A NOTEBOOK OF SPORT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22593, 24 December 1938, Page 6

A NOTEBOOK OF SPORT

New Zealanders in London Rugby A London Rugby club is proud that it numbers among its members more New Zealanders than any other in the country. It is the Catford Bridge Club, now in its fifty-third season, and it turns out faur teams every Saturday, each with a good sprinkling of New Zealanders. They include D. G. Cobden (Christchurch), R. H. Mackrell (Invercargill), K. Fraser, lan Calder, T. Petersen, and F. Bowling (Wellington), R. Stewart, R. A. Pickmere, Owen Mason, J. Kendrick, and W. S. Smith (Auckland). K. R. R. Bowie and Max Gray (Gisborne), and F. Brewster (Napier). Most of them have played for the first team, for which Cobden, Mackrell, Fraser, Bowling, and Bowie turn out regularly. A Problem of Ranking The impossibility of ranking lawn tennis players in New Zealand on the limited appearances made by the majority of them in tournament and interprovincial matches is made apparent by the case of R. G. Pattinson. This brilliant and fast-improving young player was ranked sixth in New Zealand on last year’s play by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association: at the time he was only ninth on the Canterbury ranking list. .He has now reached fifth position in Canterbury, and the seeding committee for the Canterbury championship tournament, which will begin at Wilding Park today, has not included him in the eight seeded players, three of whom are not on the New Zealand ranking list at all. In the New Zealand championship tournament, which will begin at Wilding Park on New Year’s Eve, Pattinson will take precedence over four of the men who have been seeded for the Canterbury tournament— -J. W. Gunn (Auckland). J. Roach (Waikato), and H. Dymond and A. R. Cant (Canterbury). Pattinson reached the final of the New Zealand championship last year, and as he*is always at his best in a long tournament, where he can take his time to work up to his best form, it can be expected that he will again take a prominent part in the closing rounds. Limitless Tesfts In Disfavour The English Advisory County Cricket Committee dealt a blow at the proposal to hold “timeless” tests when it adopted, at a recent meeting, a proposal for the standardisation of the hours of play for tests between England and Australia in both countries. The proposal, which is that all test matches should be limited to 30 hours’ play—six days of five hours each in Australia and five days of six hours each in England—will, if it is accepted by the committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club, be recommended to the Australian Board of Control. The proposal for such standardisation of playing time has received a good deal of support in England, where the limitless match Idea has been In disfavour for some time. Profit of £42,000 The net profit of the Australian cricket tour of England last summer amounted approximately to £42,000. Although not a record, the profit compares favourably with that of previous Australian visits to England, and but for the “washed-out test” at Manchester, where not a ball could be bowled, all past figures would have been beaten easily. Power of Modern Golf Ban The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is considering the advisability of reducing the power of the modern ball. This action was foreshadowed by the announcement made at the recent business meeting at St. Andrews that a sub-committee had come to the conclusion that the time had arrived to attempt some specification which would reduce the distance the ball could be hit. Before going into the matter they proposed to consult other golfing bodies and associations throughout the world. The club has written to its kindred associations giving the considerations which have impressed on it the necessity for restricting the power of the ball, and asking for representative opinion which. It 1 b felt, Would be of greater value than an appeal to individual golfers. Auckland's Wicket-keeper C. Jackman. Auckland’s wicketkeeper for the Plunket Shield game, will be no stranger to. Lancaster Park. For years his wicket-keeping used to be a feature of the Old Collegians’ matches, and he deservedly won a place in the Canterbury team. D. E. Edmonds was chosen Instead of Jackman in the last Auckland representative side, but consistently sound play has brought Jackman back again this season. New to -Shield Cricket The only member of the Auckland Plunket Shield team to meet Canterbury to-day who has not had previous experience in shield games fs C. A. Sneddon. His name, however, is no new one to cricket. His father was N. CL Snedden, who played for Auckland and New Zealand 30 years ago. Cricket enthusiasts with long memories of shield games can recall the remarkable batting of the two Snedden brothers, Nesblt and Cyril, when playing for Auckland against Hawke’s Bay., Each scored a century in the one innings. C. A. Snedden, the newest recruit, has been chosen as a slow bowler, and his bowling style is almost a reproduction of his father's.