LOOKING BACKWARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 49, 15 February 1944, Page 3

LOOKING BACKWARD

SPORT IN THE PAST

MR F. BURT'S REMINISCENCES

Some interesting reminiscences dealing with sport can be found 1 , if one cares to dip into the past, in old press clippings of battles fought on the field of sport ; of champions and heroes, admired and worshipped by a crowd of fans of days gone by ever ready to sing their praises. The following extracts' were "taken from a book of clippings dating frtom as earlly as 1880,j handed to us by a well known resident of Matata, Mr Fred Burt. For over forty years, Mr Burt took a leading and active plart in the field of siport captaining many cricket and football teams which left Matata to play in other towns. The whole record speaks of past sporting events about which clings the excitement of a past age, when athletics assumed a greater prominence in the unhurried routine of the pre-war Victorian and Edwardian days. There is something clean and wholesome about its flavour and something enthusiastic about the manner of its presentation, that makes the modern reader feel that 1944 despite its progress and achievements is missing badly in the simpler and healthier forms of recreation and community gatherings. Fifty-year-old Rugby j On glancing through the. pages we find that on August. 15, 1892. the Tauranga representatives played Auckland at Potter's Paddock, Auckland. Auckland took the lead early in the game, and, although Tauranga fought a long hard battle, the score board at the end ol' the game showed 21-12 in Auckland's favour. Another clipping deals witli tin. match between Rotorua and. the Waikato, played at Hamilton, in 1897 in which Mr Burt played wing three-quarter for Rotorua. Owing to the heavy rain during the preceding days the field was anklo deep in mud but Rotorua playing a fast hard game, defeated Waikato by 8 points to 3. The next match played by Rotorua was against Waipa., and- Mr Burt again played an excellent game the final score being 14 to 5 in Rotorua's favour. Some days later, a press clipping appeared dealing with records in potting goals and Mr Burt's name was put up as having kicked five goals in a cup match against Tauranga. Tauranga v Whitianga Another match of note was played at Tauranga on' August 25, 1895, when Tauranga defeated Whitianga by 12 points to G after a long hard game. Whitianga Avon the toss and play, commenced with both wind and sun in their favour. Taking the initiative Whitianga made a rush down field and were granted a free kick right ii} ront of their opponents goal. This gave them a lead of three which, however, they failed to increass. Tauranga evened up- the score, with a try and added a further two points' by converting. Almost as soon as play was re-rumec Tauranga scored, again bringing their score up to 8. In the seconc spell Whitianga scored another try

but Tauranga made their victory certain with a successful pot at goal. A match between Rotorua and Piako in 1900 attracted several hundred spectators and although at the end of the first spell Rotorua was leading by 8 points. Piako all but defeated them in the second half. Battle of the Giants The annual match between Tauranga and Mercury Bay was one of the main games of the season and never failed to draw large crowds of football fans. I The one in 1892 was no exception. Mercury Bay won the toss and elected. to play the first sip ell with the ■wind and sun in their favour. Despite this advantage however, by half-time they were no further ahead of their opponents neither .side having "scored. During the'second half Tauranga took the offensive and led a number of rushes into Mercury's Bay quarter. Having held their opponents at bay with the wind and sun both against them, they were now confident of scoring. Their confidence was not misplaced, for by the end of the game Taurange had the lead by 8 points ■whilst Mercury Bay had failed to score. Bay Defeats Auckland A match played at Tauranga about fifty years ago also aroused great enthusiasm. This game was a hard fought duel between the Tauranga team which was really a Bay rep.

