HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 12

HOCKEY.

- (Bv,Diiiveb.) . y v -Tli© ono topio in ; tVoilirigton % hockcy circlcs jnst.now.isrthe shield match'playcd on :Satur.' May.last: .The; win 'waaVjVery meritorious* one;' tho"pno .being closely contested'from' start to. finish. . r Kvcnness' was one' of -its chief : chaiac-. tcristics/\ Wellingto'ii. winuing .through superior' 7 icohvbinatiod/ami - owing tovthV fact that -- the •chullQrigers/playetl abovd 'fdriii. :-The Welling- : ;tqn tribute; to/-tho»; hearty - nature •.of-.- the. reception - aqfcqrded thcni, 'and to the sportsraanlik©: character of their Opponbntsr -v. ' " r -* • ' r ; >

4 s * -.'report' telegraphed down./conveyed only.'.a baVeoutline oL tho 'ganieythe following interestingpartioql,ars,-:'ffbm . -.'Monday V; "New Zealand l i.lerald' , 'aro.Subjoined ; ; , - ?,"Tho match. yms\nnder .vice-regal patronage,: the; Governor acconipaniod 'by Captain ! Lyon, l driving by motiir-car shortly .before-3.15 p.m. ilis LxcsUency was 'met. by Mr. Wra. t'oleman aim H. Rees-George, president and :vicepresidont; bf'thS • A'uolcland. Hockey Association;.:and :to-.the: of "God Sara tho King" from Band escorted to a.reserved portion'oj; the,stand, .which .wis decorated. with :buntingy. ,There weri also present among* : thBV speota ttirs'/!five, officers -of H;M.S. Enco.uater,ind.;H;j^;,C,S ( iXlfisi.ah'd also .many, of Auckland's" leading professional and- •,business men. ...:• :-,v::'w; ; "The niatcli provided one o{ ostin'S. aisplhys : :witneKed i 'hero,::and,falthough tho .Aueklandere .lost: the - shieldby"; three goals to; (jwo—tho:'narrowest were not disgraced, the -.challengers- giving . what must.;li6 deoriied -a;, magnificent display: O '.The officials. of vtho*, Anokland Hockey ' Association lmdprepared;?- grpiirid. which, one enthusiastic wcllingtoniah;.:.cOMparod. toj.a.; huge billiardtable,. so:everiifeos the" surface; ! iind so true did : the' Jiall, plkyr.lt ; .wns' anticipated .that- n'- great' strugglo ..would ensue, I'rihd -it ysurely/.did;-' for thero' diiir iiio'jnent;' ; in th<r,7o:' min•utes! play. t The ivhiti sphere yVas carried'fromend.£o:end of_'the".field,;iti'it".series of brilliant ' meteoricrushes by both team's, , to -. be': met,-exccpt-qn-b'nt fe'iv: occasions, .with equally, brilliant defensivo;, moves.; .The crowd' 'became: demoi\s>ativb; early;: ih<tho game, but; when' to-': '.wards .the'.'clpse; Auckland, by,, a greats rally,' placed themselves: within a po?ition : that gave hopes that , the scores might •be equalised, the 'excitement iwns indescribable; : Tho scene was reminiscent ;bf -Auckland's- defeat of "Canterbury; last'year, .when n : further'period of play 'was .required: to [decide :thei '.dru\r.' ; The local. team on Saturday, however, failed.tQ mako the draw.Vahdj-Wellingtbn thus, carried; home 1 the 'spoils- of war.;by ■ the -Slain .T/uiik' 'express ■on Sunday (evening. goals "on Saturn - day were scored by D. S. Smith, G. Sniythe, and.G,' Uavies, : while:for. Aiickland .W. Brookcomith' and Mason found the net; - ;Tho giimo , wa .® in. splendid spirjt," .and.; tberb .was not rv single•.acciueiit/ 'l'he' true-sporting-spirit was ovidehcq at the conclusion: ot the •match)';, the AucklandvtHm firstto congratulate .tho'. menders '.of .ithe' side which tyd ; of.' theirhonours—and .the ;shicld; ; /.' --v "Aftet; tho ; niatch/thb ; Aiick!and-vEockby As:sociation .entertaii\cd f both dinner, Mr. ;H.:'Bees George,;;vice,president of-the'Auckland. Hockey^Association/Presided, ■ (md Messrs.. W/ Pearson,'. vice-president 'of vtho': Wellington ; Associatigrt, mie algo pro-' i eont';-,tA.t6ast-list...v;as, honoured, ;; r and • several ,'musical, items . The Auoklatid. speakers ,wer j very .culo^lstic- in .-their' .references :to the .Wellington'; team's' display, and*, heartily congratulated.; thoin on ,their victory,' t)ie being expressed that-tho ipres'enco'of .-tho'shield -in Wollington would do as, much-for the. gamo it hadvdpive /in. Auckland. • Mr. 'H.; - Kees-George,'- in -haiuling - the - trophy 'over:. 5 jto' ■Mr;-Organ,: captain of .thb'.,Wellington' ream,, it had ? been 1 -woii by worthy' competitors.j.DUving, thoe'vehmg..Mr.'H."-'.D.V : H'lli'.'Arho,-,- so - .capably. conducted" the- rccoiit' ; tour of the; Auckland representatives,,' was' pre. ; ,&entcd ;witli > liquQUr, stand On .behalf of. the : of;tho team. .-In,recognition of tho finally -which.; hi hod ! shown 'tlieni : during, their visit to.VAucklaridi'.'the. Welling. ~toiuau3. pveseutedyMiS .P.'S: Shirrlffs,'captain :of r-tho team, with *a : silvor-mouuted • canc. •... . • ■ • ■ * •

