Sporting Sprints.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 69, 5 July 1912, Page 13

Sporting Sprints.

In Sydney on June 22 New South Wales defeated New Zealand at Rugby Lcagire football by 27 points to 6. On the following Monday, however, tho Maorilanders turned the tables with a victory by IL' points to 7.

If all went well, the world's championship boxing contest between Jack Johnson and Jim Flynn took place yesterday, July -l (Independence l Day), at Las Vegas, America. Latest news from their respective training camps showed that both men woro indulging in the usual big talk that always precedes such an event Johnson was confident that ho would "bring home tho bacon," while Flynn was assuring his admirers that tho result would be a terrible knock to the "big smoke shift." Well, we could only see one in it, and have, no doubt that the big negro is still the boss bruiser of the two hemispheres.

The Australian lightweight boxiu ' champion, Hughio Mchegnn, has left Melbourne for England. He was aceoni panicd hy his brother George, wiio will act as trainer.

Talking of his prospects with Jim Flynn, Jack Johnson said: "Many of tho wise ones tiguro that I have gone back on account of laying off for two years, but I will fool them all. I do not need a great deal of training. 1 expect to heat Mr Flynn in just as quick timo as I did when we met a few years ago, and you can bet that the championship will not pass from tlie hands of Mr. Jack Johnson."

Skill, "sand," nod stamina are tlie best pace-niakers speed can have in a cyclo race on track or read.

A big feature of Australia's cricket in England so far is the uniform excellence of Jennings's batting. The young Qiioenslandor comes up smiling in match after match, and although he does nothing of the sensational type, ho has made nice scores time after timo, and his style has vastly impicssed the English cricketers. They like a pretty bat over there. Lionel I'ahiiret was an idol, and so was f'anji.. just as much for their "circular-' baiting as for their 'coring abilities. The average English cricket spectator wic.iid rather Sec a polished batsman make L'O than watch a solid player, with no variety of strokes, sem-i'.ig n themvud. Jennings comes up to (heir ideal, (.'rcgory may have his i-ncly wiitty late-cut. Macartney ! is .igktning siroko past point, Rardsley ii> punching drive, and Emery his hefty ipi-s. hut ■'(Minings combines them all in his repertoire, ami a hit of the newspaper men over there have been commenting on this, and prophesying a trig career for tho test celt when Ik- gels seasoned to the •itreiiii'.'i'.'.ni ;-!■ o[ tho big game.

Rig ] ri;-es are offered for tug-of-war teams at a .-CHOO carnival which is to commence at tno Sydney Sttulium on September '2> : . The lnanairemcnt of Hugh i). Jiifl.tlosh and Frank Musgrovo will be r. guarantee that this somewhat ambitious undertaking will bo vigorously prosecuted. The principal event will be the international tug, for which prizes of £400, £100, and £60 tiro offered. Tho teams will pull in national costume, and 20 nations are expected to furnish entrants. Irish, American, Australian and South African teams are already forming. There, will also bo pulls to decide the championship among the trade unions, the police, the naval and military forces, and the fire, brigades, and contests for bona fido footballers, as well as a £50 jcratoh pull championship of Now South Wales.

Every effort is being made to smooth over the friction that has arisen in Vie-

I toria between the League of Victorian j Wheelmen and the Inter-club Cycling ' Association, and there is every hope , that the suggestion of the Dunlop Ruhi Ixir Co. —that a properly-constituted road board should be formed, composed of representatives of the League's Council. Inter-club Cycling Association, and leading read race promoters, to govern and foster road racing—will be given effect to.

Said the mocossCul competitor in a cycle race: "Gentlemen, I have won this cup by the use of my legs. 1 trust I may never lose- tho use of my hgs by (tie use of this cup.''

Quite a large, number oi jockeys riding nowadays wouhi be better off in a race were they sent to the post i\ii limit whips, says a Wellington turf writer. In many instances tlie whip is brought 50 clumsily into use that the horses' heads are let loose, and they begin to flounder, the result being th;.. they out in. A good haiul-aiui-heel finish IS to lie preferred to one in which the Whip is used by anyone who is not a master in the way of using it.

An Auckland paper found it hard to understand why cM-agar was not chosen as a menilier of the N.Z. Rugby League team for Australia. Last yen - he was considered one of the best forwards in the New Zealand t<..m, and he was nominated for tlie team to lour England. This season, too. he is iv excellent form.

There is a lot of discussion those days in Australia as to the reason for the extraordinary success of Foster and Harnes and their seeming outstanding-n-ess —-if the word may l>e used- in the world of bowling, says Sydney ''Sun." There are several points that co tribute to this fart, and the fir^t point is that they are brainy howlers. The second is that they are so dissimilar in every way. The third is that they are left an 1 right. The fourth is that m-i----thf" of them, is afraid to to he taken off when he fools in hiim-elf thai ho is not going to "do things,'"—many bowlers are. The fifth, is that they are practically tireless, and altogether it may Lo said that they are a union" combination. . WV-n Foster fir.-.t came into the limelight he was n slew.

steady, left-hand nic-diuni bowler. Ho has added a good d-al of force dining the l;r-t We or three r :!t«. il.ough he often ties the batsmen no with ih"

flow one. Put Foster was horn a howl cr. His lira in works like ligh'niug Half-way through an over lie will *-e<

something that perha"s nobody eb-<; pees, and will nifv a hehlsnmn a yard or two. Next ha" he will get his opponent, caught !>y that fhldsmnn. 'Warwickshire's skinner's genius in this, di-rect-ion verges closely on the -uncanny. Then again ho can, despite alteration of pace, bowl at one sr.ot for as long as you like. To see him one would almost l.ie'lii ye that he could hit a sixpence placed at the oilier end of the ■pitth IH times out oi 20.

And now as to Barnes, tlie oilier wizard-bowler. When, in tlie autumn of 1901, Archie MaeLaivn, then perhaps tho keenest judge ef eriek-t living, astonished tlie public by selecting for tho Australian four an altogether unknown .nan. everybody was asking, "Who is JJar.ies." They found out. Barnes is a marvel. ITo never seems to got rattled, never talks, never hurries, never worries. But he thinks some. Ho is all steadiness. His steady, careful run to tho wicket, his steady swing of the arm, and his steady plodding as 'vor after over comes from him on even the hottest day, are, things to admire. Yet although he never alters his run nor 6eoms to chango t 1 -.>• position of the ball in his hand, nor the velocity of his swing, yet the sphere plays all sorts of tricks after it hits the ground. Many fino English bowlers have "found their graves" on tho adamantine wickets of Australia. But not so Barnes. He likes them.