SPORT IN BRITAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 261, 4 November 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

SPORT IN BRITAIN.

Hyperion Runs to Form —Walter Hammond the Year's Batsman —The Penalties in Golf — Perry's Tennis Standard and Cochet's Changed Status —A Glance Rcund the Boxers.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

This week's budget from our London correspondent gives us the English viewpoint on three outstanding English successes in September — Hyperion's St. Leger, Fred Perry's capture of the U.S.A. tennis singles title, and Walter Hammond's appearance as champion batsman of the year. Attention is also drawn to Henri Cochet's defection from the amateur lawn tennis ranks, and the significance attaching to his appearance as a professional in the matter of hastening the day when amateur and professional tennis players will meet in open competition.

LONDON, September 14. HYPERION'S ST. LEGER. "A salmon in a wee puddle." That wae how a Scotsman described Hyperion after he had won the St. Leger (writes our racing specialist). Lord Derby's colt is undoubtedly in a class by himself among the three-year-olds. He ran away with the Derby, and he had no serious challenger over the mile and three-quart;., course at Doncaster. Many place him first of all the classic winners since the war. It may, at least, be said that none has won his races in such decisive, style. He is the third horse since 1914 to capture both the Derby and the St. Leger, but neither Coronach nor Trigo was as impressive. Bred by Lord Derby, he was the smallest horse in the race; such a small one. in fact, has not won the St. Leer within living memory, but he is almost the perfr-t type of thoroughbred.

Since Epsom Hyperion was always favourite, but there was a bit of a scare when he dislocated his stifle and had to stop work. Even when he had recovered from the mishap and it was declared that he was thoroughly sound a "am, he remained under suspicion. This, and the fact that the public never seem to tire in their effort to try and find one to beat the favourite, combined to keep his price an exceedingly generous one. On the course as much as 7 —4 could be obtained about him, and the starting price was 6— l. In the circumstances the ring were badly Int. It was a heavy betting race, and the bookmakers lost more over the colt than at Epsom.

In the Derbv Hyperion had a pacemaker. At Doncaster ho was without a helpmate. But this did not make any difference. Almost immediately Weston took his mount over to the rail and led away from the drawn-out field and raced home alone three lengths in front of Felicitation, with Scarlet Tiger a further length in the rear. It was Lord Derby's fifth St. Leger success, his previous winners being Swynford, Keysoe, Tranquil and Fairway. I do not think there is any doubt that Felicitation was the second best horse in the race. He was nearly last five furlongs from the finish, but he then made up ground quickly, and without ever threatening Hyperion ran on strongly to the end. King Salmon, second in the Derby, again ran consistently, but once more he was not quite good enough. He was fourth. The bif disappointment was the French horse, Thor 11. He was backed down to second favourite, hut he was never out of the middle division, and towards the end dropped even further back. Both the pace and the distance, I am afraid, were too much for him.

HAMMOND AND CRICKET RECORD

Walter Hammond, who is accorded the first place among all-round cricketers of the world, has set up one minor record, and now he is on the ■ scent of a major one. I am afraid, however, he has not the time to achieve it. Surprising as it may seem, in view " of the fact that W. G. Grace played so long for the county, Hammond is the first Gloucestershire batsman to score 3000 runs during a season. At the present time his total is 32.74, and he is very keen to top the record of 3518 set up by Tom Hi y ward. But he has only one inore chance to get the runs. This is in the final match of the season between Yorkshire, as the champions, and the Best, which, as usual, is to take place at the Oval. Hr.mmond has been at his hest in the care-free seaside festival games which have been played since the close of the countv championship. No longer bearin"- his heavy responsibilities in the Gloucestershire eleven, he has batted •with exhilarating brilliance, attacking the bowling with such confidence and power that if the ball evaded a fieldsman it went to the boundary. In his last game he played a glorious innings of 184, as many as 110 coming from boundary hits. This was his eleventh century of the season, and while others have been more important, none has. been scored more delightfully. But the records of the season show that centuries do not go to the winning of matches, This is marked right through the championship's list. Worcestershire, for instance, have had 26 hundreds hit for them, C. F. Walters, the secretary-captain, obtaining nine, but they have only twice finished on the winning side.' Further, Kent batsmen have made 22, Ames, in a grand aggregate of 3000 —the only other player besides Hammond to equal this number is Hendren —being first with seven, but they finished behind both Yorkshire and Sussex, notwithstanding that Freeman backed up the runmakers by taking 2(io wickets. On the other hand. Yorkshire, the best team unquestionably of the season, contributed onlv 10.

Another attractive record of the season is that to the credit of Vallance Jupp. of Worcestershire. He has accomplished the ''all-rounder's double"' of taking 100 wickets and scoring 1000 runs for the tenth time, and no other amateur, not even W. G. Grace, has been so finely consistent with both bat and ball. Jupp'is record has. of course, been beaten by the Yorkshire professionals, Hirst and Rhodes.

