ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26509, 25 August 1951, Page 4

ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

(By

MILES)

Marist Cricket Club The St. Bede’s College Old Boys cricket team, which has played second grade A, and the Cathedral Club, in second grade C, both with several lower grade teams, have decided to disband. This does not mean that their support will be lost to cricket. Both clubs have recognised the futility of carrying on as separate entities, and will ask permission of the Canterbury Cricket Association to nominate a Marist Club with the higher rating of a junior A grade team in this year’s competitions. The funds and the equipment of both clubs will be pooled, and it is hoped in time to raise a team of senior grade status. A circular letter issued by the St. Bede’s Old Boys and Cathedral Clubs says: “It is the intention of the club to provide for its players facilities comparable with those given any other club.” The combination appears to be a wise one. for the fewer and the stronger teams are the better for competition and cricket. There seems no reason why the newlyformed Marist Club should not enjoy as much success in the cricket field as its Rugby Union brothers do. The Shield Winners

Waikato’s Rugby team has made history for its union. A comparative newcomer to Ranfurly Shield Rugby. Waikato had played in only two shield challenge games before Saturday—against Canterbury in 1932 and against Otago in 1949. The all-goals score of 6 to 3 rivals Southland’s winning marram of 3 to 0(a penalty goal) against Otago in 1946, and Wairarapa’s 3-0 win (a dropped goal) against Canterbury last season. Waikato was formerly known as South Auckland. The union was founded in 1909 and the name changed to Waikato in 1921. It is a union of sub-unions —Te Awamutu. Lower’ Waikato. Matamata, Raglan, Hamilton, Morrinsville, Cambridge, and Putaruru. Some of the chibs are Hamilton Old Bovs. Pirongia-Rovers, Gordonton. Hamilton Technical, Marist, Matamata, Frankton. Matangi, Cambridge United, City, Raglan, Kereone. Putaruru, Te Awamutu. Huntly, Patetere, and Hinuera. A Veteran Hooker

Waikato becomes the twelfth holder of the shield in 49 years of competition. All told 185 games have been played. The record number of wins is Otago’s 34, and the record number of consecutive victories is held by Hawke’s Bay. who between 1922 and 1927 defended the shield successfully against 24 challenges. Otago’s longest run of wins was 18. E. H. ("Has”) Catley, although a veteran of 17 representative seasons, had not played in a Ranfurly Shield game before Saturday. He -was with the All Blacks in South Africa when Waikato played Otago for the shield. A Bright Football Team

Old Boys has not enjoyed much success in match results this year. It has done something better. It has adopted the open game, playing good opposing back teams at their own game and struggling to measure up to teams which pick closely and keep the game tight. I With the bright football being played by Old Boys it is surprising that the Rugby Union's competitions committee has not found a main game on the Oval at Lanmaster Park for an enterprising team. O'd Boys is not heavy enough to win i a championship. Under the control of the Ail Black, S. R Carleton, it plays football in the way football should be played. Australian Swimming Union The Australian Swimming Union is struggling to retain its seat on the international committee which controls world swimming, writes Frank Tierney in the "Sydney Morning Heiald." Sweden has given notice that it will seek the deletion of Australia’s name from the international i committee. This body is the management i committee of the international swimming ' union, whose annual meeting will begin 1 at Helsinki on August 25. Australia’s j delegate, Mr W. D. Phillips, will not be present because the Australian committee organising the 1956 Olympic Games has refused to subscribe to his expenses. The meeting will decide the swimming programme for the Melbourne Olympic Gaines. The effect of the Swedish motion, if it were carried, would be to relegate Australia to the list of “little” nations of the Games. These nations have no voice in the management committee of the union. It would also deprive Australia of the right to have officials on the committee managing future Olympic Games swimming events. Ice Hockey Becomes Rough

Police were called in to stop fights between players in the ice hockey match between Eastern Suburbs and Western Suburbs at the Glaciarium, says the "Sydney Morning Herald.” Two Eastern Suburbs players were injured and spectators at one stage jumped into the arena to separate players. When police arrived the players had been separate! but a scuffle broke out again in the dressing rooms. This was quickly stopped by the police. All members of the Eastern Suburbs team, which lost by 2 goals to 0. have been reported for rough play. The charge will be heard by the management committee of the Ice Hockey Association. J. Mayes (Eastern Suburbs) received two stitches in a cut over his left eye, and a club-mate. P. Wendt, w®-‘ treated for a lacerated mouth. During the game three Eastern Suburbs player were sent to the penalty box. Eric Cremin Returns