team as it included selections from Katikati, Rotorua, Tauranga, Matata, Opotiki and Whakatane, and a Rep. team from Auckland. The Press write-up of the match says: "The game was played in two fortyfives and the utmost good feeling prevailed throughout. When the opposing teams walked out from the pavilion they were lustily cheered and alter the usual form of welcome commenced play." The play is described as having been "fairly clean"—the only trouble being that Auckland kept handling the. ball in the scrum at every opportunity. The final score to this match was Tauranga five, Auckland four. The Return Match Another match played at Potter's Paddock between Auckland and Tauranga resulted once again in a win for Auckland. Three thousand spectators were present, and the day was beautifully line with a light breeze blowing. First blood was scored for Auckland with a try five minutes after the start of. the game but this was not converted. This brought Auckland's score to 2 (only two points for a try in those days). Ln the fight for possession after the kick off, Mr Burt received a kick in the head which stunned him and when he fell, also dislocacted his arm. He did not retire from play but instead had some "bush" surgery performed on him though as the, press clipping says: ''Fred was not the same after." In the. first half Tauranga did not. score at all whilst | Auckland only made seven. In the second half, Tauranga forced the play but Auckland soon took the offensive and carried the game to Tauranga's 25. Auckland scored again so Tauranga altered their tactics and tried dribbling rustics. However the defending backs were too clever and Auckland piled up points till the score stood at Auckland 11, Tauranga nil. Tauranga now started, playing with great determination and points were gradually gained till their score stood at 12. However, Auckland had not gone to sleep on the job cither and although Tauranga gained a lot, Auckland's points had jumped to 21. A few minutes later another try went to Auckland bringing their score to 23 while the end of the game saw the. final score as Auckland 28, Tauranga 12. The paper makes, a final comment to the effect that there could be no doubt about, the best team winning. "The Auckland team," it said, "was superior in combination, their forwards in cleverness .their backs in passing and picking ui!>." It also says: "Although the referccing was the best and most satisfactory we have ever seen, and the spectators were most lavish with their well wishes for the Taurangaites, the game was a poor exhibition of Rugby." A game had to be good to come up to standard in those days. On the Cricket Pitch Cricket also held the same fascination that it does to-day, as is evidenced by the account of a match between Matata and Opotiki, played in 1890. The account starts at the most importanat part. lit says: 4< Ori Friday afternoon the cricket teair from Matata arode into town anc

I created quite a stir in the Opotiki r Hotel." On the Saturday morning j the entire town turned, out to watch the visitors practice and at 10.30 a.m. the rival teams were on the ground. Most of Opotiki stayed to watch the game and incidentally their own side win the match in the first innings with 56 runs to spare. The scores were not high, J. Reid being the top scorer with 13 to his credit. In the first innings Opotiki made 56 while Matata barely scraped 40, while in the second innings, Opotiki knocked up 40, Matata's second innings, showing but 34. Another exciting match was played in 1893, when Matata defeated Whakatane after a hectic match. The paper informs us that Whakatane took their beating as only Whakataneites can. After their success over Whakatane, Matata triec their luck in a match against "Rotorua. However, this game resultei in an easy victory for Rotorua bj 7 wickets and five runs, owing a: the paper states, to the way ir which Matata made a wretched mes: of the first innings, in which thei made only 14 runs. In • 11)04, Matata played anothe: match against Opotiki at Whaka tane and this time succeeded in de feating them by 49 runs, much t< the Joy of the Matata team am chagrin of their Opotiki rivals. Cricket in the Rain Perhaps one of the best games be Iween Whakatane and Matata \va played in 1904. when the match wa held from start to finish in drench ing rain. Matata was a long way ii those days, and as Whakatane ha come such a distance they decido'

