A EECORD OF SPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 736, 6 March 1877, Page 2

A EECORD OF SPORT.

WRTTTBN EXPRESSLY FOR THE « WAI^ ATO TIME*. 1 Auckland, 2nd Jjareb, The English cricketers are continuing their victorious career through the polony. There was very little outside interest taken m the Taranaki, Helson, and Grey mouth matches, as it was. pretty certain they would be mer«j flea-bites for the English players. But with the Canterbury match it was different. There can be no question that at Christohuroh cricket is cultivated more assiduously than m any other place m New Zealand, and it ought. to be, for the natural advantages the: city possesses render-it aiLeasy matter for those who so desire to practice every day m the week. Theirground is probably one of the best m the world, and it is within tea minutes walk of the centre of the city. It is only remarkable under such circumstances that Auckland should be able' to compete w|6h hr L . at all. It must be admitted or a sides that Canterbury has nMr'.Aubest fight with the Eo^lk h 1 „ Only 18 playing^ *»7 o % te ™'e runs behind m Uv> first innill * and the game lost afr *Ke finish b y 23 runs, is a record ty no meang t J 0 be a^f m «n?l dinßb *^: champions of the « Old. Country," tlioufhasfar as these are concerned, it.woud be more creditable still for our Southern friends were it perfectly certain that the said champions were sober fetrange to say, although the ground was hard and fast, very small scores were made on either B ide| and though Cantevbary may boast of getting th& Englishmen out for the smallest total, Auckland has still the largest colonial scores to pbiniSfcr. Let us take a look at the. causes which may be assigned for the excellent stand made at Christ church compared with the" hollow beating m spite of the good scores received by Auckland. First and foremost, it is plain that m Cuntectouy they/ | practice fielding and bawling aswell as batting, The bowling of young Frith must really havebeeta firatoiass to have done such exect*. tion among the English timber, " Auckland practices, fielding jp lv thought of, and as for op- u ° n , e . ver it says very little for •*' £ b0 » lm S> land's hasunero*; lC *■»{ Buckpians, or wha^ w '" ton .f player's vi^ ye ? thls energetic deliver^ °° r0 L US bufc rather w * ld -* may be called, should still -mlr% mail J stand - by » that not a. omgle firstclass trundler should have cropped up m five 01 . six 6easons> Uur mea could make a few runs, for they do practice batting, but the fielding and bowling were not up to the mark. Ifc should however, be considerable consolation to Auckland to know that if her players field badly at home, they can " wire-in " when they get the chance on a good ground. Alpe, who gained the prize for fielding m the Canterbury team, was one of the Champion Auckland thirteen who went down South m the famous tour of 1873. He obtained a billet m Christchurch on that occasion and has remained there ever since.' Sweete, who gained the chief battintr prize, by his score of 17 m the second innings, is another player who deserted the Auckland colours atthe same <jime. By-the-bye these prizes were, no doubt, slightly instrumental m making the Canterbury players go m for practice « con.

