SPORTS TOPICS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 39, 25 November 1937, Page 3

SPORTS TOPICS

ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS. (“By Flagpole.”) ; Saturday. i Cricket competitions. Tennis competitions. ■ Racing Club’s meeting. > Christchurch-Timaru road race. 1 December 4. Bullock Pennant bowls. Allenton Swimming Club’s opening carnival. December 5. Motor-Cycle Club’s run to Moeraki. A report of the progress of the scheme to bring an American coach, A 1 Fitch, to the Dominion Avas presented to the annual meeting of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre. Mr T. AY. Leslie said that everyone lie had approached had expressed pleasure at the proposal. A great deal of good was to be done in the colleges. “I am confident that I will collect £4OO before Christmas,” said Mr Leslie. Although he won the 1930 New Zealand amateur golf title and has been prominent in many major tournaments, H. A. Black, the AVellington player, lias never yet won the club championship at his home course, Miramar. This year, however, lie is the likely champion, having played consistently good golf through the season. Recently he was runner-up in the winter cup contest held on the Hutt links, and he also beat A. D. S. Duncan, two up, in an inter-club match, on the latter occasion giving a fine display of control in a strong wind. In probably the world’s most unique strike, 2S cricket umpires at Queen’s Park, Sydney, staged a sit-down strike and demanded more pay on a recent Saturday. When the Eastern Suburbs Cricket Association refused their demands, the umpires, tired of “sitting down” left the park. Fourteen matches were affected, the games being continued with either players or bystanders wlio volunteered to umpire. The umpires have been discontented for some time. They have been paid 5s an afternoon and recently approached the association and asked for 6s. N. Bell, who has been attached as professional to the North Shore Golf Club for the past seven years, has tendered his resignation to the club, to take effect from January 31 next. Bell thus joins the following band of leading unattached professionals: E. J. Moss, A. Murray, A. J. Shaw, J. Mclntosh, C. C. Clements, N. H. Fuller. The only two prominent professional players now associated with clubs are T. S. Galloway, of Maungakiekie, Auckland, and E. S. Douglas, of Balmacewan, Dunedin. Melbourne cricketers are said to be wondering whether it was purely for sentimental reasons that AV. H. Ponsford has made himself available for the Richardson-Grimmett testimonial match to be played in Adelaide shortly. It is rumoured that Ponsford will return to first-class cricket if he does well in the Adelaide match, and if he does play regularly in first-class fixtures he may well reach the test team for England. In club cricket Ponsford has been batting well and his test feats against England in 1934, when he made 569 runs at an average of 94.83, have not been forgotten. A fine performance on the opening day of the women cricket competitions in Christchurch was that of Miss S. Garner, who scored 110 for the Mai Moa team and then retired. She followed up by taking two wickets for five runs. With the chance of a trip to Sydney early next year with a New Zealand women’s cricket team, Christchurch players have started the season witli enthusiasm, and Miss Garner promises to have outstanding claims for inclusion in the team. For some time past she has proved herself a consistent all-rounder who would be of service in any side.

The South African Cricket Board of Control lias sounded the death-knell of the six-ball over in South Africa, with a decision to recommend to all centres that the eight-ball over should be adopted in all league fixtures. The rule will also apply to the tour of the M.C.C. team in the 1938-39 season. The board wants a party of not more than 15 English players to make the trip. Although the same general conditions as on the last tour will be observed, there will be one change, an English manager accompanying the team instead of its being placed in charge of a South African. It is felt that this makes for. smoother working.

If early form is any indication, John Bromwich, the young Australian lawn tennis player has a brilliant season before him. In the semi-finals of the Queensland championships he defeated Adrian Quist in most convincing fashion. It may he, of course, that Quist has not yet fully recovered from the effects of the illness which overtook him on the eve of the Davis Cup match against the United States last season, and whicllV incapacitated him from taking part in the major overseas tournaments, but in any event, the result indicates that Bromwich must he regarded as a very strong contender for a place in any Australian team daring the season. He is now at an age when he should be reaching top form, and it would not be surprising to find him on the world ranking list before next season.