CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 334, 17 December 1896, Page 8

CANTERBURY.

Swimming and amateurs — Big scoring in cricket matches —The Christchurch cycling meeting —A New Zealand Cycling League—Riccarton notes—Betting on Auckland events —Stead’s team for Auckland—Tinwald Racing Club’s entries-

Christchurch, December 15. The adjourned annual meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, the head-quarters of which have been transferred from Auckland to Christchurch, will be held at Christchurch on Monday next. The question of allowing members of cash cycling clubs to become members of amateur swimming clubs will be considered, and as might be expected, is causing considerable interest among swimming, cycling, and athletic men in various parts of the colony. Personally, lam in favour of each sport having its own definition of an amateur, and I hope to see the Swimming Association alter its rule so as to allow cash men in other branches of sports to become amateur swimmers if they wish. Mr R. W. St. Clair, of Auckland, Sir Robert Stout and Dr. Chappel, of Wellington, have been nominated for the office of president. Playing for the Midland Eleven against an United Thirteen in the Senior Cup competion on Saturday last, H. De Maus (Midland) scored 110, not out. This is the first century scored in Senior Cup matches this season. De Maus was missed twice when he had made 25, but afterwards played brilliantly. A. E. Ridley (Dancaster Park) scored 68 against the United Eleven, and Pavitt, of Lancaster Park Thirteen, scored 97 against the Sydenham Thirteen. The weather was beautiful for cricket. In the President’s Cup matches Ayrey scored 110 for Lancaster Park against Sydenham. Goodman scored 101 for the High School against Sydenham. Cycling is fairly booming at Christchurch just now, and machine makers find a great difficulty in building bicycles fast enough to meet the increasing demand, and racing machines cannot be bought from leading Christchurch firms. Some men will have to race on their last season’s mounts. All the best cash riders in New Zealand are here for the Christchurch Cycling Club’s annual meeting, which will be over before your journal is printed. Mr B. Norden and A. Campbell, of the Auckland Club, arrived on Monday. The former is hard at work trying to get the best men to visit Auckland in February next for the Cash Club’s meeting. The Auckland Club, which, by the way, is one of the strongest, financially, in the colony, may depend upon seeing the Christchurch riders at the next race meeting. Visiting riders to the Wellington Club’s meeting, held on the Exhibition Grounds on Saturday last, do not speak in very flattering terms of the treatment they received. The Wellington meeting was, they say, badly managed, and apparently got up for the benefit of Wellington riders. Seeing that the Wellington riders won most of the prizes off limit marks the visitors have, I think, good grounds for complaint. Most of the delegates of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, for such is going to be the new name of the Cyclists’ Union’s controlling body of cash cyclists in New Zealand, are in favour of allotting the championships for 189697 to the Auckland Club. Matters have been very quiet at Riccarton during the week. The horses engaged at the Christchurch Racing Club’s meeting to-morrow have been doing good work. St. Paul remains favourite for the Auckland Cup at 3 to 1, Mahaki 5 to 1, Epaulet 6 to 1, Fabulist and Day Star 8 to 1. Stead’s team left for Auckland by Saturday’s boat, and should reach Ellerslie on Thursday. Uniform, Epaulet, and Gold Medallist are all in good heart, and should run well in their engagements. Clarence and Taipari have gone over to the West Coast for the Boxing Day and New Year meetings. Quiltiri and Belligerent will go north at Christmas. Quiltiri, with Bst 41b, is nicely weighted in the North Canterbury Cup. Belligerent reads well in the Telegraph Stakes at 7st 81b and Grandstand Handicap at 7st 21b. The Tinwald Racing Club has received fairly good nominations for its meeting on January 2. The names of the horses entered for the Tinwald Cup are Skirmisher, Chaos, Marquis of Zetland, Maximus, Grand Cross, Warrington, and Nicholas.