- It Will bo noted, that "many pf 'Auckland's leading' professional. and lysines?' men" wit. nessed ttio match, 'which, savs the "Herald," /was- attended -by. between .1000' and 5000 spccta:tors.-. It.whs with dtlUcplty that: 300 'were per- ! suaded 'to see; .the. fnatclv,. between .Wellington ; and jtto Auckland .todring/tedin •. oh"-August HI .Tins brines us to-ail'important aspect of. the ,question to;; , -that the 'snield; ,feni(iias: in / Wellington by: nest 'year,' ; and : that '."Wellingtpn ' can i withstand. the. first : fcw. challengers, .a :number.of : very ' important matches ' will have-tovbeplayed , here. ''Tho','question: i»:\c ; OrivwMohr ground? No. 'l jjrouuu," Day's BayV isVp?rhaps''as-.'ii4at perfection as can/ .reasonably' b6 expccted, but' [the. public will 1 not . travel 'so fdr to see- a game ' that i they .aro. not greatlv interested, •It Jjj 'oOusiaerediV.hp.wevar,-that;if the Basin"- JJeservo j jni'ftdo. ' 'available, rcbnplpi'&f/thbusdnd;fsbectators; would, be' "ceritainHoal»fptMentiV/NTl>«<eif«ot: of' receiving is,.o^course;' ; _quito obvious., 'Tho game would ; :rceMve"a;great' filip, and. assume due position in';-publio estimation.' ■.'Unfortunately, ithe .grounds referred. to are /not suft; able by any . means uhder the 1 present managemerit"(the; City' Cotfnoil), which does riot allow. tho.laiUnamed ground to bo .rolled, and clones it up entirely whenever there' is a suspicion of rain. The Management Cdmmlttee ofjtholpcal association' is looking '.into•' this' mattei 1 , .with a view qf taking some definite .actionVin the immediate future. - - As. everyone is interested in • tho'shield,. tho following eycorpts from the" rules governing, it are; given, as it seems that they aro not generally knowns— ... » -' As an association holds the shield subject to tho right' of challenge by an affiliated association, but Is not: to be oallfid upon to play more challenge raatehos in the sonson than the Management Committee ot the New Zealand Association considers advisablo, prpvided that/an association meeting the holder of the shield in the course of. its ordinary asoooiation matohes-shall have! the right "to. declare before-

hand to tho Now Zealand Association, and-to tho association holding the shield;that such 111 *11 ij n a * so a challenge matoL All challenge matches shall .b6 played on tho ground of tho holders unloss otherwise agreed upon, iNo challeugo; match 1 shall bo played alter the last Saturay in September, and not earlier than March h In alUinatohes for tho shield, the refereo shall, be appointed by the New Zealand Association,' r'f . . In the event of-the'scores being even at the .conclusion, the play shall'proceed as follows:— After five minutes' interval, quarter-hour spells shall.bo continued' until a scoro is registered,, the teams to change ends each quar- • x • ' Any .dispute arising" in connection with the competitions for this shield shall be decided hy ,the» Management Committee, of ttfe„Ncw Zealand .Association." , • Auckland and Canterbury have already'challenged, for the'shield .next year. • \ : v