DISQUALIFY THEMSELVES. There is no game in which the sense of ho:iesty is higher than in golf. As is often said, it can only be played by gentlemen, and whether the player be amateur or professional, there is no departure from both the written and unwritten moral code. An incident

which had serious results, and which showed how strictly the rules are observed, occurred in the southern qualifying competition of the professional match-play championship.

Abo Mitchell and Arthur Lacey, two members of the British Ryder Cup team, were partnered. Lacey, I think, if now the longest hitter in the game, and from each of the first five tees lie drove further than Mitchell. From the sixth both hit fine shots, and it was assumed that Lacey was again in front. But when the players holed out it was found that they had played with the wrong balls. It was suggested that the two balls had been inadvertently changed on the tee, and if this had been true cerything would have been in order. The men were persuaded to continue the round, but at the turn, which Mitchell reached in the remarkable score of 32, he agreed with Lacey that they must bear the penalty of their mistake, and withdraw from the competition. Both were urged to continue the round and let the matter be decided later, but Mitchell put an end to the discussion by saying: "I have broken tho rules, and I am disqualified, - ' and he immediately left the course.

The competition took place at Pinner Hill, a London course opened about four years ago, and nearly 200 professionals took part in two rounds, knowing that only the first 28 would get into the match-play stages of the championship. Under the fast running condition of the course scoring was very low, the best return being made by Henry Cotton, who had come over from Belgium to compete. Ho had rounds of 71 and 67, his aggregate being one better than that returned by Alfred Padgham, whose scores were 70 and 69.

FRED. PERRY'S U.S. TENNIS TRIUMPH. The triumph of Fred. Perry in the American championship, following the capture of the Davis Cup, shows how complete has been the "come back" of English lawn tennis. At the same time both French and American stock has slumped. America, in fact, had to witness two members of the British Empire fighting for their title, Perry's opponent in the final being J. Crawford, the brilliant Australian. It was a spectacle too familiar at Wimbledon —two visiting players competing for the national prize. Never before had two British players appeared in the final at Forest Hills, and not for 30 years had the championship been won by an Englishman. The last English victor w r as the inimitable H. L. Doherty in 1903.

As the holder of the French, English and Australian championships, Crawford is conceded the rank of the premier player of the world, but this does not detract from the merit of Perry's achievement in New York. "If I had played my best game of the season I should still have lost," said Crawford at the finish. Stamina in the five-set match was probably the decisive factor, and the long-drawn-out struggle in the second set sapped the Australian's strength, despite the fact that he won it, and also the third, to lead by two to one. But by this time Crawford had little fight left, and he won only one more game.

This is the most important prize Perry has won, and curiously enough he went to America after the Davis Cup victory in a care-free spirit satisfied that he had done enough in Paris for glory. Perhaps this helped him to victory. More vital still was that, by beating both Henri Cochet and Ellsworth Vines in the Cup match, he had regained confidence in himself. He is temperamental and sensitive to influences that -would not affect other players. He believed, for instance, that only his defeats were remembered.* But he went to America on the top of a bounding wave of success, and one judges that he played better than ever. Cochet as a Professional. Now comes the rumour that Perry intends to follow Cochet into the ranks, of the professionals. His father, who was an M.P. in the last Labour Government, tells me that there is no likelihood of this. Perry is going with the English team to Australia from America, and before he changes his status the whole foundations of lawn tennis must alter. This is a possibility that everyone recognises.

There is no doubt that Cochet's decision will help in the movement towards professionalism. Some of the leading English players anticipate that the move towards professionalism will now be fast. Even H. W. Austin foresees this, and one gathers that, granted the conditions were favourable, he would seriously consider "going over." One result that is probable is the hastening of the introduction of an open championship in which amateurs and professionals will compete against each other. Such a development will be resisted in this country because of the fear that it might injure the Wimbledon championships, but it is a question which will be settled by the players. If the leading men and women decide that as they attract the galleries they are entitled to a share of the receipts official resistance must be broken down. BOXING AND BOXERS. Jackie Brown, the British flyweight champion of the world, believes in fighting as the best way to retain his form (Writes Eugene Corri), and so when Valentine Angelmaun, the Frenchman whom he defeated last June, asked for another contest he readily consented. Angelmann is a tough little fellow with muscles standing out like those of a professional strong man, and by the power of his punches he is dangerous. But in the contest over lo rounds, which took place in Brown's native Manchester, the champion was again too clever for him. and won by a handsome margin of points.

The match was not at championship weights, and Brown's title was not at stake. I think this probably helped to make the fight a little disappointing during the second half. All that Brown wanted to do was to be sure of winning, and by the half-way stage lie bad taken such a commanding lead of points that he could scarcely be beaten except by the knock-out. Having attained this secure position.it seemed as if the champion was prepared to take matters easily, but it was a dangerous proceeding against such a hard-hitting opponent.

As Brown, who had kept the Frenchman at bay by his brilliant left-hand work, relaxed he encountered a deal of trouble. Angelmann, crouching with head down, came in and swung both hands, and repeatedly landed on the body, and if he had delivered a blow to the jaw the result would have been disastrous. Brown, however, was too clever to permit this, anil though Angelmann seemed to be the stronger at the end of the 15 rounds, and even made one wonder whether Brown could last out the distance at top speed, the verdict in his favour was emphatic.

