Sporting Sprints.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 51, 1 March 1912, Page 13

Sporting Sprints.

There was a young girl called Bianca, Fell asleep on a yacht while at anchor. She awoke with dismay When she heard the mate say : "Now, lilt lit) the top sheet and spanker. * • • Though it is quite possible he may change his mind, for boxers, like other athletes as well as actors and such, appear to have a license to do so, it is Bill Lang's present- intention not to enter tho ring again as an active participant. He is through with the game, he says, and will look for a livelihood in some less strenuous walk ol ble. Lang has been unfortunate in many respects. No gamer man or betterbehaved fellow ever doffed a shirt, and his skill was of a much higher quality than many people rated it, while \w t never side-stepped a math, no matter SJIO the other party to it might have been, or what his reputation. — as lonv; as tlie business end was up to market value. * « » Billy McClain, manr.ger for Sain McVca, the colored pug., and also a coon, talks to Sydney "Sun" about melon and chicken :—"What can you have better than a nice ripe melon. A man could live on nothing else but watermelon for a long time. I've done it myself. There's plenty of people I know who have lived on melon and peanuts. It's nature's food, so what more do you want? While 1 was in France I learned to eat. frogs, and in Honolulu it wasn't very long before I found myself eating dog; but after all. you can't beat the good old chicken, watermelon, and peanuts. A line, big, juicy melon is just nature's way of •taring up liquid in an attractive form, while a nicely-grilled chicken was meant to be a proper meal for a hungry ooon. They talk about their 'lloast .Beef of Old Fngland,' but it doesn't make my mouth water a scrap. From the day's of Ham, you will find that our people have been content with the nnts and fruit that they have got from Mother Karf-Ti, their oulv meat being that of the feathered fowl that God made tame so that they would be easily caught when wanted." « - » Cabled that Jack Johnson and .Jim Flynn, the "Pueblo Fireman," have posted stakes for a match of 20,000 dollars ami the world's heavy-weight championship. Tho time and place for the fight have not been disclosed. Stevenson secured a victory over Gray in the third match of 18.000 no between this pair of wei Id-famous billiardists. Gray wast 10,503 when Stevenson ran out a winner. * • • The New South Wales Government has decided to grant £500 tewn>ds the expenses of the team for the Olympic games. According to an English writer, boxing is tho air in Paris. Never has tho gamo enjoyed so much popularity there as it does at present. Boxinghalls arc- being opened in every diiveJion, and there are to be shows every night in tho week, Sundays included. • A returned Australian, who saw the Australasian footbalbrs play 22 matches, says that English crowds are "the most unfair and unsportsmanlike in tho whole world." Dally Messenger's absence made a difference to tho team financially. * * » The Otago v. Auckland cricket match had to bo eventually abandoned on account of heavy rain making play impossible. Auckland's first innings totalled 125 (Thompson 54), Downes taking five wickets for 48. Otago followed with 112 (Hopkins 37), Thompson getting seven wickets for 35. When rain put a stop to further play, Auckland had scored 221 for live wickets, Hemus being not out with a ehancolessly compiled 135 opposite his "nionnikor." * » » Canterbury proposes to play Auckland for tho'Pltmkct Shield on the Bth. 9th, and 11 th March, or Kith, 18th, and 19th March. * * » » The New Zealand Cricket Council is going to niako every endeavour to get a team away to Australia next year. Tho New South Wales. Victorian and Queensland Associations have promised the net proceeds of matches against their States, and the Board of Control has intimated that it will welcome a visit. To put the finances on a sound basis, tho N-mv Zealand Council suggests that, subscription lists should bo •period iv the various centres. * # * * Can a veteran "come back?" Tie «an in cricket anyway, provided he has never seriously "gone off," and has rather had the Fates against him than lost his form. This was proved by Byd. Gregory in the return N.S.W. v. IWland match, when he knocked up a brilliant 180 not ont in the former's iecond innings. N.S.W. scored only 106 first try, Barbour and Macartney getting 29 and 18 respectively. Foster foiled seven wickets for 36. The K-ng-fiflhmen replied with 315, Rhodes making 110, Hobbs 38, H-carno 32, and "■undries" 28. Ex-Victorian Hazlitt

