OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 228, 24 January 1885, Page 6

OUT DOOR SPORTS

BY REFEREE

> T OTJCCES,

Secretaries of all kinds of Clubs for the promotion of out-door sports will confer a favour by communicating any items of interest connected with their sport, game, or pastime ; more especially withrespect to coming events. Short sketches of sporting or pleasure excursions u-itt be welcome, and questions en all matters connected with sports will he gladly answered. All communications must be addressed to " Referee."

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Subscriber ( Whangarci). — Can't find a record of the time. Maj ascertain shortly, when I will reply ;;gain.

Fosse and Livingstone met on the LSth instant in their five-mile race, when the latter won easily. Two fools ran from Ohinemufcu to Tauranga (42 miles by the old road) for a stake of a " tenner " a-side. I would not do it for five monkeys. I know the road, and it's a rough 'un. Mr C. T. Studd, the popular English amateur cricketer, has made up his mind to become a missionary to China. He's been at the wicket long enough, and now means to go for the wicked. Ponsonby's maiden four at the Association Ragatta will consist of W. George (stroke), R. Whiteside, J. Braund, and J. Arneil— and they'll take a bib of doing, I fancy, especially as they are training carefully, and look ripe already. I should like to see a boat race between Law and Tress, and the P.O. and Telegraph fellows might chip in. It would afford rare sport at least, and would be a good idea to make annual. I have heard some talk about it, and it iiKvy eventuate. W. Hudson, the Champion Wrestler of X.Z., is out with a challenge in the Victorian papers to wrestle any man in Australia (Thomas preferred), in Cumberland and Westmoreland styles, for £50 or £100 a-side. He says he will leave N.Z. about 23rd Jan. for Australia. D. Livingstone, the English crack long distance pod., won the Mile Handicap from scratch, with the greatest ease, in 4min. 38jSec. , on the first day of the Caledonian Society's Sports, at Dunedin, on New Year's Day. He also won the 5-mile Handicap in 25min. 41socs., nearly a minute faster than it has ever been run on the ground before. "We have much pleasure m annoimcingthat the original "Referee" has beeiv reengaged to contribute the matter in this column, and writes this week for the first time since the change. Our sporting* and athletic i*eaders may therefore depend on having- a good weekly budget of fresh items from the pen of a gentleman who understands what he writes about. It is a pity we could not have sent a decent couple of men to the Interprovial Bicylo Meeting on the 24th. Stewart I dont' know, but Fitton is at least a thirdrate here. I would have liked to have seen Service and Fiewellyn go instead. The former is fast and a sticker, while the latter possesses a rare turn of speed. Mr N". TV. Turnbull, so well known both as Collins Bros', manager in Auckland and a great athlete, left this week for Melbourne, having been appointed manager of the Melbourne branch of the firm there. The Ponsonby Football Club will miss his valuable services as a heavy forward this season. I wish Mr Turnbull <• thumping luck." There was some good Avrestling at the Dunedin Caledonian Society's Sports at New Year. "W. Hudson, champion, was thrown by Tiffbii in the Border wrestling, and by L'Estrango in the Cornish and Devonshire style. But when it came to wrestling for the championship, Border style, he beat Robertson (the half-caste) and Sonntag, after a good struggle, and retained the championship easily. The Canterbury Tunes says, regarding Robinson's eleven : "They did their best in both matches, and certainly did not bring discredit on Auckland cricket, as an ill" tempered youth has had the bad taste to write in the Auckland Ecenhuj Star. On the contrary, the way in which they brought off the match with Spring's Eleven was worth going a long way to see." Thanks, "Bumpy; ' and " so say all of us ! " The Southern papers are unanimous in eulogising JS T ed Mills' play (both with bat and ball) m the match against Christchurch. In the first innings of Christchurch he took 7 wickets at the very small cost of 39 runs in spite of the fact that the Canterbury men were hitting the other bowlers all over the field, and scored 347 ; and being sent in first in Auckland's second innings ho scored 35 in an innings of 2 hours and So minutes. The Witness says: "He bowled splendidly throughout the day." The Canterbury Times writer " Bumpy " says of Mills : « Even if Lankham had been able to come I don't think he would have bowled better than Mills did ; and I certainly do not think he would have got so good an analysis, for the batsmen would have been more on their guard against him. The truth is, that in Mills the Aucklanders have, quite unexpectedly, turned up a trump card, for h<> is a steady bat and field, as well as a most useful bowler."

At Sydney Agricultural Grounds, Mooro Park, on Dec. 27th, T. M. Malone, champion sprinter of Australia, made an attempt to lower the professional record for 350 yards, viz., 40secs., done at Manchester by Gr. Walsh in '72. He did it cleverly, runningthe distance in the grand time of 37 2-oths sees. This beats all records but L. E. Myers (36 4-sths) in 1881. English amateur record is 38 l-sth, done bj' H. R. Hall, at Stoke-upon-Trent, in '82.

The match between the "West End and Unsted C.C.'s was advanced a stage on Saturday. West End got 142, Arneil 25, Young 22, Reid 27, Twohill 12, Taylor 12, and King 17, were the double figure men. United got 89 the previous Saturday, and had 7 wickets down for oo when the stumps were drawn on Saturday last. The feature of the match Avas Arneil's splendid bowling in the first innings, when he took S Avickets for about 17 runs, and the g - ood bowling of both Arneil and Reid in the second. The match Avill be completed to-day (Saturday).

To the Editor — Sir, — I see by last week's Observer that your athletic contributor advises the Committee of the Eight Hours Demonstration to ask me to act as handicapper for their sports, along with Mr Dan Twohill. Now, much as I would like to do almost anything- in reason, in company with such a jolly good fellow and efficient hawlicappor as my friend Twohill, and while I thank j-our contributor for his good opinion of my abilities in such matters, I must bogto decline before I'm asked. On the occasion previous, when I did act, I got so much abuse from a few of those men who are troubled with the slows, because I did not handicap them from the tape end, that I vowed I would never act again in that capacity in public, open sports, and have in no aviso altered my decision up to date. — Yours complimentedly, 10. K. R. Fonin-:i".

Some big- scoring- was done in the Auckland and Otahuhu match. Ot:*.huhu made; 109 and 79, Dmiklcy 10, F. Porch, 2<i, K. Porch, 17, and Holdship, 12, in the first innings, being- the only doable figure ninn, and in the second, Crow, 14, G. Bowden. 13. and F. Porch, 14, being- the only ones avlio got into two figures. Auckland won the match by 04 runs, on the result of the iir.st innings, the following scoriae" a double for Auckland :— E. C. Beale, IS, ' A. E. De.wes, 78, A. M. Beale, 20, A. O'Brion, 17, and C, Gardner, 15. Dcwes hit like a Trojan for his runs, and also pLiyed good cricket. A. Beale and Mathcson shared the bowling honours, and trundled very well, while. W. Porch took 5 out of the 10 Auckland wickets,