Sporting Pars.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 3904, 30 May 1899, Page 4

Sporting Pars.

The 1896 Australian eleven was not once defeated by an English County. The 1899 is beaten by the first County it meets.

A. P. Lucas, who played so valuable a first innings for Essex against the Australians, visited Australia with Lord Harris’ team in 1878-9.

The English Amateur Racquets ohampionship has been won again by Mr H. K. Foster (holder), who beat Mr E. H. Miles (challenger) three games to nil. Peter Latham refereed the games

Manifesto, in the English Grand National, proved himself a second Cloister, for he has not only won the Grand National with Cloister’s weight of 12st 71b, but completed the double event which had before been achieved by Abd El Kader, the Colonel and The Lamb; and moreover, Manifesto won in gallant style, and then going past the leaders like a flash (says a London scribe.)

The net gate receipts in the billiard matoh between Dawson and Roberts were £2134 7s 3d. Mr Claude Norton,, who is reported to have purchased the “ gate,” gave the above figures in an interview at Wakefield to a representative of the London Sportsman. He expressed the utmost confidence in Roberts' ability to defeat all comers, and offered t® back him to give any man 5500 points start in 21,000 up, with benzoline balls for £IOOO aside.

G. B. Tinder and E. Bredin mot at the Clintonville Grounds, Belfast, on April 4, to deoide a race over 1000yds on level terras, for what is said to have been a stake of £SO. There was a strong wind and a very slender “gate” and when expenses are liquidated there would be little left for either man. There was a general impression that the Irishman, who is seven years his opponent’s junior, would win, and at the start the betting was 5 to 4 in his favor. The heavy breeze was against the men, but Tincler dashed away right at the outset, and continued to increase his lead all the way, the Englishman giving up when 120yds from home. Trader's time was 2min 26sec. It is hardly to be wondered that the people did not roll up, for the Irish are wonderfully good judges of- peds and pedestrianism, and over 1000yds Bredin could have but little chance with Tincler.

When the Crystal Palaoe was transferred to the present company, a strong point was made of the acquisition of the servioes of Dr W. G. Grace to look after the cricket arrangements, and to start the London County Cricket Club. Now that the list of cricket fixtures for the season is published (says en English contemporary) it is shown that the L.C.C. will play but two matohes, and those with counties which are not even second rate. Will not this be a disappointment to the shareholders alter the expectations that were founded upon the cricket attractions ?

Tod Sloan’s arithmetic does not appear to be equal to his horsemanship, says an exchange. On board an Atlantic boat he played a game of cards called “Honest John” with a stranger, and lost £l4O. He paid £4O, but the stranger followed him about London claiming the balance : so he paid £SO more. When he returned to New York the stranger turned up too, and wanted £SO more. Tod Sloan says that he was “ much surprised when thedemand was made.” That is why we say that his arithmetic does not appear to be equal to his horsemanship.

The new Boyal yacht is to be named the Balmoral (says Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News), and some of the folks who believe in the luck of Shamrooks with four leaves on four sails, think that this is a lucky omen. It was from the Osborne, (hen a comparatively new boat, designed by the late Sir William Pearce, of Fairlie, when a Chatham draughtsman, that the Queen witnessed the race for the Atneri can Cup in 1851, there being on board also the Prince Consort and the youth-

ful Piinoe of Wales and Prince Alfred. It does not teem at all unlikely that a Boyal party may witness another fight for the Cup on the oourse where it was first sailed for in the Solent. At any rate the Balmoral is to carry the Boyal flag for the first time at Cannes in the regatta week in August, 1900, and by that time the Cop should be on this side of the Atlantic.