"
December 20, 1909,7
LOCAL SPORT.
FOOTBALL NOTES.
Despite the many counter attractions on Saturday afternoon our popular winter pastime had a large following. No fewer than three competitions were on the go, the two divisions of the H.K. League and the Navy League. Several good games were witnessed, but the results were all as might have been anticipated.
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That the Sappers should have been so badly beaten by the Yarders was hardly in keeping with the game, as although the home team was superior in every department to their opponents, only the absence of a player in the visiting team could account for the opportunities afford. ed Wilks and Sullivan,
The Sappers had only two of their regular players in their team, and judging by the display of several of those who were out for the first time I should not be surprised if the combina- tion is further strengthened by the inclusion of more new blood.
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Naval Yard with their reconstructed forward line are now good enough for any team they are likely to be up against, and Sullivan, with his tricky footwork, continues to take the eye, at the same time adding to his splendid goal total.
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After their sensational opening on Saturday against Kowloon, the Gunners took a long time to again find the net, and then only after the visitors had had several good tries at equalising. The ground was too hard for the play of the home team to be fully effective, the long passes very often travelling over the touch-line as the result of the lively ball.
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Kowloon do not seem to have suffered much by dropping several of the players who started the season with them, and if the present com- bination can be kept together they ought to do well in the forthcoming cup-tie competitions. I hope that in the interests of the game there is nothing in the rumour that an amalgamation is likely to take place between Kowloon and the Club. In any case, I fail to see that either team would benefit, as after carefully comparing the two teams, man for man in their positions, with the exception of Brown and Foulkes, the Club would not be strengthened by any of the
Kowloon team.
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Form in football is a quantity which can rarely be relied on. When the results of the second division reached me on Saturday I tried to compare the values of the various teams on previous results, and found that on paper the Moslems, having drawn with Lusitano, who had twice drawn with B.O.C., should have been good enough for 83 Coy, as B.O.C. defeated 83 Coy. at Lyemun by one goal to nil. But the argu- ment finished there, because the Moslem team were defeated by eight goals to uil, and never at any part of the game did they show to advantage.
88 Coy., 83 Coy., and B Coy. are running a neck and neck race for League honours, but although the season is only half through I have no hesitation in predicting that the Victoria Barracks Coy, will come out on top.
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The teams from the ships are shaping well in their League matches. King Alfred have so far won every match played since they arrived in the Colony, but the margin has in each case been so small that it would seem as if all the naval teams were pretty much on a par. This being so, it will be interesting to note their display in any matches they may play against the H. K. League teams as having a bearing on their chances in the forthcoming Shield competition.
one.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Sullivan, Naval Yard (4).
LEADING GOAL SCORES.
Taylor, Buffs
18
Watts, R.G.A.
Brewster, Buffs
(7) (7).
14
10
.9
.7
REFEREE
Brown, Kowloon
Numbers in parenthesis indicate matches
played.
CRICKET NOTES.
League cricket has now settled down to normal conditions and the weather has been ideal. It is a pity one cannot make the same remark anent the pitches, or, rather, the pitches elsewhere than on the Club Ground.
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Saturday's matches were productive of some interesting cricket. On the Club ground the Artillerymen were matched against the Hong- kong "A" team, though why they style them- selves "A" is difficult to conjecture. Pearce. Turner, Hancock and Claxton could hardly be called an A team combination. Last year the Club entered two teams-A and B and having their forces split up, they were more or less on an equal footing with the other Clubs, who cannot offer the same inducement to wielders of the willow as the premier club. Under last year's condi- tions the League competition provided a higher class of cricket than previously, and nobody begrudged "B" team their winning the Shield. Previous to last year only a certain number of "first class cricketers' were allowed to play with the "A" team, and in consequence they were unable to get anything like a team to be depended on. Now they go to the other extreme, and the "A" team is practically a representative Hongkong Club team. It is to be regretted that the Club did not enter two teams, for this season, that if they want to win the Shield there is
no team in the Colony who would stands possible chance of beating them, and thus no credit would accrue to their retaining it for an indefinite period. As it stands now, it would appear that if they are keen on winning a particular match, they put in a strong team; if, on the other hand, they are indifferent, they put in a team not quite so strong,
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The Artillery compiled the tidy score of 104 for 9 wickets. Major Logan, Capt. Garnett. and Gunner Fuller each topping 20. Leith and Pearce were the successful trundlers-the former's analysis reading 5 wickets for 35 runs, a very creditable performance. For the Club the partnership of Pearce and Claxton provided sufficient runs to win the match. For the R.G.A. Capt. Garnett and Bdr. Winkworth a new addition to their side, shared the bowling
honours. The former secured five wickets and the latter three.
