GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25377, 27 December 1947, Page 2

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By “MILES.”) Hadlee’s Bad Luck When W. A- Hadlee, Canterbury’s captain in the Plunket Shield match against Auckland, was dismised in Canterbury’s first innings for 97, he just failed to establish a fresh record for Canterbury players in the contest. Hadlee had scored three centuries in shield matches, a number equalled only by R.' O. Talbot and F. W. Bellamy. Such players as M. L. Page, I. B. Cromb, J. L. Kerr, A. W. Roberts, W. R. Patrick, and R. C. Blunt have scored two centuries, as well as many others in first-class games other than Plunket Shield fixtures. Kiwis’ Successful Tour

An attendance of more than 45,000 at the thifd test between Britain and New Zealand at Bradford last Saturday broke all records for a League test match in England and placed the tourists on a much stronger financial basis than was thought possible when the team left New Zealand. With a splendid reputation for fast, open football under any conditions, it now seems likely that each member of the team will be adequately rewarded with a substantial bonus on return to New Zealand. The British team which won the third test by 25 points to 9 included Scottish and Welsh internationals, including a grand footballer in Eric Ward, who toured with the last English League team in Australia and New Zealand. Nothing was left undone to ensure the physical fitness of the team, which had been assembled 10 days before the match and given special food, training, and coaching by famous players of a few years ago. The New Zealanders have spent Christmas in London, and at the NeW Year will play the first of a series of eight matches in France. In view of the proposed visit by a French League team to New Zealand next year, the next eight matches should provide something of interest. Jersey Joe Walcott

Joe Walcott might not have been able to convince the judges at Madison Square Garden that he had beaten Joe Louis, but to people in his home town, Camden, New Jersey, he’s the world’s champion. A crowd of 100,000 turned out in a huge demonstration of welcome, which is described as outdoing anything that the city has seen since President Roosevelt campaigned there in 1936. Joe rode down an avenue of cheering people, seated bareheaded beside Camden’s Mayor, George Brunner, who, himself, once managed professional fighters. Ticker tape showered down on him and the band blared while children and adults screamed, “We Want Joe.’’ When it was announced that people who wanted to shake Jersey Joe’s hand could see him by going to the seventeenth floor of the City Hall, there was a tremendous rush for the elevators while many climbed the stairs. The big coloured boxer shook hands with friends and strangers without any ostentation. .“How did you knock him down, Joe?” asked a small boy. Walcott grinned and shook his right fist. Another seven-year-old told Walcott it was the best fight he had seen in years. “Thanks. You should know,” Walcott replied. Eventually the crowd thinned out and Walcott was free to go home to his wife and six children in a 10-roomed house he built from the profits of his long fighting career.

Olympic Trials w Clarrie Hayes, recently returned from service in Japan to take part in Olympic trials, is being trained on the principle that he needs intensive training to bring him to the top of his form. Recently in Sydney he ran 100 yards in lOsec on a track affected by rain, ran 200 yards in a relay race, threw' the discus, put the shot, and won the long jump with 21ft Bin. The Olympic trial over 100 yards fer Australian sprinters will be held today, and the three prospects, Hayes, John Treloar, and Rex Elvy, will be in action. They are drawn in different heats, and if all three qualify the race in the final should be a memorable one. Australian Swimmers

In a cold wind and in torrents of rain swimming trials for Olmypic aspirants were held at Granville Pool, Sydney, early this month. While Barry Kellaway, a 13-year-old, raced over 220 yards free-style in 2min 4S.6sec, the times recorded by Olympic aspirants were no so good as officials expected. Hopes that Australian senior champion, John Davies, would come near to the Australian record of 2min 48.8 sec for the 220 yards breaststroke were shattered. He won his event, but his time was 3min 4.lsec. Australian Swimming Union officials attributed the slow time to the coldness of the water and the fact that the competitors were swimming under supervision for the first time this season. The Excuse Book

Joe Louis, world heavy-weight champion, will fight Jersey Joe Walcott in June if Walcott will agree to a 40-20 division of the gate money. In the last fight the basis was 40-15. Walcott and his shrewd managers are Hot likely to agree to these terms for there is a feeling among a big section of the fight fans that Walcott and not Louis should be wearing the heavyweight crown. Both Louis and his manager, John Roxburgh, had plenty to say to reporters after the championship fight. Louis said: “I want to remove that blot from my record or go down swinging. . . . I don’t want any mix-up if I ever lose the title. ... It was just an off-night, I guess.” Roxburgh said: "If Louis beats Walcott it will not be his last fight. ... A great deal depends on how Joe looks on the bout. You know what he does the second time he meets a fellow. . . . Joe wasn’t at his best and this is one fight for which he overtrained. . . . Joe’s hand, not broken, was so badly bruised it might as well have been broken . . etc. Canterbury Cricket Colts

Continuing its policy of providing as much match play as possible for promising young cricketers, the Canterbury Cricket Association has arranged a twomatch tour for a team of colts under the captaincy of I. B. Cromb. The team will play Oamaru on January 13 and 14, and Ashburton on January 16 and 17. The success of the matches arranged for the colts last season was such that there was no hesitation in arranging further games this 'summer. Match practice is the best practice, and the games provided muchneeded outside competition for country teams. Future of League

The most successful tour of the Kiwis in England, from both a playing and financial viewpoint, should give the game a great boost in New Zealand, and next year it is likely that there will be many converts to the 13-a-side game. A French team will tour New Zealand next year, and it is possible that more tours will be arranged. For a representative player football can become a very jxpensive business, and the provision in the laws of the game for payment of players and a share of the gate receipts is a big inducement for men not liberally endowed with worldly goods to play a form of Rugby that offers some recompense. The K,iwis’ tour will certainly do a lot of good to the League code, and it may also have the effect of revealing to the Rugby Union controllers that League is a game that is likely to become a very , strong rival for popular favour. Little has been heard of the World Rugby Union Conference now being held in London, but if New Zealand and Australian representations carry any weight it is quite . possible the laws of the game, especially those relating to professionalism, will be altered considerably. There may, however, be a big difficulty in persuading a conservative English Rugby Union to see the game from the Dominions’ point of view. The League is protecting its game by banning the export of players from New Zealand, but this does not prevent English clubs from importing Rugby Union players from Australia or New Zealand. Competitive Golf Strain

Having read much of the terrific strain of competitive golf in America and knowing how many hours most of the leaders practise, Bobby Locke (South Africa), now living in America, says: "Golf competitive strain is inevitable, but it isn’t a deadly risk.” The strain, he says, seems to be heavier and talked about more in the United States and explains this by saying that American professionals make more money than any others and therefore the strain and reward are in balance. He adds to that: "We very willingly expose ourselves to the temperamental rigours of the game because it’s the most pleasant way we know of making a living.” Locke thinks the United States professional could avoid some of the strain by striking a better balance between rest and constant tournament play and practice. He says he found the tournament circuit all the practice he needed. Nearing the Record

In Miss Mary Falck, a secondary schoolgirl, Canterbury has a potential New Zealand women’s high jump champion. Mary cleared 4ft 11 l-Bin in her school sports, and that achievement would have given her the title at the last national meeting in Wellington, when Miss M. McNeill won with 4ft Biin. Incidentally, such native ability suggests that the New Zealand record of sft IJin is within her compass. The mark was set by a Canadian girl, Miss M. Bell, in 1938, at Auckland.

There appears to be a reduction in the amount of holiday road traffic passing through Ashburton this year compared with last year, the reduction being caused by the health restriction on tne movement of children. The greatest volume of traffic is going south. Although there are not as many caravans on the road as last year, caravan trips are still a popular form of holiday making.