GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25092, 25 January 1947, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By MILES.) Swimming Champions The Christchurch public is keenly interested in swimming, and the large attendances at the tepid baths on the three nights of the Canterbury championships encourages the Canterbury Centre to continue with the splendid work it has been doing for years past. On the first two nights, spectators had their thrills when four titles changed hands, and the 50 yards record was approached when R. Hatchwell raced over the distance in 25 l-ssec without being unduly pressed. On this form. Hatchwell appeared capable of doing better than the record time, 25sec, for the distance. W. Hart

took the 100 yards backstroke title in the easy time of 71 3-ssec, .and Mrs J. Patterson (who is better known to Christchurch swimmers as Jean Baughan) won the 50 yards from Miss J. Dixon m, 30 2-ssec, one second slower than her best time. Miss Dixon showed greatly improved form when she won the women’s breaststroke championship from Miss Brown; but this was not gained without a supreme effort in which she made the record time of 89 3-ssec. On the second night three titles changed hands, and two records were broken and one equalled; and on the third night Miss E. Brittain, of the East Christchurch Club, did the 100 in 78 l-ssec. The Spreydon Club, by its good team work, showed how water polo should be played, and is entitled strong representation it has been given in the team to represent Canterbury at the New Zealand swimming championships at Nelson next month. Not for many years has Canterbury been able to field a team of swimmers and players that it has available to-day. Visit of M.C.C. Team

The announcement that the M.C.C. team is to visit New Zealand after the Australian tour is completed will be welcome by cricket lovers throughout New Zealand, particularly as it has been found possible to play matches in all four of the main centres. The visit was not arranged without difficulty, transport arrangements being the chief trouble; and the New Zealand Cricket Council is to be congratulated on its efforts to help to advance the standard of the game in New Zealand. It is 10 years since the last English test side visited this country, and of that tfeam, which was under the captaincy of G. O. B. Allen, only four players are on the present *°ur. They are W. R. Hammond, L. B. Fishlock, W. Voce, and J. Hardstaff. Last season’s resumption of test cricket, when the Australians toured this country, was a disastrous beginning for New Zealand cricket; but the opportunity is now at hand for New Zealand to show that cricket in this country is not of quite as low a standard as last season’s performances would indicate. Athletic Championships

The Canterbury amateur athletic championships will be held at Lancaster Park on February 8. A special meeting at which th.e visiting American athletes will compete will take place on February 15, and the junior and women s championships will be held on February 22. at Rugby Park. On (the form shown at the championship meeting on February 8 the team will be selected to represent Canterbury at the New Zealand championships to be held at Auckland on March 1. The New Zealand junior championship meeting is set down for March at Wellington. Spin Bowlers

Club and representative cricket in New Zealand this season has shown that the country is still badly in need of good bowlers, particularly spin bowlers. A number of young players show promise; but they have yet to be tried in big cricket, and not all of them are likely to succeed. The batting is of a satisfactory standard, and there are some good performers coming on; but the lack of a bowler of the W. E. Merritt type is felt badly. In ckib matches in Christchurch bowlers who spin the ball have met with much more success than those who rely on pace and swing. Few of the local spin bowlers were even considered for the representative team; but that they have taken so many wickets is an indication of how successful a really good break bowler would be. After six rounds of competition matches in Christchurch, the leading wicket takers were:—R. F. Cook 27, N. V. Burtt 23, J. S. Patrick 22, J. H. Parks 21, E. Mulcock 18, P. D. Allsopp 16, W. S. McKibbin 15, A. Candlish 15, C. G. Snook 15, T. Burtt 15. All but two of these 10 bowlers' relies chiefly on spin, although Parks normally swings more than spins the ball when It is new. In the two matches played by the Canterbury colts, and in the representative match against West Coast, Candlish again showed the value of spin by taking 21 wickets at an average cost of 6.3 runs. Breaks Own Record When she won the women’s 100 yards backstroke championship in the Canterbury Amateur Swimming Association’s annual competitions at the tepid baths last Thursday, Miss E. Brittain, of the East Christchurch 'Swimming Club, lowered her own record for that event. In 1943 she won the championship, breaking the record with a time of 79 l-ssec. This week she reduced her own time, for the race by bne second, covering the distance in 78 l-ssec. This is a Canterbury record, but it is far behind the New Zealand record, which was established by an Otago swimmer, Miss N. Lane, at Napier, in 1946, in 73sec. Whether Miss Brittain’s performance will entitle her to a position in the Canterbury representative team is a matter for the selection board, but her style and grace may influence them,.