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Craigengower played the Civil Service on the former's ground. The main feature of the match was the remarkably low scores and in consequence. the success of the trundlers. The home team went to the wickets, and, facing the bowling of Battliwars and Pestonji, scored 54. Five " ducks" were registered. Battliwara bowls under-arm leg breaks and has been respon- sible for a number of surprises this season. There really appears to be nothing in his deliveries, out the fact remains that he gets wickets. Craigengower appeared to have the game in hand, but Brett and Hutchison for the Civils were responsible for a similar rot in their batting side. There is no doubt the small scores are attributable to the wretched state of the pitch, and the old question crops up as to whether it would not be advisable for the League teams to play their matches on matting. It would do away with the necessity of keeping expensive staffs for coaxing or trying to coax turf to grow and it would make the scoring much higher and cricket more interesting to match, from a spectator's standpoint
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537
nines being registered. Telegraphs-scored the necessary runs with the loss of two wickets.
Club
LEAGUE TABLE.
Telegraphs Buffs.... Civil Service....... Royal Engineers H.K.C.C.
♪♪GAWQGWPlayed.
*10 MN&M+NNHHO
*KARIⱭOHH000000
450IOOHN-OTST
3 2
UMPIRE.
badorn~~~Points.
>Per cent.
100.00 66.6
50.00
33.3
33.3
25.0
-60.00
4 1 3
.75
-100.0
5 1
R. G. Artillery 4 2 2 Kowloon Craigengower
Hongkong Police 4 0
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
THE SITUATION IN KOREA.
THE QUESTION OF ANNEXATION BY JAPAN,
Tokyo, December 19th. The Ilchinhoi society agitation is discredited, but Ccunt Hayashi in an interview advocates the annexation of Korea as being the best method of protecting Japanese interests and allaying Korean dissatisfaction, if the Powers do not object. He cites the annexations of Hawaii by the United States and Bosnia- Herzogovina by Austro-Hungary as precedents. WELCOME HOME TO JAP NESE MERCHANTS.
The match between the Buffs and the R.G.A.
The Telegraphs and Kowloon met on the on Saturday is likely to be an evenly-contested Craigengewer Ground, the match resulting in The present state of the ground is very a win for the Telegraphs. Kowloon were first much in favour of the Buffs, as they play a at the wickets, and were all disposed of for 64 much closer game than the Gunners, and should
due mainly to the bowling of Oliver, who secured' the present spell of dry weather continue I6 wickets for 28 runs. Weaser (10) was th expect to see the Buffs come out on top.
only Kowloonite to reach double figures-fou
Tokyo, December 17th. The businessmen who recently visited America arrived at Yokohama to-day, and were accorded a great welcome,
ļ
At Tokyo, where formal proceedings took place in the Chamber of Commerce, in the presence of the Diplomatic Corps, Baron Shibusawa said that he and his party had set an example in national diplomacy, and had found that Americans everywhere desired to enter into peaceful competition on the Pacific.
MR. ROOSEVELT AND THE LATE PRINCE ITO.
·
Tokyo, Docember 17th. Mr. Roosevelt has telegraphed to Japan from Nairobi, in the East Africa Protectorate, expressing profound horror at assassination of Prince Ito.
The message was evidently dispatched by carrier from far in the interior of Africa.
THE JAPANESE BUDGET.
Tokyo, December 19th. The Budget has been circulated among the leaders of the political parties.
The main features are a readjustment of taxation, and the increase of official sala
salaries involving nine million yen.
The estimates of revenue and expenditure, balance, the amount being 534,172,706 yen.
The War Office expenditure shows a decrease of eight millions.
[FROM THE “CHUNG NGOI SAN PO”.
SIR CHEN TONG-CHENG CENSORED
Peking, December 17th. to the Throne censoring Sir Chen Tung Cheng, The Viceroy of Canton has sent a memorial
formerly Chinese Minister at Washington, and at present Secretary to the Naval Commissioners.
The Viceroy stated that during Sir. Chen's management of the Canton-Hankow Railway he spent over $7,000,000 and completed only about 43 miles of the line.
Mr. William J Calhoun, who has been ap- pointed U.S. Minister to Peking, is a member of the firm of Calhoun, Lyford and Sheban, o- Chicago. He was born 61 years ago in Pennsyl
Hei vania and has been a lawyer since 1875. was a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, March 8, 1898, to October 1, 1900.