SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10446, 11 October 1911, Page 6

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

CRICKET NOTES.

[Br "Leg-Break."]

1 Saturday affcenoon saw dozens of j cricketers at tlhe practice nets on the Park Oval in Master-ton. The ground was in.first-class order, and some really good practice was indulged in. Even the onlookers, of whooh there were a great number, appeared to take a great interest in the proceedings. Everything points to a very successful season this year. A meeting of the Wairar t apa Asso-,. ciation will be held on Friday evening," 13th inst, when entries will he received for the various competitions, and' the fixtures for the season drawn. The opening matches will be commenced |on the 28tih inst. This is'® week later | than last year. I W. Morris, who tiwo seasons ago did so wall for St. Matthew's B. but last 1 reason was unable to play, has, thrown in his lot with St. MatthewV again this season. ': ' ' From present appearances, St. Matthew's will put in a strong team this season for the competition; and will, no doubt, give a good account of themselves. The Lord Hawke Cup competition promises to excite a great deal of interest not only locally, says a Southj land paper j but in other centres. Already the Southland Cricket Club has received three challenges, viz., Nelson, [ South Auckland -and South Canterbury. It is evident that with these j three games on the local fixture list, Southland cricket will he raised to a standard unequalled in the province. The presence of Rutherford and HicLdlestone in Southland will materially to. tho ,chances-of the province retaining the Hawke Cup, so ablv won i last season. The. Wellington\Association are experiencing some trouble in the matter of finance. At the meeting of the Management Committee last week, notice was given by Mr H. D. Bell of his intention to move at the special meeting of the Association on October 16th, that the following be a new rule: : —"Whenever tlhe funds of the Association shall be found to be insufficient to meet- the liabilities a levy upon every playing member of every club of a sum not exceeding sixpence per week for a consecutive period, of' not more than six months may lie declared and made by a general meeting. .Such levy shall take effect according to the terms of the resolution of the general meeting. Each club shall be responsible for the collection of the levy from' its members and for the ■ payment thereof to.thetreasurer of the Asso- * ciation. No member of any club who shall Win arrear in respect of any weekly levy for more than seven days shall play in any match or bo entitled to any privilege of membership of his club until he shall have paid such arrears in full. Each club shall; once in each month during the .period of the levy, pay over to the' treasurer of the Association the amount of the; levy for its members, and supply a list of such of its members as shall be in>arrear." A London cable states that, Mr P. F. Wijrnar, the captain of the M.C.C. team now on the way. to Australia, while in the crush at fit. Pancras station, had his inner pocket picked 1 , and valuable papers and the party's tickets stolen; Apparently Warner has \ alrbady been "stumped." His sister-in-law lost a diamond-studded watch." At the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association the delegates to the' New Zealand Council-were. inst;ructed''it'" 'propose Certain alterations in the conditions of competition for the Plunket Shield." 1 At a meeting of "the Management' Committee subsequently, Mr ex-*" plained the nature of the suggested alterations. At the Shield-can be challenged and played for only on the ground of the holder. It is proposed that the championship henceforth be decided on tihe aggregate points scored in not le-s than three matches to be. played, (by each of the competing associations, namely, . iby Wellington, Canterbury, Auckland, Ota.go and Ha*ke's Bay. The associa- [ tibns lire to play alternately at home and abroad. These alterations, it is held, will make the shield competition more interesting, and ensure a greater number of matches being plaved each year. ; It isvbelieyed that- C. B. Fry's refusal to go to Australia with the jjSnglislh team is. not due to the fear, of 1 leaving "terra firma," but to a dread of meeting that terror Cotter. . for against 'Hampshire, J,; H... Board allowed - not a single bye in a score of 594 for six , wickets. . The runjour that W; W. Annstrong | ' will ibe unable to play cricket'"this sea-, son, awing to having broken a bone in hfe fend, is denied, as; tW ihiuTy has . 1 healed. It is further stated" that Arm-

strong is certain to play.

TENNIS NOTES,

(By "Wallflower.")

Mr A. E. Harraway could not be induced to again accept any of several important offices on'the management committee of the Otago Lawn Tennis Association, as he entirely disagreed with the conduct of the association's affairs during the past year. The New Zealand Association will invite a team of six lady .players from Australia to visit New Zealand and play matches in Wellington either immediately before or after the" J)avis Cup contest in Christchurcli. v Whatever may be 'the reason, whether the prominent player for whom America desired earlier dates for the Davis Cup has, as in 1909, found that he can't come at all, the American Association has again cabled that the original dates Will suit, and the Davis Cup will be played at Ohristchurch on December 29th and 30th, and January Ist. That is good, for it is now certain that the team will come. , It is probable, however, that it means again that W, A. Larned cannot find time to make the trip; Heath, the Victorian tennis player, has returned from England. . sing the Davis Cup, he said - that since Wilding and Dunlop would not be available, he was afraid that Australians would have to go Horiie -to "bet the Americans for the' Cup. .. Referring to the finals of the English championship, Doust writes: — "The result of the singles championship at Wimbledon has left a nasty taste in ouv mouths. It is generally conceded that under the circumstances it was a farce, and the question /generally asked, Is Wilding really tlhe champion? cannot from the result be convincingly answered in the affirmative. Wilding was as glad to see the finish of the match as Barretfwas. The strong, athlete New Zealander was also plaved to a standstill. He allowed ball' after ball to go uncliased that' were well within " his reach, simply because of the heat. If he felt like that in one day, how would he have felt after a fortnight's play?"