SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 981, 26 February 1910, Page 3

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

(By "Hercules.") CRICKET. Carterton, with three wjckets down for 64 runs, continued their innings against Carlton on Saturday, and when the last wicket fell the total stood at 119 (twelve more than Carlton's first innings). T. Prow was top scorer with a carefully compiled 26, J. Becehey beiDg not out with 20 to his credit, Smart 15 and Hart 16 also batting well. ■ Carlton made a good start with their batting, the first five wickets producing 101 _runs, but the tail failed miserably, the last four wickets falling without any alteration to the score. Waugh 26 and St/las 23 were the only batsmen to stand up to the Carterton bowling. Sid Sievers was mainly responsible for thrf local men's downfall, his bowling average reading:—Overs 12, maidens 6, runs 9, wickets 4, a meritorious performance against such batsmen as Carlton possess, and on a batsman's wicket. Maunsell and Tunnicliffe also trundled well. At the last meeting of the Management Committee of the Wairarapa Cricket Association, a committee was set up to see whajt support would be forthcoming from the junior p'ayers for a match with the Manawatu junior eleven at Palmerston North. '; A meeting of junior captains was held on Thursday evening to consider the matter, and it was decided that on account of the good support promised by the junior players to the project, that the secretary of the Association be asked to write to the Manawatu Association suggesting March 11th and 12th or 18th and 19th (the latter dates preferred) for a match. A committee consisting of Messrs J. Berry, F. Fairbrother and P. Bennett were appointed to select the team at least a fortnight before the date arranged for the match, and at the meeting several present expresssed the opinion that the senior players should be asked to assist witb their bowlers at the practice wicket in getting the juniors into form for the match. Two surprises were the result of Thursday cricket this week, Carterton's total of 36 in their second innings against Carlton robbing the match of the exciting finish that was anticipated. This match added another ' 'hat trick" to te Hst of performances tha season, "Bob" Moss taking three Carterton wickets off three successive balls. With a good start, W.F.C.A. were successful m turning the tables on Rivals, and thus securing their first win this season—which they justly deserve, as the team has some particularly good material if handled properly. A "feature" of the match was R. Hatch's innings.his total of 64 not out being obtained by slogging at every ball that came his way; his score included twelv3 fourers. It was generally expected that if the Australian touring team was to | be beaten in the four centres, Auckland would do the trick, their Plunket Shield performances dubbing them the premier province of New Zealand. To be beaten by an inning 3 and 128 runs was decidedly humiliating after the Wellington team's defeat by I only six wickets at the bands of the visitors. Whitty's bowling and Mayne's batting have given the New Zealanders an exsrcple of the players, while Warren Bardsley has , so far just been held in reserve, and no doubt will only exert himself in ! the test matches.

In reference to Mayne's batting, the "Auckland dtar" says:—"The next over saw the dissolution of the partnership by the dismissal of Mayne, bowled by Rtlf with a good length ball, which kept a little low. Mayne had played perfect cricket for the very fine score of 136. In all his tine innings he scarcely made one faulty stroke, and treated the spectators to the finest batting display seen in Auckland this year." This week Canterbury will be the lamba led to the slaughter, and next week Otago. "Not out" in the Sydney "Referee" writes:—F. Midlane, who headed the scores for Wellington with 67, is well known in Sydney, having played with Sydney District and Redfetn during his few years residence here. He was a gooi batsman, but was rarely able to show his true form here, perhtps through not having regular practice. His biggest innings was 106 for Redfern v Waverley, on the latter's ground in 1904-5. At a meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association, it was resolved that it he a recommendation to the

New Zealand Cricuet Council that should the amount subscribed by the Associations and the Council be more than sufficient to cover the cost of the ; tour of the Australian team, the i amount over-subscribed be refunded pro rata. I Alex Downes first represented j Otago at cricket during the season 1888-9, but previous to the recent j Plunket Shield match he had never played cricket in Auckland. In 1887 he played football for Otago there. SWIMMING. The number of records established j at the championship meeting at Auckland this week shows that New Zealanders are not behind their Australian cousins in the way of this fascinating water pastime. Excellent entries and fields were recorded fcr all the events, and the finishes with : out exception were very exciting. At Hawthorn, New South Wales, recently, Frank Beaurepaire easily won the half mile championship of v Victoria in limit: 58 l-ssec, lowering I the previous Victorian record by i 3-sths of a second. T. W. Mason was j second, and C. Powell third. j T. S. Battersby, the famous English swimmer, who would have been [ one of Beaurepaire's chief opponents i'. . I in the swimming contests at the } Olympic Games that were to have [ been held at Athens in May next, will ! probably visit Austral ia next year. Battersby is very anxious to meet the Australians in their own waters, and looks forward to a successful tour. Battersby anticipates that he will have liitle difficulty on this occasion in obtaining the English Amateur Swimming Association's permission to tour Australia. Ihe Y.M.C.A. swimmng carnival held on Thursday was not so well patronised as the promoters hoped, but still the attendance was not small. Several young swimmers came out and gave promise of improving with experience. The comic events were mostly new to Master ton, and caused a deal of merriment. The general arrangements reflect credit on Mr A. Snowball, and the carnival is another demonstration of how he has the welfare of the Y.M.C.A. in Masterton at heart. TENNIS. In addition to America and the British Isles, there is every prospect of challenges being received tuis year from Germany and South Africa for the Davis Cup. For several years Germany has been building up tennis players, as well as Dreadnoughts, and has now two players, in Otto Froitzheim and F. W. Rahe, quite equal to holding their own with the world's best. After considering applications from four manufacturers of tennis balls, testing samples of balls submitted, and giving consideration to opinions received from the various associations and clubs, the management committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association has adopted Avres' championship ball for the New Zealand championship meeting.

The Lawn Tennis Association (England) lately added the following to its rules:—"The Council shall have power to prohibit the holding of new championships and open meetings." It was no doubt found that events were clashmg too mach. New Zealand has from twenty-five to thirty tournaments during the year, and it is a question whether the time is ripe to add two more championship events, that may keep promising players away from the big event of the year. The regulations governing tbe annual international contests or the | Davis Cup, and title of champion | nation provide that "Any nation j wishing to compete shall give notice j to the secretary of the association, j or corresponding organisation, of the champion nation, so that it shall ] reach him not later than the first Monday in March of the year in which ihe competition is to take' place." The sporting journals in New YorK have been stirring up the authorities to make a serious effort to get the cup back to America where it belongs, and pointing out that two successive defeats by the youngest nation qualified to compete, with the smallest population, reflects little credit on the organisation that controls the sport in America. Strong pressure is to be bought to bear to secure the services of Mia present champion, W. A. Larned, and the ex-champion, W. J. Clothier. Beals Wright, who beat both Brookes and Wilding in the 1908 match in Melbourne, will join in a representative team. Nether Alexander nor Hackett (the present holders of the Doubles Championship of America) can be persuaded to make the trip "down under." Alexander has announced in the press that Larned and Wright would be certain to win three of the four singles matches, which would tbe sutticent to wrest the Cup from Australasia. ATHLETICS. A. Campbell, the North Island distance crack, who won from scratch the Half Miie and Mile Handicaps at Mangaweka on January 22nd last in the fast time of lmin 58sec, and 4min 24sec, respectively, i 3 expected to be a competitor at the championships at Grey mouth next month. : Otago centre is early in the field j with an application to have the Australasian Amateur championships deI cided in Dunediin next year. ,H"^