ENGLISH SPORTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18204, 15 October 1924, Page 6

ENGLISH SPORTS.

IMPRESSIONS OF CRICKET AND TENNIS. MR F. "WTLDIM.'S MEWS. \U I'. "WiMinir. K.( .. v. ho >w;riyl vc-w;.rtiay irom a vit-u 1.0 tnglan.-i, Lpoko m:orestingiy to a represents ivo 0 r -The Press" 1:U impre-i.in, 01 . Eir . -In Enslar'l. In addition to rx-]iis^--"i f 'ws cm KiigHsh tcuui.-.. \'lr" "Wilding HniphtK-d th«?- lw to an iui< , n"l' , » or i" V>'"HlilgtO'l iCc.-irJin;-; T 't'" Enc,!i>K >rv kot, (-!.«.0n ulii"'-'. '-■• t<"> irv win tho ..\i::-ir.i!ian tcira 'inrir:- the .ii>pro;i( kin- .-'••i?on. [ Popularity of Tennis. I • [ should think that tho inieres, m ■ in Filmland is greater just, t.mv ! 1 hnii mi unv jiroviou.N oriasion." .Mr M'ildi;.- t-ai<i in reply tn a tviesikn. '•lJovalty. loiulm:; .sttitOMiien, and ' duko> :m<l carls ;nv amniiL.'.-: those soon ;i r AYinibledon. '1 ho average f-tandaid of tli>-- players in England has niiprov il very much; for one good player that ilktc. was twenty years ago there are probably '2O now: hut the best, men of twenty years ago were quite a.s coed a.-, it not better than, the best, men now. per baps Colonel Kingsooic is the strongest English player : I saw him on many o<radons and in many respects ho reminded mo of Lnwric Doherty.— there is some similarity in the build of the men. But few old tennis players would hesitate to place Dohertv on. a higher piano than Colonel Kingscot^; good as the colonel undoubtedly is. ho is not in the same •'■la&s as Doherty. When you find him play close matches with tho French and American champions you cannot help drawing the conclusion that the best, men of twenty years ago were, if any, superior—that is my opinion, based on personal observation of the play and comparing the results of matches, and with no desire to dogmatise. Brookes, for a. couolo of sets and when in good form is still .Tery good, and is nearly as good as over": when at his best I think ho would ho superior to Kingscote. As :i doubles player I should nay that ho has no superior, with the exception of ono or two Americans. As to the popularity of tennis —there arc tenuis courts everywhere: red brick dust courts are found ail over England. If kept in good order they are. delightful to play on; but it is a. mistake to think tWt thev don't require a. good deal cf attention, for they do; not nearly ?o much as grats courts; but they reVjuiro watering in dry weather, and rolling, and attention to marking. English Cricket. "Cricket in England, whicfi has been under a. cloud, is now on the up-grade. They have no howlers out of tho common : their fast bowlers arc not fast enough to be really dangerous on good wickets; and their slow-medium bowlers aro nothing out of tho common, though undoubtedly good. But the batting of the team chosen for Australia is extraordinarily t>afo and good throughout—l have seen nearly all of the members of the team play at Lord's under very different conditions, and I should bo very much surprised if they don't pub up hugo scores in Australia this forthcoming season. Those who think that the tost matches will be a cake-walk for Australia may bo very much surprised: nobody but a fool would prophesy: but there will bo some ivcry stern fighting. How they are to finish a. match in less than a week, in favourable weather conditions, I. cannot see, with batsmen Hko Hendren and Hobbs. My own view is that the Australians' bowling, on their own wickets, will be superior to the English: but there will be very little to choose between the representative elevens—if anything, the palm going to the English." Motoring in England. Mr Wilding did not do tne amount of motoring in England that he hoped to have done, the bad weather experienced during part of his stay militating against indulging in many journeys by motor. "Locomotion is a treat, in England," ho said, "as all the main roads are asphalted, and the result is an enormous saving in tho cost of running a car. These roads are well Hep* though the cost is colossal."