Athletes of the Year An American publication, the "Ring Magazine/’ has elected another champion in Tonv Zale, "stout-hearted boxer of Garv, Indiana," who holds the world’s middle-weight title, as "the fighter of the vear.” This is the second time Zale has been given the crown. The award was in- , stituted in 1928 when Gene Tunney won in his prime, and each year the Boxing J Writers’ Association of New York makes ' its choice. The award is made on the ; basis of achievement in the ring, sports- « manship, and the credit reflected upon boxing %y the fighter’s private life as well as in his actions inside the ropes. In every detail Zale proved the outstanding choice. Joe Louis and Marcel Cerdan, the French middleweight, were second and third respectively. While Zale holds a position above all men, the outstanding woman athlete of the year is Mrs Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias, national amateur golf champion in 1946. Mrs Zaharias earned recognition for her. track and field performances in 1932 and regained top ranking in 1945 and 1946 on her golfing ability. With 58 sports writers participating in the poll, Mrs Zaharias drew 33 first place votes and a total of 135 points on the basis of three points for a first place ballot, two for second, and one for third. Cannon Balls in Test

Following is the manner in which the American Associated Press reported the first day of the third cricket test between Australia and M.C.C.: "English bowlers ■ held Australian batsmen to a low score, fanning six men with a succession of speedy cannon balls and slow drop curves in the opening of the third test match in the cricket world series. Even 1 Don Bradman, who usually romps home a hundred or more Jimes in his turn to bat, was dismissed with only 79 runs. Bradman was fooled by Norman Yardley, who followed up the job by immediately fanning lan Johnson without a run.”

Runners on Rations With the Olympic Games to be held in London in 1948, British coachex are becoming worried because of the shortage of the sustaining foods whicK ar® neceissary in every athlete’s diet. The English athlete is at a big disadvantage compared with men from other cot®, tries, and this was shown when Gus Le»venich turned up in Engand with four dozen American eggs—a year’s supply for one person in England—and writers .had ■■ no hesitation in advertising the difference | between the diet of the American boxet>, and the English. No visitor’s knapsack was without staples and -titbits fronts home, whether it was the American tenj nis player Tom Brown's raisins and > chocolate, or the Danish football team s bacon. "Athletes are definitely suffering because of the food shortage, said one coach, “and if we don't do something for them soon the country is going iO become a second-rate sporting nation. Girl at Scoreboard

A girl operated the scoreboard for the 4 cricket match between Tasmania and the touring M.C.C. side at Launceston recently. She is Miss Clarice Knight, who was only 11 when she first became interested in cricket scoring, and probably she is the only woman scoreboard operator in Australia. Since then she has scored for two visiting M.C.C. teams— Jardine’s in 1933 and Allen s in 1937— as well as for the 1934 and 1938 Australian touring sides. The scoreboard was erected by her grandfather, and her father taught her to operate it. Athlete’s Foot Victims of athlete’s foot can be given _ much better treatment than formerly, according to information supplied by Dr. Louis Schwartz, of the United States Public Health Department. A host of new, powerful, ar.d non-irritating chemi- * cals that kill the fungus which cause the complaint are now available to physicians, and such formerly popular methods as foot baths and sprays of fungus-kill- • ing chemicals are regarded as of no ' value. A case of athlete’s foot can be cleared up by judicious use of wet dressing and modern fungicides, according to Dr. Schwartz, and after that the patient -can look after himself. . ■ ’ Family of Bowlers Proficiency in the game of bowls is common in the Skoglund family, father and son of which were third and skip _< respectively in the Otahuhu rink which. won the recent Christmas fours in Weilington. Peter Skoglund’s father, grandfather of the skip, introduced bowls to the West Coast about 55 years ago, establishing a green on his own property. It was there that Peter Skoglund and his brothers first played bowls. Two of the brothers, J. and A. T. Skoglund. have been singles champions of the Greymoutn Club. The youngest brother, K. Skogluhd, plays occasionally at Kaikohe. Peter Skoglund has won the singles championship of the Stratford Club, and the Wellington Club handicap singles from scratch. With his son. T. T. Skoglund. he won the Wellington Christmas fours first in 1939. S. O. Skoglund, the eldest son of Peter, has been several times champion singles player of the Manawatu Centre, and has also skipped the champion fours and pairs of the same The voungest son, T. T. Skoglund, has j been singles champion of the Wellington, 1 Mangere and Otahuhu Clubfi; He has * skipped the winning four at, two. Wei- . lington Christmas -and two years ago skipped the Otahunif which won the' Taranaki tourrtamfent He and his club mate. Murdoch, weft We last of the two-lifers left m the singes championship of the New Zealand tournament at Auckland in 1945.