Eric Cremin, who returned recently to Sydney from a trip to England and America, said he learned more about goK in three and a half weeks in America than in four months in England. Cremin said that the weather conditions they had experienced in England were shocking and had affected the courses. In England they wore two pullovers and waterproofs and still could not feel the putter. In America the conditions were entirely different. There he wore a thin shirt and no singlet. The courses in America were not hard because the playing conditions were always good. Every American hit the ball well and 99 per cent, of them were deadly near the greens. Ben Hogan was a superb golfer, with an amazing temperament. He did not see anybody when playing, his eye being always on the flag ahead. Most Americans hit the ball a tong way. Many of them made Kel Nagle, another Australian, took like a boy. Jim Ferrier was playing great golf. He was one of the best short game players in America. Brisk Scoring

When Warwickshire first won the county cricket championship in 1911. it played cricket of a type not often seen to-day. In a dry summer, its fast bowlers, F. R. Foster and F. E. Field, were outstandingly successful. Between them they took 238 wickets in championship matches, just twice as many as the side's other nine bowlers put together. Foster, only--23, captained the side and scored many runs at a great pace off bowling of a qualitv almost undreamed of to-day. When’he made 105 against Yorkshire, he and Lilley added 96 in under the hour; his 200 against Surrey was made in three hours —without a chance. He made 98 against Northamptonshire in better than even time, and his 87 against Gloucestershire took only 75 minutes. Then he made 85 against Worcestershire in even time, and 70 in as many minutes against Derbyshire. This was followed by 98 in 98 minutes against Lancashire. In the other Yorkshire match. Foster made 60 in 40 minutes. 101 in 105 minutes, and took six for 127. Even this scoring was insignificant compared with the feat of E. Allet'son (Nottinghamshire), whose innings of 189 against Sussex made the season memorable. He went in when his side, with only three wickets to fall, was a bare nine runs ahead of Sussex. After 50 minutes’ batting, he had scored 47. but after lunch he drove with tremendous power and phenomenal regularity. He scored 142 of the 152 made for the last wicket in 40 minutes, and made the 89 runs after his century in 15 minutes. Offers to French League Players The Balmain Rugby League Club has set up a committee to secure funds for engaging French- Rugby League players. A special meeting of the club also empowered the secretary-. Mr Norman Robinson. to approach five of the Frenchmen for their terms. They are full-back Puig-Aubert, half-back Jean Dop, threequarters Jacques Merquey and Vincent Cantoni. and forward Edouard Ponsinet. Mr Robinson said: “There are several members of the French team who have shown distinct interest in offers from local clubs. We feel that if sufficient inducement was made their services could be secured for at least a season.” Robust and Rangy Three of the 1951 Rugby Springboks weigh more than 16 stone; two are 32 years old, and three are 30. The heavyweights, who will probably make South Africa’s test team in the British Isles, are G. Dannhauser (Transvaal, lock), D. Dinkelmann, and “Okey" Geffin. The veterans are Basil Kenyon (captain) and Dannhauser, and the 30-year-olds are A. C. Keevy (full-back), J. Brewis (halfback), and P. du Tolt (half-back). A robust, rangy forward, Dannhauser was prominent in the trials in Pretoria and was the player who provoked the All Blacks into retaliation in the bottlethrowing match at Johannesburg. After ■ the game when the players fraternised, Dannhauser, looking at Lester Harvey’s two black eyes, jovially remarked: "What, two of them! I thought I got only one.” Cost of Tennis Equipment

The Auckland Lawn Tennis Association, at its annual general meeting, unanimously passed a resolution that: "It views with great alarm the big rise in the cost of tennis balls, and asks the Government to consider the remission of sales tax.” Speakers said that the higher cost of tennis balls and other equipment this coming season might have an adverse effect on the sport. It was agreed that a copy of the resolution be sent to other major associations with a view to concerted action.

