GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

"MILES.”)

(By

ATHLETIC SPORTS

New Order Needed It is doubtful whether the Canterbury selectors have made the most of the material available in placing the Canterbury team in the field, and it is a suggestion that after the poor displays given this season the selectors should discard their present estimates of ability and start afresh. The old idea that it is harder to get out than to get into a Canterbury team should be discarded. The majority of the men who have represented Canterbury this year have been tried and found- wanting. The selectors might well start with a new team, not forgetting the claims of the Albion forward, S. Cook whose control of ball and vigorous work in dribbling rushes have been outstanding in senior football; the two Lincoln College backs. Lord, half-back, and Perry, fiveeighths; Leary, another five*eighths from Merivale; and Boyes,* still another fiveeighths from Training College. New wing three-quarters have to be found, and possibly Steel of Christchurch may yet earn the reward of the excellent work he has done in club games. Ryder Cup

American golf professionals are keen to renew the Ryder Cup competition. The cup is played for between teams representing Britain and the United States, but it has not been competed for since the war. It is almost certain that any team Britain could gather together at present would be slaughtered by the Americans, and there would be no great point in sending a British team to the United States to take thte father and mother of a hiding. Henry Longhurst in “Sporting Life” suggests that a more even match would be between a United States team and British Empire team; for while the Americans could probably field two or even three teams which could beat the British professionals, they would have a much more difficult job to beat an Empire team, including such men as Henry Cotton, Dai Rees (Britain), Bobby Locke (South Africa), Norman von Nida (Australia), and Fred Daly (Ireland), with other outstanding British golfers filling the other places. The conditions for the Ryder Cup would have to be altered, since at present they provide for play between British-born professionals resident in Great Britain and American-born professionals resident in the United States. “Intimidation Appeals” Before the Australian test players come to this country next summer, they will have to change their manner and method of appealing, otherwise they will get into trouble with our umnires, writes Charles Bray in the “Daily Herald” (London). At recent meetings of first-class umpires with the M.C.C. the question of intimidatory appeals has been discussed and umpires have been instructed to take prompt action to stop any such appeals from the fielding side. “Intimidation appeals,” continues the writer, “are made by players not in a position to judge whether the batsman is out or not. . . . Next year the position will be tightened up considerably, and, therefore, the Australians, who always given the man out—they make the umpire’s lifted-finger signal—at the same time as they appeal, will have to change their ways.” Too Much Talk

“Ball, ball, ball” is the unending cry of a well-known club and Canterbury back and his one continuous recording during a game of something his forwards all ready know is annoying to his own team-mates and the opposition. In a club game earlier in the season one opposing forward, whose temper was becoming a bit irayed because of the par-lot-like cry, remarked: “For the love of Mike give the kid the ball and shut him up.” The player in question would be well advised in the words of a famous referee, Jack Peake, to "save his breath to cool his porridge.” He cannot talk and play at the same time. Boxing in Christchurch With the Canterbury and New Zealand amateur boxing championships to ba held in Christchurch within the next two months, the bout between Henry Robertson and Jack McCann, will probably be the last appearance of professionals during the present season. Robertson, one of the most popular boxers to appear in a Christchurch ring, is a grand, clean, little fighter, and a worker from the time he climbs through the ropes. He has announced this as his last fight. McCann, too, intends to retire from the ring, and, like Robertson, hopes to give up' boxing with a last win. Both men have records for fine sportsmanship and neither has declined a fight when the chance has offered. Gear-controlled The Christchurch Cycling Club held what is believed to be the first gearcontrolled race held in Canterbury. The gear was limited to 75 inches, and while several riders found the pedalling too fast to be maintained, the majority of the riders returned fine times, and R. Bamford, riding a 74in gear, secured first place and fastest time in the good time of Ihr 35min 44sec. Races governed by these conditions are bound to become popular with riders, especially with the younger brigade. Too Many Teams

Too many teams in the senior championship and too many players not up to standard taking part, the playing of representative fixtures while the club senior ’championship is in progress, and the dissatisfaction of club members are reasons advanced for the very poor display of the Canterbury representative team against New Zealand Universities last Saturday. Of the discontent among club members there is no doubt, for it is known that at least two bdeks selected as emergencies refused to act in this role for the Canterbury team last Saturday, i The players cannot be blamed and have the full support of clubs in the action they have taken. With 12 teams engaged in the senior championship, there are too many players below senior standard. There may be 120 players (eight teams) of senior grade players, but the standard of play has shown that there are not 180 players (12 teams) of the proper grade. The result is a playing-down, not a play-ing-up to a level. It is too late in the season to think of any alteration in the rules governing the championship, but the Rugby Union might well put a note in the Suggestion Book before making arrangements for next season.

