Reflections In Sporting Mirror

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 59, 10 March 1945, Page 4 (Supplement)

Reflections In Sporting Mirror

FEATURE of the South Auckland swimming championships at Hamilton last Saturday was the keen competition between Sonny Sewell, the young Rotorua footballer who played full-back for New Zealand against Combined Services at Wellington last September, and Frank Higginson, an outstanding forward in the Old Boys' club team in Hamilton—he took part in a representative trial last winter and then had his season curtailed through an ankle injury. Sewell is a swimmer of repute, for in 1939 he was the intermediate boys 220 yards national title-holder. In addition, he won the intermediate diving titles in 1938 and 1939. In the Middle East Sewell was prominent in swimming activities among the New Zealand Division and was associated with Bill Whareaitu and others in an undefeated Maori relay team.

In the 100 yards wartime freestyle championship last Saturday Sewell and Higginson turned together at the end of the second lap, but Higginson produced sufficient from his reserve to score a narrow victory. There was a different story in the 50 yards men's scratch invitation race, when. Sewell turned the tables and won handsomely. It was a stirring contest, with G. Hopcroft (a Waipa Rugby representative three-quarter, incidentally) well in the picture to finish a close third after setting a solid pace to the turn. . National Champion Beaten A surprise was provided in the junior boys' diving contest when the national champion, J. Reid, of Te Kuiti, was beaten by another Te Kuiti boy, P. McManus. Te Kuiti ' is in the boom as far as youthful divers are concerned, for Miss T. Mullins, who collected the South Auckland title unopposed and finished third at the national championships, hails from the King Country town. Acquisition to Air Force The Combined Air Force team, which is playing in the A.C.A. senior championship competition, will be greatly strengthened by the inclusion of the Canterbury representative player, V. James, who has been transferred from the south to one of the Air Force stations in the Auckland district. In addition to being a good batsman, James is one of the best wicket-keepers in New Zealand. He learned his cricket in Australia. In Christchurch senior club cricket he was a prolific scorer over three seasons, while in representative cricket his best contribution was a score of 165 against Otago. James is expected to make his first appearance for Combined Air Force when the next series of senior matches are started. One of the disabilities which the team has had throughout the season is that some of its players are unable to get practice, owing to cricket facilities not being available. At one station a practice wicket has been put down, but it will not be ready until next season. Son Follows His Father Twelfth man for the Eden-P6n-sonby-Balmoral team at the moment is Bryce J. Postles aged 14, who plays for the Auckland Grammar School fourth team. In the match against Parnell (1) Bryce Postles turned out to fill a gap, and during the afternoon was applauded for good ground fielding on the off side. It was one of the rare cases of father and son appearing together in an Auckland senior match. The Eden Combined leader, A. J. Postles, started his cricket career at the Mount Eden • School, and then for three years was in the Auckland Grammar School eleven. He later joined the Eden club, and his first representative match was against Wellington in the 1924-25 season. He established himself as an opening batsman with great patience and a splendid defence. As a representative captain in the past, he gave Auckland good service and, although he was not chosen for the representatives this year, he appears to be batting as well as ever, with, in addition, to performing well as a slow right-hand break bowler. In the meantime B. J. Postles is coming along well. He has had the advantage of coaching by his father and W. M. Wallace, Auckland captain and selector. Record in Dispute After 35 years athletics experts are questioning the wofld record of 9 3-Bs, for 100 yards credited to the Australian Jack Donaldson. Donaldson ran his famous 100 at Johannesburg on February 2, 1910. Only the production of the watch with which he was timed may settle the controversy. According to London experts, the 'watch must have been the only one ever made to record time in eighths of a second. The doubt about Donaldson's time was raised following a disputation by an anonymous R.A.F. instrumentmaker, who claims that no watch or clock has yet been made with the face graduated to measure eighths. Experts of London's leading precision instrument firms say they have never heard of any watch or clock marked otherwise than in fifths, tenths and hundredths. They say 'that they are so geared that it is impossible for them to register in any other fractions of seconds. That Three-Fronted Scrum Following upon a decision at a meeting last year, the New Zealand Rugby Union has had a "Brains Trust" at work delving into the ramifications of the three-fronted scrum and the formation to be used behind it, states a Wellington exchange. Messrs S. S. Dean (chairman), L. V. Carmine, and J. H. Parker were appointed a sub-committee of the union, and the co-operation was enlisted of the following players: Fred Lucas, Frank Green, Mark Nicholls, George Aitken and "Rusty" Page. Meetings have been held of the local experts and their findings and ' opinions are being submitted to the others, after which a report covering the whole business will be issued. Former Champions Officiate Officials at Auckland athletic championship meetings this season have included several who in the past have carried off championship honours on the track. The man with the gun is R. W. Cheater, who was 100 yards sprint champion in 1939, and his marksman is W. S. Bainbridge, former New Zealand 220 yards and quarter mile champion. Another enthusiastic worker is Bill Savidan, one of the greatest track and cross-country distance runners the Dominion has produced. Responsible for the preparation of Ron Agate, the present sprint champion, is Alan Sayers, former brilliant New Zealand quarter mile champion. 6

