A BEOORD OF SPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 717, 20 January 1877, Page 3

A BEOORD OF SPORT.

I [Compiled expressly for the Waikato 1 TIMBSJ]

The Regatta, the English Cricket Match, •' Papakura JEUoes aud JTllerslte Gardens' Sports are all set down for the29uh inst., *aud all m their way are oreating more or Hess excitement. The cricket match >ia the most talked of, and 'is likely to be ■ the moat extensively patronised, S3 l will refer ,to that first. According to the arrangements, the English team are to leave Sydney on the - 1 24bh.'iast., ; ia the Rjtorua, which is expected m the.Manu*kau on the evening of the 28th. They purpose playing, here on the 29;h and -30th, and leaving for Wellington on the 'evening of the .latter day. [It will' he seen by last night's telegrams that the date of playing the match has been • postponed to the 31st instant, and the Ist -and.2ndof.Feb.— Pp.. W.T.I Our oricketers h' re dont half like the programme, and 51 hardly wonder at it. They say their agreement stipulates for three days cricket, and they mean to insist on the j letter being adhered to. Ib seems tonne ■ that the English orioketera, themselves, ( will stiffer more by the docking of the • dijrtjpan we shall. They are to have the; jgitemofleyi and it will make a material -difference .m this, whether they remain two days or three. The Selection Committee have ohosen thirteen of the Auckland team. The names are Messrs *Cotton, Bucklan'd, Mum'ford, 0 Abraham, -Johnson, Winter, Sates, Dnfaur, W •Bobinson, G-E. Boilers, Lynch, Kent and— Since this list was published, Mr John. . son has sent word he cannot play. This -gentleman, who is a resident at Gtisborne, • was once captain of the Cambridge University Eleven. He *ig a brilliant all around player, and his loss will considerably weaken the 'twenty. The other > seven, or -wither eight men, will be 'elected within the next few day. The committee have gone about their .work m a very haphazard way, and their .notions 'are commented on very unfavorably m the Auckland papers. I suppose they inienl to include one or two Waitkatos m their final ohoic >, but it would not surprise me, from the way things have goae, to see you altogether ne.glected. The ground at Ellerslie will benefit by the rains of the last if ew days. It is very level, but lnmpy, and the out-fielding is rather bare of ..grass. If the roller via plentifully applied From now till the day, a good wicket can be got. Whether the attendance will be m the face of the numerous other attractions is a question which may well be anxijusly asked by these concerned. The Auckland Cricket Olub and the United Club have had another of ifoeir, periodical barneys. These two Clubs are , -always squabbling, and it is rarely that a -match between them goes off without -some unpleasantness. This is very curious considering that half a dozen of our ftest cricketers are members of both olubs. < The fact is the bickerings are caused by : -'two or^ three individuals who happen '•to hold office m the two clubs, and who &ate one another with a deadly hatred.

If th Be were changed for a season it would •often down. The latest sulijeot of cli-pute is the Southern Trip Ohaltenge Cud match which was to have been played between the two Clubs but which h a not, bee .use it has been found impossible for them to agree «pen v dty. The latest fixture wis last Mon day, but the. Auckland Secretary wrote at lie last moment saying his Club could n t ijefc a team together, and now I believe the United huve claimed the xnatoh. As it was distinctly understood that which ever dii not come to the scratch this • time won' 4 forfeit, I suppore ftheir claim will be allowed; This will leave -the • UmteJ and the North Shore Oiubs to fight -out theto ornament, itlte latter Club : hawng beaten the West EndOlub'by^ne) run *some days ago. T\ }& North Shore* are allowed to play 14 nien m the final ' go," •• ) that they are likely to make it ■ warm tor the who, however, have a very strong team and would win .easily if the match were played on level terms: ' Papakura Races at present do not 100 k ' like being a suco S3 from a sporting -point of »view. Q?he Handicap to Which a " cen- : tury"ds added, has only attracted ifour l competitors whose weights Wi*re de» ; clared to-day. They are I<e Don, <Bst 121bs. Jeaao Walton, Bst lOlbs. Hippo-' campus, {(Fanny Fisher colt) £ Bt lOlba. > and Derby, flat lOlhs. Only . three of; these are likely to -star b, as Mr Walters is. nearly certain to reserve the colt forDunedin. Owen McQ-ee will not send ' any hicg of his, because l*e says they! don't give him a chance • but he is 'fond i of a growl is Owen, and has yery little' caus?.o" omplaint Whatever the' -sport may be, there is likely to h; a good at-.i tendance, for the distance is gust iar' enough from town to make a visit <o : Papalcura races a nice country tiip, with ' the opportuni y of winning or lorin* aifew ; shillings .thrown m. {The Waikato meet- ' ing, on tho other hand, already shows' '■ -signs of attracting some good borsus. Mr! Wblbei-s has n<« le"up Lvs mind notfto go! back to Welhngion (t ius giving Bob ! Roy a walk-over lor the D%-rby),and will,', I understand, send at lea^t a couple to 1 your meeting. Owen McGee will also be: there with his dangerous "rough- uns," : and will make it warm for the best of. them. The pigeon Bhooting haj-flibap to. come off after the races is mv h talked of here, and I have heard -several Auckland Bhootistß express their intention of entering. Money is coming m plentifully for. the regatta, and the prizes this -year will begetter than usual.. The oommittee are •. doing their beat to make the fixture a success, and am-mg other improvements m the programme, have arranged the cour es of the miijority of the sailing race 3 so that they can be witnessed .from '; the flagship and the highlands m the! suburbs. We have two gooHl foot races ; on the capis. On the 22nd inst. George Jenniugs and Ned McFinley, .two local peds, contend for £40, over jfiu yard at Ellerslie Q-ardens. A more interestinv mabeh will bethAt between Mr F Fa^an and W'ST Grimes, one mile, for £25 a Bide, which is arranged to (bine off soon. The match on paper looks a good thing ' for Grimes, who has won all the Dong distance races here lately, but I hear that that Fagan (who is the challenger) ! has wonderfully improved, and considers. it a good thing for himself. At the lime . l write we are anxiotis'y expecting' Dews of the Nelson regatta, and theioinga of the Thames -and I Auckland boats there. — Vatbs. f-