GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24986, 21 September 1946, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By MILES.) * A Crowd-pleasing Boxer Jack Kirkham, the Australian middleweight, is one of the most pleasing fighters seen in a Christchurch ring for some time, and though he did not «®rn a knock-out decision over Henry Robertson, his opponent in a 12 rounds bout at the Civic Theatre on Wednesday, he held a big advantage In points. Kirkham looks for work the moment he goes into the ring. He is an open, two-handed boxer rather than a rugged fighter; but in the stockily-built Robertson he found the worst type to suit his particular style. Robertson does his best work in close fighting; but very seldom did the stiijging letts of Kirkham allow him to duck under and go inside. In his two bouts in Christchurch, Kirkham.’s personality and good sportsmanship, his' clever footwork and willingness to fight instead of clinch, have made him popular with Christchurch enthusiasts. He will be a crowd-pleaser in any ring in New Zealand. Daye Sands, who won the middle-weight title off Kirkham last month won his third Australian crown when he knocked out the heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, in the fourth round at Sydney before a crowd of 11,000. Sands now holds the middle, light-heavy, and heavy-weight championships. “Scientific” Wrestlers After the Atomic Drop, what? That is a question which many wrestling enthusiasts—and perhaps wrestlers— asking themselves. Described as "a sure harbinger of success in the ring,” the Atomic Drop must, notwithstanding, give place eventually to something new. The wrestling'public is fickle, and will not tolerate a surfeit of drops, atomic or otherwise. In the meantime, the leading exponent of this particular hpld, a husky 17-stone American named Herb Meller, is having so much success in his New Zealand Circuit that other dispensers of mat mayhem must surely look to their laurels—or whatever it is wrestlers look to. Reports have it, too, that another heavy-weight is en route from the United States? No doubt he will have a specialty hold, and no doubt he will win bouts with it. But what will it be? Will his tactics have advanced beyond the atomic era, or will he content himself with such workaday stuff as a Bikini Bounce or a Chain Reaction Wriggle. Cricket Prospects Most of the 10 teams which will take part in the senior cricket competition in Christchurch this season should put stronger sides into the field than they did last year. High School Old Boys will have the services of F. B. Smith, one of the province’s best young batsmen, who played in one or two games at the end of last season, and J. F. Collins, a promising young right-hand batoman, H. R. Escott, a left-hand bowler and forcing batsman, who has had some very successful seasons in Christchurch cricket, may also play. Old Collegians will be strengthened by the inclusion of N. Mcßeth, a mediumSaced left-hand bowler and right-hand at, and Derek Hamilton, a batsman who played for the New Zealand Services team in England. Lancaster Park will again be a strong side. J. H. Parks, the former Sussex professional, will 'make it an extremely strong bowling side, which will probably include D. A. Mcßae, W. Mappiebeck, C. Carston, L. Mahoney, and I. B. Cromb. West Old Boys will welcome the return of D. Moynihan, a Canterbury representative batsman, and the Sydenham Club has a useful recruit in N. Davidson, the Suburban Association wicket-keeper-bats-man. Riccarton has two good players in A. CandUsh, a former Brabln Shield player, and L. Jessen, who played senior cricket in Christchurch about three years ago. Jack Jacobs, the former Canterbury representative, who batted so well at the end of last season, will be turning out again. West Christchurch will have most of its best players, Including J. L. ?« rr ‘ Rv T ‘ Ager ’ ? nd J - Booker playing again. Newcomers are W. Burton, a Kilbirnie Club and New Zealand Services player, and N. Burnette, a former Wellington representative. By Road t from Ashburton „ q^is l ! ch ß rch ®nd Avon Amateur Cycling Clubs have done much to reinstate the 50 miles Canterbury road championship from Ashburton to Christchurch which will be held to-day. The good eatry of 41 riders has been received, and tills amateur race promises to become as popular as the longer distance events for professionals. The amateur clubs are being rehabilitated after many of the members have returned from active seiyice, and next year the race may be from Christchurch to Ashburton and back. w -. J- and F. L. Bowden, R. C. EHliott, an d L. Locke, form a very strong team on the back mark-in to-day’s race, and the best of these may prove to be W. J. Bowden, the present holder of the Canterbury 50 miles championship and the So V t < h J s L J i rid » t,t ’ e - Elliott, who will be making his first appearance among l the seniors, has been riding consistently and well, and his fastest time in the GoreInvercargffl race rates him as one of the best young- riders seen out in recent ®P try of y° un S riders and the whole-souled suport that is, being given by the Canterbury Centre, should make the 50 miles championship the feature race of the season. Short-distance Fights

