting left-handed with broomsticks. As an additional handicap the men agreed to bowl and field with the left hand only, five runs added to their opponent’s score being the penalty for using the right hand. An interesting and exciting match full of laughable contretemps was the result. Some of the ladies showed wonderful form, one especially proving quite a Spofforth with the ball, fielding her own bowling and stopping some hot ones with courage and skill. In batting three ladies shone conspicuously, and others showed promise, which

only needs practice under judicious coaching to develop into real talent. The ladies eventually won the match by two runs. Their adversaries accused the umpires and scorers of partiality—just like those mean men I Perhaps the most laughable feature of the game was the impudent way in which the broomstick heroes hustled the fair fielders by stealing runs amidst exciting little screams and a confused flutter of peticoats; but the usually wide throw in was invariably just too late. On the other hand one lady hit the ball into a briar bush, and scored six for lost ball ; but shortly afterwards the ball going into the same bush was the cause of a run-out, the fieldsman pretending to be unable to find the ball, and thereby inducing the ladies to try another run. Men were deceivers ever; the cunning scamp whipped up the ball immediately, and a sharp return caused the downfall of a wicket. . We hope soon to hear of a return match.

The proposal to send home, a team of representative athletes from New Zealand appears to he favourably entertained. Provided that our chosen champions can spare time for the trip it should not be impossible to find the necessary sinews of war. If we could despatch men like Hempton, Batger, Hutchinson. Reeves, Burton, McKelvey, White, Wilmot, Hall, Steadman, and Hayward—the best or as many of the best of them as possible—they would not disgrace Maori land. Weight and hammer throwers should be added to this list if sufficiently good performers can be unearthed. Of course it would be a feature of the tour to hit the Championship meeting in England, but independent of that numerous opportunities of meeting the English cracks would occur at the many big athletic gatherings in the old country. ■: Without in the least degenerating into “pot hunters” our men could compete in the various college sports at the Universities —especially at Oxford and Cambridge, where it is the invariable custom to put on the programme a “ stranger’s race,” open to all bona fide amateurs. Such races are always handicaps, and visitors are certain to receive a warm welcome and fair treatment. The personel of a team such as we have indicated would, apart from their prowess on the track, most favourably impress the people of England in respect to the mental and physicial qualities of the young men we are rearing in our sunny clime. They would do more to advertise the country than fifty emigration agents. It is to be hoped that the idea may germinate into something practical, and that no insuperable difficulties may hinder its realization.

The Caulfield stewards have rescinded the resolution disqualifying P. Kelly for six months for using insulting language to an official at the V. A.T.C. meeting on January 24, and in lieu thereof he has to pay a fine of £5O (which will go to the Distressed Jockeys’ Fund), and he has to make an ample apology to the official. Many people think that Kelly ought to have been let off with an apology only. Our opinion is that the sentence was not at all too severe, and it would be for the benefit of racing in general if the stewards of different clubs in New Zealand were a bit stricter, as those connected with some training stables want a check put on them.