HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 12

HOCKEY.

[Br "Bullt-off."] THE GAME MOVING ACAIN. Otago V/ill Try To-day. To-day Otago's claim on the shield comes up for decision. Tho shield is not to be had for the asking: a rattling team could win that shield, and none other. If the Otago team is not a deal more formidable than tho .Southland team that visited hero, their chances of capturing tho shield would appear to be about as good as thoso we aro told are tho particular possession of ono Buckley, Tho Southland men played good hockey, but it was not of the brand needed to wrest the shield from Wellington's present combination. The Otago men may bo good, but it remains to be seen whether they possess just' that amount of trickyness and suddenness which was so noticeably absent from the Southland team. If they do they have a chance, but if not then they will bo sent upon their way, even as their southern neighbours were, shieldjess. The Mid-week Match. Although the sodden state of tho ground on Wednesday was all against good hockey, the gamo proved ono thing quite beyond doubt. That is, that tho Canterbury team was an inferior toam by just a little more than the score — 2 —1—Would indicate. It could not bo said that Wellington's victory was gained easily—it wasn't. That tho game was undecided up to the last minute, however, was due to'nothing else but the slippy nature of the field. Tie Wellington team —heaped up with substitutes as ,it was—was always tho most dangerous, tho local forwards continually ploughing about the enemy's goal-mouth, although with little result as far as scoring went. One or two of the visiting forwards played great games, notably Holland. There was a polish and snap about his stick-work that was good to see. On one occasion he gave a centre that couldn't have been bottered. A bunch of forwards were groping about in the. muddy circlo when tho ball came to' liim. With a pretty little tap he sent it nicely over their heads, and it landed right in front of the goal, and just waited for somo one to smite it through, but no ono was available, and the chance was lost. Throp scored their goal and nearly scored some more, but tlie.v didn't go straight. Of the rest of tlie team Hulbert was probably the most noticeable. The Four Forwards and Robbie. He-ndcrsom, Shearan, Murphy, and Cleghorn, who replaced tho Strack Bros., Boyd, and Griffiths (nono _of whom were ■ available), played fairly well. Shearan was: probably the pick of thorn, although, considering the state of tlie ground, it would seem unfair to discriminate between them. Clogihorn's goal was a good shot, and once or twice he performed brilliantly. Robbie, tho only real representative niaoi in the front division, was quite up to his form. Halgh and the Backs. 'Hie now man in the backs —in place of Thompson—was Haigh, of tho Wellington Club. In the first half ho was not quite, satisfied with himself, but towards tlie end of the second spell he played a fine Ho has a peculiar penchant for wielding liis stick with only ono hand', but he has an extraordinarily quick and sure eye. . Haigh most Certainly justified Ms inclusion. M'Eldowney played a solid game, but once ho was badly beaten, and it nearly resulted in a score for Canterbury. The others were not particularly noticeable, although tho defenco all through was fairly sound. The Mid-week Players. .The Wednesday men are still plugging away at theiir competition. A fow more games have yet to be played, but as far as they have gone the Petono men have most of the delegates. Tho positions of the teams to date' are as follow :— i. S $ wo s •«' a a o g in j E£A 3 5 Petone 10 7 3 0 17 Pakeha A. 10 G 3 1 To Hereawa 10 6 0 3 12 Hlii Mai 10 4 0 6 8 Artillery 10 2 2 6 6 PakcJia B 10 1 0 9 2 A representative Wednesday team is to be dispatched to play Palmerston on September 17, and on the following day they will play Wanganui. Ladles' Hockey. With another postponement on account of the weather, tho selection of tlie local representative team is still' held.in abeyance, which is to bo regretted, as the chances of tlie team getting a practice together before leaving aro very remote. Wet or fino, tho team is to tie finally selected to-day, so it is to be hoped that tho weather will permit of games being played. Dame Rumour has it that the financial position of tho local association is not too strong, but it is almost sure that an appeal to the supporters of the game would soon remedy the defect. The expenses of sending a team to tho tournament are not light, but with the willing workers available this difficulty should easily be surmounted. Tho Teams of Other Places. During the past week the Hawke's Bay, Southland, Wanganui, Canterbury, and Manawatu teams have appeared in the press, and a resuwo of them may bo of interest. Hawke's Bay, who shared the honours with Wairarapa last year, will have a lot of fresh faces in their team. Of last year's team only live remain, and, with tho exception of one, all the other members of the team are new to representative honours- Notable defections from the team are Jlrs. Maddison and .Miss K. Crowley, who,have been the mainstay of the redoubtable Bay for several seasons past. Southland enters tho arona again after a season's spell, and their ro-entry is pleasant news. Misses 6. Searell, M. M'Gregor, M. Huli'adine, E. .Bain, and D. ltabbidgo were members of tho 1911 team, while the other members-aro new players. ■ Canterbury, on paper, appear to havo a very strong team, and if they play up to their reputation should be hard to beat. Only four of last year's players are chosen in the present toam. Wanganui in tho past havo suffered ■ owing to being unable to gets its best players away, but with the tournament at home, this difficulty will not be met with this time. During tho past week, Poverty Bay havo notified the lion, secretary of the N.Z.L.H.A. that thoy will be unable to mako the trip to Wanganui, owing to their inability to secure leave for thsir players. The alterations in the fixturas caused by tha withdrawal of Poverty Bay has sinco b«en rectiflod by tho entrance of a team from South Taranaki, who will take up the Poverty Bay fixtures. Two Invitations. Regarding tho invitation extondftel to tho N.S.W. Ladies' Association, by tho N.Z.L.H.A., word has been received that they will be unable to make the trip to New Zealand. In doing so thoy regret being unable to comply with tho request, and invito New Zealand to send a team to Sydney next year, to take part in the All Australian Women's Hockey Association -Tournament, to bo held in August. Whilo tho making of tho trip may seem at first glance to be improbable, it behoves the New Zealand oxecutive to givo the matter their full consideration before deciding for or against tho proposal