| Warwickshire’s Sncceae Although Warwickshire enjoyed a most convincing win in the English county cricket championship, not one of its players was selected for any of the tests against South Africa, which seems to argue that, like Glamorganshire straight alter the war, the team consisted of good, reliable players. Much of the county’s success could be attributed to the advance made by the fast-medium bowler, C. W. Grove; the consistency of the New Zealander, T. L. Pritchard; the all-round success of the side’s wicket-keeper-bats-man. R. T. Spooner; and the solid batting of H. E. Dollery. F. C. Gardner, A. V. Wolton, and J. S. Ord. Warwickshire's last win in the championship was in 1911, when county cricket was much stronger than it has been In recent years. Warwickshire itself was led by F. R. Foster, a very successful all-rounder, and other famous names in the side were those of S. P. Klnneir, W. G. Quaife. E. J. Smith, J. H. Parsons. A. A. Lilley, S. Santali, and F. E. Field. Nearly all the other counties had players who would probably find places in England's present test team. Kent had Woolley. H. T W. Hardinge., Hutchings, Fielder, Blythe; Middlesex, Tarrant. J. W. Hearne. J. T. Hearne. Warner. Hendren; Lancashire, Spooner, three Tyldesleys. Brearley, Makepeace; Surrev, Hayward. Hobbs. Ducat. Sandham, Strudwick, Hitch; Yorkshire, Denton. Rhodes. Hirst. Haigh. Kilner; Nottinghamshire, Hardstaff senior, two Gunns; Worcestershire. H. K. Foster. Simpson-Havward; Hampshire. C. B. Fry. Mead. Kennedy, Fielder, Newman; Gloucestershire, Jessop. Dipper. Barnett. Board, Parker; Sussex. Vine, Relf, Killick, Cox. Jupp; Leicestershire, A. E. Knight, J. H. King; Somersetshire, P. R. Johnson, Braund. Dunedin Champions

The Dunedin Football Club’s victory - m the Otago Rugby Union's senior championship was thoroughly deserved, says the “Otago Dally Times." The club, the oldest in Otago, was established in 1871 and this was only its third championship success since 1885. although in 1943. when no official competition was held because of the war, it was the premier team. Dunedin’s strength is centred in a wellbalanced team, with a strongly knit forward pack and a speedy, strong, and resourceful back line. Teamwork has been a vital factor in the side’s success, and the games have revealed ftfw weak links. Although the Dark Blues lost their first two games against Kaikorai and Union, the margins were small, and Dunedin began a winning run in which it beat most of the leading teams in turn. Last year’s champions. Pirates, interrupted Dunedin s climb towards the top by playing an 8-al! draw, but this Dunedin avenged in the second round. The only other reverse met with by Dunedin was when ZingariRichmond defeated it by 12 points to 8 several weeks ago. Here again Dunedin turned the tables, and in the second round ran up 16 points without ZingariRichmohd crossing its line. Offer from League ; It has been reported from Whangarei that Peter Smith, a brother of J. B. Smith, has refused an offer of £2600 to play Rugby League in England. Peter Smith was a member of the North Auckland side which last season won the Ranfurly Shield from South Canterbury, and is considered one of the finest attacking backs in the far north. Smith, who is 26, received papers for his signature, and the offer included work and a house. He has returned the papers (unsigned) to the agent. A member of the Kaikohe Club, in the Bay of Islands. Prter Smith is one of the men North Aucklanders are pinning their faith in to hold the shield. He has played for New Zealand Maori teams in 1946, 1947, 1949, and 1950, and for New Zealand in 1947. A West Coast Kiwi i No 1951 Rugby League Kiwi earned his i place more than the Ngahere forward, F. G. Mulcare, says a Greymouth paper. One of the best forwards on the ground in the game France v. West Coast, he was a tireless worker in the loose and in the tight play, and very hard to stop when he had the ball. A product of the Marist Brothers’ School, Greymouth, he is the fourth pupil of this school to have represented New Zealand in the last 15 years at Rugby League. Mulcare played in all six games on the northern tour in 1949. and also in other representative games. In 1950 he again represented Coast and in the 1961 season he was selected as a South Island emergency and as a member of the New Zealand Kiwi team. Aged 22. height sft Ilin, and weighing 13st, Mulcare is a grand forw'ard. Only Five Penalties

A singular feature of the game between Otago and Southland was the absence of major infringements in the second half. The referee IMr McKenzie) was called upon only five times to award penalty kicks, all in the first half. Southland was penalised three times. Otago twice. The result gave Otago its nineteenth win at Invercargill in 64 years. It was the biggest defeat of Southland (in points) in Invercargill since 1935, when Otago won by 20 to 3. In the Can-terbury-Otago game 15 penalty kicks were awarded from three of which goals were kicked.