to hold the match irrespective of weather conditions. To play cricket

in pouring rain on a ground where the grass is from four to six inches long is somewhat out of the ordinary, and it must have been a queer sight for the spectators to see most of the players turn out in their oilskins and macintoshes with only a few in the regulation flannels. It may have seemed a burlesque', but to the players, themselves it was no fun, as each man earnestly contended for the mastery. Never was such an exciting game played by Wha-> katane, as it was only won in the last three minutes, and. just as darkness was blotting out the landscape. Whakatanc's first innings closed with 34 runs on the board while Matata made 49 in their first stand. Whakatane determined to play the match right up to time and Matata went in for their second innings. The Whakaatane fielding came up to a higher standard than in the first innings, and soon the Matata men were all out for 33. With j-usfb ~~ one. hour to bat and 49 runs needed to win, Whakatane commenced their second innings. Six o'clock came leaving but fifteen minutes to play and Whakatane 23 runs behind. The batsmen realising that all depended on run getting commenced to hit out freely, and two minutes before time the winning hit was made. Thus ended one of the most exciting and, taking into consideration the circumstances, one of the most remarkable 'natches ever played in the district. Matata's Prowess From accounts given, Matata ap-< pears to have been about the best team in the Bay during the period 1890 to about 1915, for during this period, they were successful in nearly every match they played. They certainly had the best of Opotiki in a large number of matchcs although the Whakatane team was always a fairly close rival. A match played in 1914 between Matata and. Whakatane in the Domain excited a great amount of interest, especially as Whakatane managed to defeat Matata by 88 runs to Matata's 57. The low scores were due chiefly to the excellent cricket, played by both teams some very good exhibitions of bowling and defensive cricket being witnessed. Another game which attracted a good deal of attention from the press was the match between Tauranga and Matata in 1921 in which Matata accepted defeat at the hands of the Tauranga eleven. A fact which makes this match still more interesting is that the game was* to decide the winner of thu Attrill Shield. First Association Match The first match under the auspices of the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association was played on ( the Domain in Whakatane in February of 1921 between a combined, team from Te Puke and Tauranga, and the Whakatane County. Apparently disaster overtook the visitors early for the. first three men were sent out for only 8 runs. However, things picked up later in the innings, and by the end 128 runs liad'b-en piled i up, Whakatane tnen went in to [ bat, and although the batsmen played, carefully-, they hit freely at all loose stuff winning easily with a total of 168. Chapter of Accidents Difficulties, encountered by cricket teams en route to »play matches at other towns were numerous indeed in the old days as can be seen from the report of a team from Matata representing the Public Works who journeyed to Rotorua to play a Civil Service team from that place. The team left Matata at 5 a.m. the day before the match in a Ford truck. Unfortunately, when they had about half covered the distance, the truck broke down, and an inspection showed that it could not be repaired on the spot. The manager of the team rang back to Matata and three cars were sent out to rescue the stranded team. L Another start was made, but a mile ■ and a half further on, one of the I trio, a Buic'k, stripped its gears, and ' had to be regretfully parked >n the > roadside, hors de combat, until such i time as it could be towed, back to 5 its garage. Finally another car was t obtained but through lack of space four enthusiasts had to be left ber hind. Undeterred, the four who - were left scouted round till they - found a farmer willing to lend them 3 his auto, and they followed the i team to Rotorua. Whether the Matata team was successful is not stated, but they certainly deserved to be after all their trouble. First Recorded Game s S The first cricket matcii to play- - e.d in this town was a contest bei tween Whakatane and. Matata, and :1 was played in a vacant section in :1 the Maori Pa near the Police Sta-

tion, on February 21, IS9I. Both teams had previously played Qpotiki that season but Matata was gener-

ally regarded as the team most likely to be. successful. In the first innings Whakatane made 33 while Matata made 66. Whakatane had a second innings in which they excelled, kno-c'king up 127, but vmfortunately, there was no time ftor Matata to bat. agafti.

Tennis Memories

Tennis also> was a favourite sport back in the '90s, as is evidenced by the account of a match played between Matata and Whakatane in 1898. The games were played on grass courts and an easy victory for Matata by G5 games to Whakatane s 45 resulted. An extract from the press clipping covering the match says: "Everything passed off very well, there being present quite a large gathering of the youth, beauty and fashion of Whakatane." Another extract says: "During the dance which was held in the evening a few songs were sung. Mr F.

Burt sang ? we will let him off this time; the name has slipped our memory." Whether this is a reflection or otherwise on Mr Burt's singing is not quite clear. The next good account avc have of a match between Matata and Whakatane is of a match played to decide the winner of the Lawrence Cup competition. The two teams were very evenly matched, and the issue was in doubt until the second to last game when it was seen that the Matata team would just scrape a victory. Combined! Social in 1906 Our sporting reminiscences close with a clipping of a cricket /and football social held at Matata in 1906 in the Lee's Hall where the Matata teams representing the two sports were presented with trophies won by them on the field—trophies which proclaim that teams from the district of. the Bay of Plenty were, and still are, first rankers in the world of sport.

Eels .for Export

The venture of buying eels- for export is receiving good support throughout the Otago district. During the last week, more than 7cwt of eels has been consigned to a Dunedin firm, where they will be smok-. Ed and frozen. The secretary of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, Mr L. Miller, said that he had. already received more than <30 applications for copies of the design of. the eel trap recommended.

Future of Electricity Concern about the possibility of New Zealand being short of -supplies of electric power in the. near future, was expressed by delegates at a meeting of the Manufacturing Engineers and M.etal Trades Federation in Wellington last week. Tt was decided to make strong representa-: tions to the Government asking that this matter should be given urgent attention, both from the point of view of the immediate future and the post-war period.