GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25609, 25 September 1948, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

(By “MILES.”) American Basketball

The Canterbury men’s basketball representatives, South Island champions, will have an opportunity to test their skill against an All-American team at the Wentworth to-day. The American team is composed of Mormon ciders at present in this country aS missionaries, almost all of them being from the United States and some from Canada. All have played basketball in their high schools and colleges at home, some playing for the University of .Utah, ranked as one of the country s leading teams for some years now. The Mormon team proved its ability against Wellington last Saturday when it beat the home team 56-19 in the best exhibition of basketball seen in that city. So popular was the game there that a return match was arranged for later in the week to enable all those who were turned away on the first night to see the Arfiericans in action. The Luck of the Game

Ray O’Callaghan, who appeared to have bright prospects of being selected for the All Black tour of South Africa, broke a bone in his ankle some weki ago and he is still on crutches with his leg in plaster. On this season’s form O’Callaghan would have been the utility back tne selectors are looking for. He is equally at home at five-eighths, centre, or full-back, and has enough speed for a wing three-quar-ters. The injury will probably kgep him out of any chance of inclusion in the AU Blacks. O’Callaghan is not the only unlucky one. There was not a front-ranker as good as G. Bond in the All Blacks trial at Wellington, and it seems that had E. H. M. Richards been played for Canterbury in his right place as full-back he would have been given a trial. J. W. Goddard now looks like being second string to R. W. H. Scott. Richards is unlucky. There are others. Duneciin enthusiasts and especially members ox the Otago representative team, think Laurie Haig the unluckiest man in New Zealand. He is described by one of the Otago backs as “a forwards dream come true.” Cricket Ruling When, a cricket team requires one run to win, and a batsman is then run out in attempting a second run, should he be given out or should his innings be regarded as a not out. This problem perplexed some leading cricket administrators last season when such an iribident occurred ip a senior game, and the batsman was given out. Advice was received recently by the New Zealand Cricket Council from the M.C.C. that the batsman is not out. In its explanation, the M.C.C. said that when one side has made more runs than the other, the ’ game is completed, and therefore the batsman is not out when the game ends. Veteran with the Cue

The New Zealand Billiards Council is looking well ahead and has already invited a team of leading Australian amateurs to take part in matches when the Empire Games are held in Auckland or Christchurch. R. Carrick (Auckland), New Zealand champion, and W. Smith (Christchurch) have been chosen to represent the Dominion. "Pod" Smith has reached an age when the best cannot be expected of him, but in defeating the Wellington champion, L. Stout, at the recent championships in Dunedin, he showed outstanding form, in a game which many consider one of the best seen in New Zealand championship tournaments. His defeat in. the semi-final of the West Coast chamEion, A. Twohlll, showed him to be the est player in the South Island. West Coesters have always held a very high opinion of Twohill’s scoring ability, bujt are now content to place him Second to the veteran. Smith, Canterbury snooker champion, will not defend his title this year. He left for Auckland on Thursday to take part in the New Zealand championship, which will. start next Monday. Red and Blue Lights

Canterbury’s team of boxers made the goorest showing on record at the New ealand championships this week. Not a boxer won a bout, and several failed to see out the ftfst round. The Canterbury Boxing Association, however, came into the limelight when the national council charged it with discourtesy because, after being asked by the council to delay the introduction of the new judges* decision indicator, it carried on with a job that has proved a big success. Under the Can s terbury system of indicating decisions of the judges by red orM>lue lights, the public is kept informed. The Canterbury association will still signal With the red and blue lights, and many other associations will adopt the idea in the next few months. A Full Season

Christchurch cricket enthusiasts should have their fill of representative games thife season, when several extra matches will be played to help in the selection of the New Zealand team to tour England. The following games will be played at Christchurch (some dates have yet to be confirmed): —Canterbury v. Otago, December 25, 27, 28, and 29; Southland, North Otago, South Canterbury, and Ashburton v. West Coast, Buller, Marlborough, and Nelson, at the New Year; South Island v. South Island Minor Associations. February 5,7, and 8; New Zealand v. The Rest, February 10, 11, and 12. In addition. Canterbury will play Wellington, at Wellington, on. December 31, January 1,3, and 4, and Auckland at Auckland, on January 7,8, 10 and 11. There will also be games between senior B and junior representative teams. Petersen as Middle-weight

Laurie Petersen, now a resident of Christchurch, appears to have run out of worthy opposition in the welter-weight class and is looking for bigger game. His next matdh Will be in the open air at Wilding Park next Saturday afternobn when he will meet the New Zealand middle-weight champion, Roy Stevens, for a purse of £3OO. In his last fight Petersen knocked, out Clarrie Gordon and Stevens’s latest victim was the Australian middle-weight. Jackie Mart. If Canterbury amateurs are below standard, . the Canterbury Boxing- Association te cer* tainly doing its best for those Who like to see the crack professionals in action> Australian Soccer Team

The Australian Association football representatives recently completed a six weeks’ tour of the Dominion, tend in that time beat every‘test, provincial, and district side which the New Zealand Football Association fielded against it. tn the Canterbury match the visitors met their strongest challenge. Canterbury’s success was due to its combination on attack and defence, and in particular the will of each member to look for work and complete it to the best of his ability. This game provided a. more pleasing spectacle than the test match which followed It. The test side never could settle down to a workable combination because it turned out on each occasion with the greater part of its complement changed. The Australians’ visit showed that New Zealand football is being played' at half pace and that there are few players ot ability in the forward attacking positions. Fadeless Memories

"As the years roll by, which will sttthd out as the fadeless memories of the Games?” writes Dentil Batchelor in "World Sports.” The writer continues: "From the boxing I bear away a treasure trove of memories. Lajos Papp’s ‘murderdus hooks, the classic style arid sweet, light footwork of the South Africans, the neatness and crisp punching of sU and Han, the Korean feather and fly-weights, the Englishman Wright’s courage' in repeated counter-attacks, and the massive body punching of Iglesias of the Argentine. And long after we have forgotten the bad verdicts (and there were a few woeful enough to stagger humanity) I shall remember how readily the really accomplished boxers Who reached the later rounds accepted decisions. In their ex* I überance followers of one successful boxer hurled themselves into the Empire Pool fully clothed. Others exchanged mote kisses than were ever crammed into the most sumptuous Hoilywqod musical eblc."