DASHING DACRES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 163, 30 September 1927, Page 10

DASHING DACRES

Pioneers of Auckland Sport

“CES” GOES TO GLOUCESTER

A Famous Sporting Family

IX the history oi‘ winter and summer sports in Auckland lie Daere’s of Devonport have always figured in the forefront, if not as actual founders of many games. The recently-cabled news that “Ces” Dacre is leaving us in the prime of his brilliant career in cricket and football, to play on the green fields of “Gloster,” where his father played the game before him, has been received with widespread regret, and Auckland will sadly miss his familiar figure which from his schoolboy > days has fascinated the spectators with his graceful style and carefree audacity.

TL 1 X ACT LY 50 years ago the first Australian team visited New Zealand and played 22 of Auckland at Ellerslie in 1877, beating the local double eleven by an innings and 26 runi. In Auckland’s first knock only two of the XXII. reached double figures, one being C. C. Dacre, who made 33, and the ‘Demon’* Spofforth took 13 wickets for 42 runs. Charles

Craven Dacre was the father of four well-known Auckland sports, Albert, George, Life and the youngest, Charles Christian Dacre—the “Ces” of to-day. THE DACRE OF OLDEN DAYS It would seem that “Ces’* has the lioming instinct, for “C.C.,** sear., after showing early promise in Auckland, finished his cricket education at Cirencester College in Gloucestershire, and gained youthful fame 60 years ago on Cheltenham, Clifton and other famous grounds where “Ces” will make his debut as an English county player. C. C. Dacre, senr., was “Victor Ludorum” of Cirencester College in 3868. and a massive silver medal with its black and gold ribbon, presented by Queen Victoria, is one of the many sporting trophies now in possession of Mr. A 1 bert Dacre, the eldest son, in th<» old home at Devonport, facing across the picturesque cricket ground. There are many other priceless treasures and family heirlooms there, Including a family tree which begins with one Henry de Dacres in 1158, and on sere and yellow vellum traces an unbroken descer t from the Norman conquerors down to Captain Ranulph Dacre. R.N., who sailed up the Waitemuta Harbour exactly a century ago in quest of kauri spars for the Admiralty. ond was probably the first white man to set foot where Auckland stands to-day. OLD TIME RECORDS In tne old home at Devonport voluminous scrap books form a unique record of early sport in Auckland, and afford browsing for the frtudem. sufficient to fill an issue of THE SUN. One finds that the first English cricket XI. visited New Zealand in 1876, with giants like Shew, XJUywhite, Emmett and others in the team, and defeated XXII. local cricketers by an innings and 22 runs. There

were twc. Dacres in the Auckland team, “C.C.** and “Life/* and 44 years after there were two Dacres in the Auckland team, “C.C./* junr., and Life, Junr. FOUNDERS OF AUCKLAND FOOTBALL •Life” is not a nickname, but appears first in a panel of the family tree a3>out 150 years back as a Dacre christened “Deliverance/* but later known as “Life,” and the Life Dacre of 50 years ago in Auckland was one of our most popular all-round sports. From the same old family records one finds that Rugby football was first started in Auckland in 870 when a local fifteen beat a team from H.M.S. Rosario at the Albert Barracks, where the new university now stands. The two Dacres were in the pioneer team and in the first Auckland Rugby XV. to travel South in 1875 for a national provincial tournament in "Wellington, where Auckland failed to a single game.