Bos Murphy knocked out Danny ° 1“?*. , a / ter seven minutes in actual fighting, and Patrons of boxing were not satisfied that they had received their money's worth when the bout finished. It took Joe Louis 129 seconds to « IS iE° s - e °L Tony Mauriello In this week’s fight for the world’s championship. Mauriello, plainly the choice of the negro as the easiest of contenders for the title, annoyed Louis when he went into the fight with pienty of vim and the utmost confidence. Roused into real fighting spirit by two or three stinging blows, Louis made short work of his opponent. Had it not, been for Mauriello’s lightning start it is possible that he would have been "carried” for a few rounds. Some boxers do not do their best until properly stung; and one of these was one of Australia’s greatest fighters, Les ‘Darcy whose big failing was kindliness. It took heavy, hard stuff to awaken Darcy to his real fighting strength. It is said of Fritz Holland, one of the few to gain a decision over Darcy, that in the whole fight he did not use a really heavy punch. His boxing, not fighting, gave him a decision. The longest glovefight appears to have been in America m 1893, when. T- Bowen and J. Burke drew after 7hr 19min (110 rounds) of fighting. The shortest fight must go to E. Murdock and C. Seegal, who fought in California in 1930, Murdock* knocking nis opponent out one second after the fight started. Battling Nelson knocked out W. Rossler in 1902 in two seconds, and it took Bill Squires, thfc Australian heavyweight, just 45 seconds to dispose of M. Williams at Melbourne in 1906. In seven seconds, Sam Langford ended the fight with A. Curran in Paris in 1914. Choice of Forwards

The loose winging forward or “seagull” appears to be in favour with New Zealand .selectors and many football critics, and it is interesting to read that in the first test match the Canterbury forward, P. K. Rhind, "was not consistently prominent” and that "Rhind played as though he was suffering from a surfeit of football. . . Occasionally he came through in characteristically vigorous bursts, but his efforts, as in the recent match between Otago and Canterbury, were spasmodic.” Well-known Canterbury footballers who saw the game told the writer that Pat Rhind was the one forward on the ground, and that, had it not been for him and Fraser, and later Mcßae, the whole New Zealand scrum would have collapsed. The selectors who favour the > “winging’’ forwards are certainly not looking for a team that will measure up on the South African tour in 1948. Rhind will possibly not-be considered in this tour; but his is the example of honest, solid scrummaging

that will wear out any opposing pack. Had the Australian forwards been as good as the backs, it is likely that there would have been many changes in the New Zealand team for the second Test. In years gone by, the best forward was considered to be the man who, like Rhind, “was not consistently prominent.” Four-Minute Mile

The possibility of running a mile in four minutes is still a subject of discussion and with Gunder Haegg and Arne Anderson bringing the record down to 4mm 1 3-ssec, many writers expressed the opinion that one of those two athletes would force the other to a four-minute mile. Since their disqualification as amateurs, the discussion has lapsed, but another Swedish runner, Lennart Strand, is now hailed as a four-minute man. Strand, a long-striding runner with long blonde hair, has impressed Sydney Wooderson so much that the latter has prophesied great things for him. Bowlers in England’s Team

"Our bowling, as all the world’ knows, or thinks it knows, is weak. It will oe better time to judge that when our men have turned their arms over Australian pitches, writes E. W. Swanton, cricket correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph ” London, who will accompany the English team on its tour of Austraia. "A vast deal depends upon Vote, who has already Proved his high quality down under; the age of 37 can he do so again?, asked the writer. “Bedser has done great things in his first summer of English cricket, and Wright, unsuited by the heavy rains of the last few months, may well take to the quick Australian turf The development of Edrich as a bowler improves our prospects vastly, for we shall need to bat strongly right down the order. ’ - -