If Jackie Brown may be taken seriously, there is now no obstacle to a match between him and Ginger Foran, for on Monday, after he had again outpointed Valentine Angelmann, he took the opportunity of telling us that he was all ready for the Liverpool youth. I hope that now we have heard" the last of unnecessary wrangling and quibbling. We want to see Brown and Foran in the ring and have it proved beyond all doubt who is the hotter man. Let there not again be any nonsense as to what such a fight would involve; it has got to be for the world and the British flyweight championship; that, to me, is elementary. If Brown is beaten over 15 rounds and at S.O, he would automatically be reduced to the ranks of the commoners.

A fear has been expressed , whether Brown is capable of fighting full tilt over the championship course. I do not share that fear: at least, I have yet to have cause to doubt his stamina. A peculiar little man I have found Brown to be. in the sense that only when he decides that he is really up against it is he disposed to draw upon his capacity to the full limit. His weakness for taking a breather is notorious as is his ability to finish in a whirl of hustle when it would seem that ho was dreadfully tired. The reason may be found in his colossal confidence in himself. When least expected, he will pull out shots from his locker that wo thought ho had already spent. He has not always and consistently let fly all his battalions from the beginning to the end of a fight, and that is why the striking of comparisons between him and Jimmy Wilde and Taney Lee and Johnny Hill can hardly be.

The precise quality of Brown we do not know; it is possible that he is appreciably better than the standard by which ho has come to be judged. There docs not appear to be any doubt that he was in all important particulars superior to Angclmann, though in some of the rounds there was not a little slackness in his boxing. Tho all-important question, however, is how soon will Brown and Foran be matched. I take it that Manchester will get the fight; at least, Brown would much, and naturally, prefer to fight in his native city, and Foran could not very well offer any objection if the champion made that a condition. I take it that since Brown has roared "now for Foran" he is less inclined to coquet with Midget Wolgast, and that a trip to America is very much in the air. I hope that is so.

Red-Headed Bantam. And now that Dick Corbett has accounted for Len Beynon, it may be assumed that soon we shall see him and Johnny Brown in another affair for the bantam title. I am told that Corbett's display at Swansea was all that could have been desired. An immensely clever young man is red-headed Corbett. I have always held that, if he had a keener relish for a downright fight, he would have remained champion. And I am quite ' sure that he has not made the most of his opportunities. After he had beaten Teddy Baldock he should have kept on fighting. It will ever be that industry is the secret of fighting success. Now he has cleared the decks of Beynon, quite a worthy boy, who promised to get to the top, perhaps Corbett will appreciate the futility of waiting for something to turn up. With Brown keen to get to grips with Foran, and Corbett having qualified for a contest with King, Manchester will be able to dress her shop window in great style, and, maybe, as an added attraction they will induce Jock McAvoy to defend the middle-weight title.

It was to have been expected that in shaping his first programme for the opening of a new season at the Albert Hall, Jeff Dickson would decide to leave the better-known heavy-weights alone. Until Petersen comes back the big fellows will be left in the background so far as London is concerned. It is understood that there is no immediate prospect of Petersen resuming activities, at least not until he has returned from a tour of the capitals of Northern Europe, with the intention of more or less resting until January. If he does not change his mind it will be because he cannot hope for anything like t'ne purse he received for his fight with I Doyle. I have an idea that when he is ready to fight again he would much prefer to appear in Cardiff, and that city, in the absence of an attractive opponent, is hardly ripe for exploitation. I am wondering, when he restarts, whom he will be put up against. I think he would be wise not to try himself too highly right away. It would be remarkable after his long lay off if he were completely sure of himself. But he is of an especially venturesome breed, and it is quite on the cards that he would make no bones about fighting Neusel by way of a kick-off. He will, perhaps, court a fight with Gains for the Empire championship. McCorkindalc must come into the reckoning, and it will not be long before Petersen is required to defend the British championship by the Board of Control, though at the moment there does not seem to be one of the country's heavy-weights with more than an outside chance of beating him. Which, of course, is much to bo regretted. McCcrkindale Crosses Atlantic McCorkindale has left for New York, where he is to fight Patsy Perroni. Ted Broadribb, his father-in-law, says that, if the South African makes good in his first bout on the other side, Madison Square will match him against Jack Sharkey. I don't know what will happen to McCorkindale in the event of his being beaten by Perronti.

Jeff Dickson's show at the Albert Hall will be' either on the 4th or sth of next month. Unless the Board of Control steps in and declares that Willie Kogers is not fitted to fight Seaman Watson for the feather-weight title, the Staffordshire lad and the Xewcastle sailor will provide the top liner. Jake Kilrain (what a fighting name!), who sprang a surprise by defeating Johnny Cuthbert, is to be introduced, and as far as is possible an endeavour will be made to break much new ground. Which should bo all to the good, for really tvc. in London, have grown rather tired of the ringing of the changes.