The same C.C. and Life Dacre are to be found in rowing a winning four at the Anniversary Regatta in 1877. C.C., senr., was founder and organiser of the regatta and hon. secretary for over 25 years; also a founder and first secretary of the Takapuna Jockey Club. A sorry smash satisfied the Rugby ambitions of C.C., sear., and in 1885 he assisted the Rev. Bishop Hill to start the Soccer code in Auckland, C.C. having learned the game in London and played for Surrey against Kent at the round ball code. THE SECOND GENERATION OF DACRES In the early nineties the mantle of. C.C. descended on the eldest son, Albert, who is now the popular traffic manager of the Devonport Ferry Company and for eight seasons Albert represented Auckland at Soccer in the winter and was a famous sculler in the summer months, in addition to being near the scratch mark in big running events from the half-mile and mile distances. ENTER LIFE DACRE Following in Albert’s footsteps came the next boy, George, who carried on the good work from school days to the Shore senior Soccer and cricket elevens, and just when George was beginning to wane another Dacre developed to take his place. Before he reached his teens, Life Dacre secundus had become a holy terror to opposing schoolboys with his whirlwind batting and bowling. In the 1010 season Life revived old Dacre traditions one fine Saturday by knocking up 135 not out for the Devonport School before lunch, and then ; turning out for the Shore second grade team and helping himself to another 107 not out, including half a dozen sixers which disturbed the “heads’* of several elderly bowlers on the adjoining green. “CES” DACRE NEXT “MAN” IN Three years younger, but treading close on Life’s lively heels, came the baby of the Dacre family, C.C., junr., who was at 10 years old attempting to out-Dacre his elder brother, and with the two Dacres batting and bowling at top, their schoolboy opponents were often in a state verging on sobs. The next season, 1911, with “Ces” still emulating him, Life repeated his two centuries’ stunt by scoring 111 for Devonport School beforej noon, and 129 for the Shore thirds in the afternoon, reaching his 1,000 runs that summer. SMASHING RECORDS—AND BATS! But with the exit of Life from public school cricket, “Ces” went ojj to smash all records, not to mention numerous bats, and when 13 years old he scored 1,817 runs and took 149 wickets that season. His average for the school was 95, and for the Shore fourth grade 75. In the winter “Ces” showed a certain amount of efficiency at Soccer. In one game where Devonport School beat Newton West School by 21 goals to 1, the budding Soccer All Black helped himself to 16 goals! By way of keeping himself fit C.C., junr.» helped himself to the mile running event at the public school sports, and was cne of a Shore hockey team to win a seven-a-side tourney. CRICKET WITH THE LID OFF But it was in the 1914-15 season, in the first dark days of the Great War, that “Css” Dacre put the cap on all performances as a cricket prodigy by scoring 2,372 runs that summer in school, Wednesday and district grade cricket;, making 12 centuries and finishing with an average of 87. In two consecutive Saturdays five innings yielded scores of 200 not out, 175, 108, 78 and 47 in school and club games, nor was the Sydney “Bulletin” far wide of the mark when it remarked that Maoriland had another Trurnper in the making with “Ces” Dacre. LIFE IN A BIGGER GAME Life had gained his representative honours when he got into the bigger game in Flanders, bowling Mills’s bombs at Fritz by way of a change, and stopping a “straight Mauser one” himself, which sent him a cot case to Blighty with a medal for distinguished conduct in a tight corner. After the armistice Life was one of the star performers in the N.Z.E.F. cricket team which distinguished itself with a good record, but on his return to senior cricket here became a notorious member of the “suicide club” and if he broke his duck it generally meant a broken bat, or considerable damage to the picturesque duck-houses abutting the Devonport Domain. But Life retained his old brilliance at Soccer, and the brothers, C.C., junr., and Life, junr., caused history to repeat itself by appearing together in Auckland’s representative teams at both cricket and Soccer in 1920. “CES” GOES SOUTH After this “Ces” drifted down to the Wairarapa district, where he helped to beat a representative Wellington team by scoring 64 and 40 and then win the Hawke Cup for Wairarapa from Poverty Bay with 61 not out and eight wickets for 109. While in the Wairarapa district he first represented New Zealand against the touring Australian team, scoring 23 and 4. BACK HOME AGAIN Back at the Shore again “Ces” continued his brilliant ca.reer in both club and representative cricket, setting the seal on his sterling performances by scoring two not out centuries of 127 and 101 at Eden Park against Victoria in 1924. The following season his outstanding performance was 127 at Christchurch for New Zealand against New South Wales, with bowlers like Mailey, Macartney, Hendry and Everett after his scalp. Everett will still remember his first ball, an express full toss, being promptly punched out of Lancaster Park for six. Touring Australia with the New Zealand team “Ces” captivated the barrackers with his Trurnper touch, and finished second to Oliver in the batting averages with the fine average of a decimal point below 50. His last appearance -before leaving for England after leading Auckland to

victory in the Plunket Shield, was a characteristic century, 125 not out, against Armstrong’s Melbourne C.C. XI. at Wellington. ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD In the winter seasons between cricket times, “Ces” Dacre has been an equally brilliant exponent of the Soccer code in club, provincial and international games. When the last “All Black” Soccer XI. visited Australia he was proclaimed by critics there the best inside forward in Australasia. and when “Ces” Dacre reaches England again he should find no difficulty in entering first-class company in the round ball game there. At the age of 27 and well preserved in physique and stamina “Ces” has many years of good cricket ahead of him. and while there are many who view this “poaching” of our best players by the Home bodies as “not quite cricket,” one can hardly blame a keen young player for accepting such an opportunity of stepping right in among the top-notchers where he rightly belongs. The offer made “Ces” Dacre was a sorely tempting one, and Gloucester were keen enough to agree to his own terms. Much as the public will regret parting' with such a popular idol, “Ces” will carry back to England with him all the very best wishes of those whom he has thrilled and roused by his sparkling audacity, inspiring enterprise and splendid sportsmanship.

Declared “Black” J. O. Anderson, who was recently declared “black” by the North Queensland strikers, evidently brought some of the curse back with him when he came south again (says a Sydney writer). Playing against R. O. Cummings at Toowoomba, J.O. went down in two out of three sets, failing to take a game in the third. This is his second defeat since he crossed the border, which suggests that he is getting too much tennis or that the fate of Tilden is overtaking him. Still, lawn tennis form, in these days of exhibition games, is as in-and-out as that of golf, and that is calculated to give a racing “stipe” the jim-jams.

Stiff Luck, Shore A few weeks ago it looked as though the Shore senior. League teavn were going to land three or four championships, but last Saturday alone it let the third and sixth grade slip through its fingers, and it now appears that Shore is going to say ta-ta to the whole issue. Sam Picks the AH Blacks Everyone is picking South Island and North Island teams at present. Sam says he will go one better. Here is his All Black team: Willie Owatafathed: J. Umbano, Billy ITmbslopagas, Tommy Umbslopagas. tj. Zimbarbi. Jimmy Toodoolumbuck, Charlie Isandlwha na, Henry Isar.dlwhana, T. Njaro, Tommy Nyangwe. J. Loana, Sammy Ujiferme’ndilejiferu, W. Njaro, B. Sokkuo and.— Sam.