Speedy Golf A good example to the match in front (which is always the slowest on record) was set by S. H. McKechnie and D. C. Watson in the 36-hole.final of the Tosswill Cup knock-out competition on the Russley golf course. Watson, after just under three and a half hours actual play, was shaking hands with his conqueror on the 31st green; McKechnie having won 6 up and 5 to play. The first round was played in lhr 55min. Two factors accounted for the speed: each player was off the fairway on# once in the 31 holes and other players promptly let them through. McKechnie was at the top of his form, finishing the first round in 74, par figures, and being only one over par in the second round when the match finished? Is the time a record? A Lost Art

The cross-kick in Rugby football in Canterbury is a lost art, judging by football played on the oval at Lancaster Park this year. It is also lost art if a line is taken on some secondary schools football. The St. Andrew’s College-Timaru Boys’ High School game on Wednesday provided a striking example of the folly of neglect of this aspect. Playing on the wing for Timaru was A. Wills, national junior 120 hurdles champion, and the outstanding player on the field. Twice he received the ball cleanly in passing rushes, twice he made the St. Andrew’s defence look like a wall of tissue-paper. Timaru had plenty of the ball, the halfback passed, the first five-eights dropped the ball with monotonous regularity. The half-back apparently had not been taught the value of a cross-kick. The coach is to blame. Had Wills been given his chances—and the only way to give him chances was by means of the cross-kick —Timaru might well have put up a cricket score. Fxecution of the centrekick is another lost art with senior players in Christchurch. It was pleasing to see the Otago University wing-three-ouarters, I. ,T. Bottine. introducing it in the North-South Islands Universities match last week. Naming the Replacements

Methods by which supporters could be notified of last-minute changes in teams playing at Lancaster Park were discussed a *. a meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union this week. Several members agreed that while changes in the teams could not be included in the programmes, some effort should be made by the union to advise the public of any differences from the sides published. The New Zealand Uni-versities-C.anterbury game was mentioned as a case in which this trouble had occurred. It was decided to show the names of replacement players on the score board even if the names had to be written in chalk. Loss to Boxing

Boxing in Christchurch has lost a good friend and splendid worker in the death of "Steve” Mangan, which - occurred last week. A boxer of some ability in his day, ’Steve” also ran a boxing school and as a member of the executive of the Canterbury Boxing Association and as ringmaster for all tournaments, he gave fine service. He was particularly interested in young boxers, and frequently acted as referee in secondary and primarv schools boxinff comuetitions*

Amateur Cycling x The best feature of amateur cycling in Canterbury this season has been the big interest taken by junior riders, and among them are men who may yet emulate the deeds of many great riders Canterbury had in years gone by. In club races the standard of riding has been high. The Avon Club is In the forefront of all activities, and the success of its 25 miles club championship should encourage it to further effort. When G. Bartram won the senior title (a time trial) in lhr 20min, and G. Milner took the junior honours, both riders registered splendid performances under bad conditions. B. Evans won the Christchurch Club championship, which was run in two sections, and a new aspirant for cycling honours, his performance was creditable. Especially promising is the junior, A. Dean, whose consistency suggests he will go a long way in the sport. The Canterbury Club’s time trial has been won by F. Chapman and the junior section by S. Ritchie, aged 16, and one of the toughest young riders of to-day. Hutton Out of Form .

In six test-match innings against the South Africans this season, Len Hutton, England’s opening batsman, has scored a total of about 100 runs. Hutton’s loss of form must have caused concern among the English selectors. An article in “Sporting Life” on July 11 suggests there was even a possibility of Hutton’s being omitted from England’s team for the fourth test, although, when he made his record score of 364 against Australia in 1938, Hutton seemed certain to be England's first choice for many years. Hutton has been scoring well in county matches, and although the injury to an arm he suffered during the war seems to have had an effect on his batting, there is little doubt that he will recover the form that made him England’s outstanding player a few years ago. W. G. Grace Centenary

“July 18 is the ninety-ninth anniversary of the birth of William Gilbert Grace, the grand old man of English cricket, and called by some the greatest cricketer of all time,” writes Ross Williams in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” "As the centenary will occur appropriately enough during the Australian cricketers’ tour of Britain next year, a unique opportunity is presented to mark the occasion in some special way. I suggest that in drawing up the itinerary of the Australian team’s tour, provision could be made for a match, preferably a test match, to be played on or about July 18, which should be known as ’The W. G. Grace Centennial Test Match.’ ” A Referee’s Bouquet

A pleasing gesture from referee to players was that of Captain H. Sutcliffe, whose letter expressing appreciation of the manner in which a recent game, refereed by him, had been played, was read at a meeting of the management committee of the Ashburton Rugby Union this week. The game was a junior fixture between Hinds and Technical Old Boys. Captain Sutcliffe in his letter stated that not once did he have to stop the game for a foul. Such a report provides a welcome contrast to those of some other matches in the district recently, several players having to answer before the management committee charges of misconduct brought by referees.