Record Breaking Of the eight fresh records that were broken, the biggest reduction in time was made by the Ohinemutu boy D. Branch in the 100 yards intermediate boys' backstroke event. He lowered his previous record of 1.24 2-5 by no less than 9 4-ss, and the merit of the performance was enhanced by the fact that he swam unopposed. At the national championship he was beaten by only a foot in a similar event. A popular record-breaker was Barbara Evans, who took the 220 yards ladies' freestyle race in 3.10 4-5, retaining her title and breaking her own record by 3 l-ss. Miss Evans is an example of a swimmer who has overcome physical disability to make good, for she has been crippled since birth with infantile paralysis. George Hyde Returns Memories of classic three-mile track races of 20 years ago were revived by the recent visit to New Zealand of George Hyde, greathearted Victorian distance runner. Hyde toured the Dominion with the sprinters L. Parker, who later turned professional, and N. Grehan, the halfmiler W. Whyte, and a crack cyclist, C. Burness. Of slight physical build, Hyde possessed unbounded grit and determination, and he had some great duels with the brilliant Masterton distance runner Randolph Rose. Although Hyde never succeeded in beating the rangy New Zealand i champion, he did force him to create j a fresh national three-mile record at the New Zealand championships at Wanganui. Schoolboy Cricketers Three Mount Albert Grammar School cricketers of last year, P. Nicolson, J. Hayes and A. Putt, i were among the main bowlers for | Parnell (2) against Middlemore last j Saturday. Hayes was the most! successful of the trio, taking four wickets for 72. Hayes was in the | Mount Albert eleven in 1942-43 and j took many wickets with his fast deliveries, This year as a regular j bowler for Parnell (2) he is becoming one of the fastest trundlers in Auckland cricket. With a compara-j tively short run he throws all his j weight into bowling and with a final j jerk delivers the ball with a speed i which frequently beats the batsman.! Three of his victims last week were j clean bowled and the fourth played j one of his deliveries on to the j wicket. As yet his bowling is a little erratic, a costly fault which j experience should correct. Nicolson j is a veteran in school cricket. He played in the M.A.G.S. first eleven j for five years and as captain in the j last two years. Last year he! captained the secondary school reps, j in a match against a junior Auckland eleven. On Saturday his medium- \ paced, easy-actioned deliveries took i two wickets for 59. Equally valuable, j if not more so, as a batsman, he has hit up several useful scores this year, including one of 51 not out against Grafton-Y.M.C.A. Putt also has played several years in the M.A.G.S. eleven and was in the secondary school rep. team last year. Last Saturday he bowled slow good length balls which batsmen treated carefully. Toward the end of the day however he tired. He then had the misfortune to bowl through the innnings of P. lies and was knocked all over the field. Like Nicolson he is a capable batsman and has several good knocks to his credit this year, including one of 30 against Middlemore. Tassie Loses For'ard Hand For the second time this season Roy ("Nip") Allen, for'ard hand of the X class boat Tassie, went overboard last Saturday while sailing in the Ponsonby Cruising Club's Regatta. It happened while Tassie was beating up to the Watchman for the second time. Allen fell overboard once before, in the Tamaki Club's races on November 25, 1944, when he shinned up the mast to free a jammed spinnaker halliard. His weight aloft very nearly capsized the boat, and he was forced to let go and drop into the water. Tassie was leading Davina at this stage, but by the time she had picked up her for'ard hand Davina had taken the lead, and maintained it for the rest 6f the course. Last Saturday's race was Roy Allen's last for some time as he was recently called up for army service. He has sailed with Neville Thorn for many seasons and it was his smart for'ard hand work in Career combined with Thorn's skill at /the helm which won her the position of top Z class boat last season. This season Allen transferred to Tassie when that boat was purchased by Thorn, and his snappy spinnaker work has time and again gained the advantage for Tassie in off-the-wind sailing. Allen's specialty seems to be gybing the extra, and in many races his ability to do • this has resulted in the gain of vital : seconds when rounding a mark. j