VISITING CROQUET PLAYERS WELCOMED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 262, 26 January 1928, Page 9

VISITING CROQUET PLAYERS WELCOMED

RECEPTION AT DEVONPORT “We are proud of the fact that Devon port is the first club to welcome our distinguished visitors to New Zealand.” remarked Mr. E. Aldridge, Mayor of Devonport. on the Bowling and Croquet Club's greens this afternoon. The English croquet team had just arrived to play their first exhibition match since they landed in Auckland yesterday. “One of our visitors has referred to croquet as a cross between chess and billiards. ’’ continued Mr. Aldridge, “but I consider it more of a combination of hockey and football.” He then repeated a Maori waiata, or song, alleged to have been dug up on the croquet green, in which were several humorous allusions to the game. Mr. A. Harris. M.P. for Waitemata. drew attention to the fact that 97 per cent, of the inhabitants of New Zealand are British. He hoped the visit of the English team would benefit croquet throughout the Dominion. A short review of the progress of croquet of late years was given by Mr. H. S. W. King. president of the Devonport Bowling Club. Mrs. A. Lowe. president of the Bowling and Croquet Club, officially welcomed the visitors. bhe apologised for the absence of several prominent local officers and P la >' er ®' “We have been welcomed by 11 mayors and lord mayors during our two-month voyage here, and tlie ceremony has quite lost Its terrors . remarked Sir Francis Colchester wemyss. in reply. He touched on the part games had played in history, recalling the famous game played b> Sir Francis Drake. He also drew tocould be arranged in the near future.