..amdi-eN^lte^lcemoiits of the kind wer"elielcl"put "To" the AuckM^lijfrfidWok&ei^^Ai^ HhjLapabby „ .-s^AP^iW^^&pjii^te.-.- W ic ' was .CrepijeheQpHe.,. n.;Tl>,Q.ni [again, m Cih^erbur^pi ther selection and • mantfgfement committed Seemed to ; have acted with much more vigour, „ thau'oifr committeomen? here did. '■ ;;to tiHit ■ one 1 of; 'tfieir , best; $.1 n . P??^'s» >E „ Fpwler, wjis /excluded from* the eighteen, because he had/'Oiafe;Bhowed' up- at practice, is illustrative of .this. Other reasons might be assigned, bub these s I think,, 'will prove sufficient to" show that s-- . Auckland • ericfcet i» not : in itself j* ■-"» behilid' thafe.oi Ohristob.iu'cb,;but is kept back and apathy of , its (so called) supporters, '.i'.iJrWd-^thd-^-iffielblti* dtteridjng its culttire> l r tiave littld J 'doubt that, , after-, this^, "p^n terbtiry " will make '. v another effort } W^corfe.- j ii.p; and' test , "become pf th^iMtff wass „ j,to/bring:np'atGhlasi3mas?: iVanishqd - thin*- -aii 1 ,; 1 -4> '■ suppose, 'iike y: ; ntry, cornea off to-moribw (Saturday), at Ellerslie., tJ andi£a gopd 'contest is likely to resul^jifli >a ew of the "otd^^Simf^^S^ 6^ to <vssisfc< m is; besXkijq^^.tja^emselves. " r '^*Hend^rspji's:-.-^l l l. |rt; last v-^Mpla^ v§reditabl^ to the promoters. There wepe : nb' Jess v thaftlf Hiaeile^QjalsVon the car^l, , ;r<jx:clusiV6)i)f fth^rfootii^fein'g, «o| fhat, : The .0 pffioids,y4W^kedurlike!i iiwirses^ and f --- got- the ■progrrtmiTftd worked off. Ifa 1 . Q -ica!pitaPtime> Tjie^bursejisf a j very { .gpodione,;aud^ r^gtily situated. Jt-; ' is rafclief top far^om towii to attract ihe bnli^W -tfie? Auckland holiday , , m -ak jng:.fqlk, , bftt, for a]l ? th"at, the • -i J kb<4tj five, hun dr^^Chejprincipal noteworthy featui '9 oßihe facing was the game ''ninftln^^f iiv M^^' Moon, who. wdii botU hiu!?;aceH Mie Hurdle Eace and Cut tnT<4^ -Bty* ':*faW ricraahe'u/ of llj ,. stone mV; each case., rt QweiiiMiiGee is going^to'ta^e her, ** botV^'s™ n^ and'; "Wanganui, . Anptiier t Tircumstan<?e calling ; 'for 'r'emark' was/ tßat-'abbtit f half of the horses; running id . the different, etente vvere 1 either 'bjr >■ &**$ ty^ ; pr; ; c^^ of 1 Dainity mares. Jhis good siv,e basjeft Jiis t mark very .s?■&'/ m th^partpfltlie^ conntrj. -: : t ■ ThW'WabkwbVth^b^rllddn^y meet--, ' * some ' igQpd'; sport,', but'the cbmlJ6titors \vec«reritirely of third * >'^ ™-"- - ( - k Full .debuils p^. th;e' Napier, meetring 'jiay.eV^nljj come' to hand to-day '."a'Si6i^oiae!reas.op. or, other only the mere results of ihe first days' s rac■ihthe Handicap was an awgul facer f or i| M.& vWJatt Varid i" the talent." The r Ace was. looked upon; aajia moral fer "*li6 : 'Atfclilaia Cup winner, and th caase^ J» djfcat issti.i a ,to me.' thou S h Mao J?M ■was 'always ; g ;^T^ l^ 8 wlt * ,'ihorstf l|«i^ s6fAtcHed i^;^ r 19. el?- fe- ----* gagementg r on ,the secon. ** v^ 1 ! ' *• *>• •* V JIA WAS rendered' pretty certain that": M " . ' lX amiss) cThe^bfetaog tviU.^fc^ 6 , tllcs effect of getting him quite 7 1 ? s less weigtifi*'-ih^ J 'l)hte^Od^erbury ; ; g^ F . Autumn Handicap. So that ii -«*f?fi ailment whatever it is, should: ti^ m pnt^onJx^tpmppraiiy^ affair hisjbo' V» over .will be of ereat, benefit to hi '8 ..,,;, i; , . ; # ,v.' : A .good little race fixture is set -for- St Patricks : Day,; : at • Tamaki it js'statfedjaere that ene t iire tp come , .np/fer.riit'l'^Mr,.'W > pyfield73s tne »■■ Secretary, ; and^is ..'•.•leaving - 1 no stone /to ensure a successful : ' gatToJring^^ ' ° coiirse ; may : be , * reacliect from Auckland m. about an ] hour by steamer, and two are to.be.. i Jaid; pn ' specially for , the. occasion. 4 -tiipneyaa coming , m. freely {towards I the- prizes^ * their value ; .will be considerable.- The nomination for k ihe. principal race>,;-Jthß St Patrick's Hancicap /closeSKthi^ evening, and- .; ilj^WV^^fe-.receiy^.-^ow^hey are: ' as tollows^:-H , / : Mr Wynyard'B b m Lady Godiva, 6yrs, by Potentate, dam tbe Nan ; ' Mr J S Backland's b" g larry, aged Mr, Robert Kirkwood'a b.m Midnight, l - -V-4y^ : - f V ■' '■' -" x '■■"■" ! jrl ; Mr M Edgar'B b g Don, agedr- ; Mr A Hooker's b m FOl mosa, aged Mr t> Taylor'B b g Shaune.en, Oyrs & 'Mr^W ;AfeetlyVb> g/'M^iDiWd; 'aged Mr Oowaa'a r g Usurper, late Oliver aged Spme tradesmen's races are te be gp:b, up., for the same day at „the i T ! .N,orbh Slaor s, ■ but these , will be of , yiery Small inipbrtance/: • * - ■ : vThe : - i: 'Atiok:laii[d facing Club ' ' .Autumn Meeting is settlec) to come ; .off W ;tbe-,24th v and : 25th of May. , An earlier '.fixture was desired by •-'•the majoi'ity of the Club Committee, but it was^ found impossible to bring r the 4at!e fprwa,rd without losing the ..patrpnagW of Mr, Watts> and Mr i Walter's stable whose, champions, Ariel, ! Hippocampus, Kingfisher, Isaac Walton are all down South ?.* and' are;, not likely ,to : be up again !• till, after .Easter.., .i < An effort is being made to increase ' ■•'■ the valud of next year'p " Auckland Cup to £500, m prder tb elltice the > Southern '■ craclfs >' up. At present the sea , too long ; ;and^the a'isks too great tp make it werth their while tp cpme,-but if this new idea is carr ried ,outj tl^eyj w.il\. come fast enough. .' *"" We have heard very little lately abont the market movements on the V, I iTow of Marori, the early, favourite, } f ! .awl, present- &ibg P^iip, Puriri, V« a,n(J 1 Jlippo;campus r - 'are all the rage here; :"Thjere is a 'rumour abont town to-day that the last named is' gone larn^, but little

credence is attached to it. E hope it is not true, for if Mr Walters can /get him to the post fit; and well, there is n6fr a better horse m the colony. If the word is passed that he is right at the start, all Auckland will bo on him to a m,an. T have no ?% n 9J % backing Mr Redwood's hot favourites ; they are so shifty. JPunga were were might do the trick a second time if she makes up her mifid^to try; but my particular fancy is King Phillip, who, lam convinced, if well on the day, will , run . a great horse with only 7st 7lb up- Vates.