did a good bowling performance, taking seven wickets for U5. "Moo South" registered 403 in their second essay, Gregory shining as aforesaid and Finery scoring 05, Trumper 53. and "extras" ,'ii). Hobbs was most successful with the hall, securing four for 2.0. Kngland wanted IPS rims to win, and got 'em for the loss of two wicket*, Rhodes again getting it century (to be exact, it)!'), while Giinn made 5*3. Some interesting particulars of billiard players' profit's were made public iii the case for breach of contract brought by John .Itoberts against George Gray in London. Itebciis claimed £0000 damages, and alleged that the contract which (hay had broken wus for a proposed 18-moiif lis' world tour, during which he (Bohiris'j had hoped to make £1(),0(X> a year piofit. He had made upwards of £250 a day playing publicly in India, ae.cl j £2.'1()() in a fortnight in London when plaviug against Daw-sun. Roberts was awarded £1500. A couple of quaint cycling advts. : — "Good stylish bicycle. £10, for sale, by a y-tnmg lady enamelled black and geared to 08." "Mrs. B has for disposal a beautiful bicycle; suit young lady with nic-kel-plated hubs and patent bearings." * « Like balls in a bicycle bearing, the lives of many of us must he ono continual grind that others may enjoy themselves. Even in the- insect world, cycling is known. The spider, for instance, often goes out for a spin.. The Australian Cricket Hoard of Control has stated its intention of putting down barracking. What a contract! Apparently this is in deference to the wishes of "Plum" Warner and .]. B. Hobbs, whose teiid'-r suscepi ii-ilities were punctured by the good-natured chaff of an Australian crowd, bent on enjoying itsell. It is admitted that a certain amount of banter is indulged in, but Australian crowds are quite impartial in the Ik--stou'al of their favors. "Barrel- Daily Truth" believes that often the crowd derives more enjoyment from the wit-tily-expressed remarks of the barracker than from the slow antics of allowed cricketers, especially when .some of the niii ' runs per hour artists are on the job. The players do not object te applause and complimentary exhortation, but when they make themselves ridiculous by thu ir antics they ha\e no right to demand the public to remain dumb. Possibly some of the English team eughl never to have been let cut of the nursery. * it * Tim", a prominent Kuclishmaii : "It astonishes mc very much that pugihsm should be cnrsid-ciied cruel by a society that condones the hunting and killing of things that can't hit back. Yes, people cry out against the noble snort of pugilism, who at the same time are aesthetic and peaceful fishermen. Fishing is undoubtedly the cruellest of till forms of sport. In it is craft and treachery of tho deepest. Shoot you quails, fish you fish, my sportsmen. But never let mc hear you say anything again against pugilism. For you live in a house of glass tho most transparent N T o, pugilism is not cruel. It is the finest and manliest and most glorious sport goinu." The New Zealand amateur swimming championship meeting at Christ-church attracted keen public interest on each of its four nights, and produced close competition and some exciting finishes. M. E. Champion, of Auckland, was the "bright, particular star" of the mcet- v ing. Well and truly named is the Wailcmata wonder, and he proved himself several champions iv one. He secured premiership honors in the 100 yards iv 03 3-ssec, the 1221 )vds in 2 mm. 37 3-ssec (N.Z. record), tho 440 yds in smin. 48 4-ssec. (N.Z. record), the half-mile in 12min. 17 1-oscc (N.Z. record), and the mile in 25min. 1 <l-ssc.e. Twenty-two New Zealand championships have now been won by Champion, in addition to others outside tho Dominion, notably the English long-dis-tance championship. Other championship winners were: L. Poison, 220 yds breast-stroke (3min. 19 2-sscc), Miss A. O'Leary, ladies' 100 yds (in,in. 2Gsec.); Waitemata team, 50()yds flying squadron; Canterbury No. 1 tea in, life-sav-ing. Auckland totalled 51 points for the Yaldhurst Shield, Canterbury being second with 20.