HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1174, 8 July 1911, Page 12

HOCKEY.

(By "Right-Half.")

The following are the positions of the teams at the end of the first round of the third-class championship:— c . U O 01 i ■ A . 9* «»sl» Government Life 7 S 1 1 30 9 11 Hutt Valley 7 i 1 2 21 15 10 Victoria College A 7 5 2 0 43 24 10 St. Mark's .•.'.'. .7 4 2 1 ,23 19 9 Wellington 7 2. 3 2 11 28 G. Gregg's 7 '1 3 3 21 22 5, Wesley 7 1 4 i 23 35 5 The championship matches will bo continned to-day and next Saturday, and, on July 22, Hawke's Bay will play Wellington for the shield. Owing to tlio bad weather that prevailed during last week, the ground was in a heavy state, arid did not favour the local representatives. The Canterbury players were bigger and heavier than the local team, and at times \ised their weight as if they were playing football—at least, judging by tho way they pushed the Wellington halves. Bellamy, in-goal for Canterbury, acquitted himself well, aud, on two occasions, saved his sido by kicking the ball well out of tho circle. This is a privilege only allowed to players in that position, but one which is seldom thought of by goalkeepers when defending. Morpeth, the Wellington goalkeeper, was lucky at times, but seemed to bo over-anxious, rushiug out, and leaving his goal clear. Had the Canterbury forwards plaved with more combination, this would" probably have been disastrous to his side. The Canterbury full-bacfts, Chambers and Sepie, wcro the best on the field. They are sure and hard hitters, stopping the Wellington rushes m lino style, and always finding tho lino well down the field. One could have easily imagined that ho was at a cricket match when Sepie lifted tho ball oyer the fence on to the beach. „ . ,„ , . Kibblcwhito and C. Davies, full-backs for the local team, though not such hard hitters as their opponents, did well, but thev found great difficulty in stopping tho" visitors' forwards, who usually rushed down the field bunched together wn the ball, and at times even carried tno backs off their feet. Davies,-during the first spell, showed signs of nervousness, and also had a tendency to play too closo to tho halves. . Kidley (centre-half) was tho pick of tho Canterbury halves, and caused considerable trouble to tho Shack Bros. Pnell (right-half) and Throp (left-half backed their forwards up well, but did not seem to get the measure of tho A\ ellington wing-forwards rightly. C Campbell, centre-halt for Wellington, was in tho thick of all tho game, and was a tower of strength to his side. Thompson (left) and Burbidge (right) apparently got confused when bustled by tho opposing forwards. Tho former penalised his sido often by giving "sticks. For a greater part of the first spell the Canterbury forwards obtained tho ball. Thev played a different game to that of Wellington. Hulborl', backed up by Barwaker (not pronounced as spelt) and Smith, came down tho centre of tho field seldom passing to his wings who, when they diii receive the ball, did some good centring. The forwards lired in the extra spell and only once did thej reach tho Wellington goal. . All the Wellington forwards ' worked hard, though they did not show any combination until lato in tho second spell. Loader and Salek, wing forwards, centred splendidly, tho former's long passes across the field being exceptionally good though, at times, Iho Canterbury backs managed to intercept Both these players received knocks—Loader in tho mouth, and Salek had one of his fingers broken, though he pluckily continued to play as though nothing had happened, d. Strack was at times inclined to go "on his own," which usually ended in his over-running the ball and, at one time, he just managed to keep the ball from going behind by passing to Loader who scored. G. Davies too often played the ball in one-handed style which stylo, by the way, usually ended in his opponents taking the ball from him. The Canterbury players look upon Wellington's second goal as haying been scored by obstruction, but this was not so, as C. Strack stopped (lie ball dead from a penalty hit, and then stepped 'aside (not in front), his brother shooting the goal. At times the tactics of somo of the visitors roused the comment of the spectators who called to them lo "play (V game." One noticeable incident was the dcliborato tripping of a Wellington forward bv a Canterbury back. Speaking with Mr. Ford, Iho selector of the Canterbury team after the game, he staled that he was finite satisfied with the plav of the tram, and it was pleasing to iiote that three persons who were a partv to the criticism of his selection before' they left Christchurch,. aud who came up to witness the match,were the first to congratulate him on tho'team's display. .

For Bronchial Coughs lako Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is. Gd. '