ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27500, 6 November 1954, Page 9

ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

tBV MILES]

Secondary School Sports Why is not more interest taken in athletics in Canterbury is a question that arises each year after the secondary schools of Christchurch-have held their annual sports meeting. Few of the many fine young runners who compete each year pull on the spiked shoes after leaving school and only memories of their fine performances and an occasional record remain. At this year’s fixture held at Lancaster Park on Wednesday, nine’ schools were represented, the latest entrant being Linwood High School, which marked its entry by a win in the unior high jump. The competition jetween the schools is keen .and is conducted in true spirit for the honopr of the school. In each event only one representative from each school is permitted to compete and there are no prizes for the winners. Frdm 1922, when the sports were introduced, until 1936, Christ’s College held an unbeaten record in the open i'm-

pionship, but since then honours x.uve been more evenly distributed, with St. Andrew’s College, Christchurch Boys’ High School, and St. Bede’s College each taking a turn in providing the Champions. This year Christ’s College added another victory to its imposing record with good all round efforts. Until 1933 only senior and junior competitions were held, but in 1933 the intermediate grade was introduced and here honours have been well divided, with Christchurch West High and Christchurch Technical College providing stern opposition to the other schools. The junior division has also been keenly contested and some notable performers in later years have made their first appearance in this grade. The object is to encourage friendly competition among the schools, but it seems a pity that a holiday fixture could not be arranged so that many keen followers of sport could be afforded a chance of seeing young champions in action.

“Springbok Story” In “Springbok Story, 1949-1953.” Danie Craven makes another splendid contribution to the big list of books written about Rugby football in the last few years, Danie Craven tells the story of the 1949 All Blacks in South Africa, the 1951 Springboks in Britain and the 1953 Wallabies in South Africa. As coach and selector of the South African team and also adviser to the All Blacks and Wallabies on their scrum difficulties, he was afforded every opportunity to see the inner workings of the combinations. The book, rich in cheerful anecdote and displaying the keen insight of the author as a master tactician, concludes with a summing-up of the lessons learned on three great tours. He is not Always complimentary to South Africari especially on the handling of the Springbok backs. Here is a sample: “Our handling is putrid, and even if it does not break down it is stodgy, tense and unattractive. Why don’t we make it an art? Why not those smooth, rhythmical passes, those easy relspced catches enabling a ball to glide from player to player. .. Let us therefore devote more time to hands. Let us do what the Frenchmen do. In their school the smallest boy is made hand conscious and is trained never to drop or give out a bad pass.” “Springbok Story” can be recommended. It ■ provides excellent reading and much information for everyone who is interested in Rugby. The New Zealand distributors are A. H. and A. W. Reed, Wellington. Olympic Hymn Wanted A world-wide competition to find a new hymn to be sung at Olympic ceremonies is being conducted by the International Olympic Committee. The author of the winning score will be named at Monte Carlo in March or April next and will be* awarded a commemorative medal’a work of art and 1000 dollars. It is likely that the first rendering of the new hymn will be in a world broadcast from the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne. Negotiations Reopened

Negotiations between the Sydney Cricket Groiinl Trust Board and the New South Wales Rugby League for the lease of the Sydney Cricket Ground have been reopened and it now seems probable that all big football .in the next 10 years will be played on Sydney’s leading sports ground. The inerdhsed percentage asked by the Trust means the Trust would receive an estimated £12,000 from the League next season. In 1945 the Trust received £2651 3s Id from the League; last season they received £7942 13s 2d. The League’s 10-year lease of the Cricket Ground expired several months ago and the Trust proposed new terms. Under the old lease, the Trust received 10 per cent of the gate for grade fixtures, 7i per cent, for interstate matches, and 5 per cent, for international games. The Trust, proposed that under the new lease, it should receive 12 i per cent, for all fixtures. The league applied for a three-year lease of the. Showground, but its application was rejected. Pakistan Cricketers Two of the r-axistan cricket team who did s 6 well in England last season are remaining there for two years. Khalid Hasten, the youngest player, at 16, ever to appear in a test match, is to study technology—first at East Tilbury, Essex, and afterwards at London University. Khalid Wazir goes to Manchester to study textiles. Shujauddin also stayed behind when the’ rest of the team departed by sea for home, but he is having medical treatment for a troublesome rash. Promising Sprinters

A feature of the running at the Secondary Schools Sports on Wednesday was the fast times registered by intermediate (under 16J years) sprinters, which compared favourably with those registered in the open events. In the. seniqr 220 yards I. Hamilton (St. Andrew’s College) won in 23 2-ssec, and in the intermediate M. Lee (St. Bede’s) did 23sec. The open 100 was won by A» Fletcher (St Bede’s) in 10 2-ssec and J. Davison (St. Andrew’s) won the intermediate in 10 3-ssec. The relay for intermediate, 4 x 110 yards, was won by St. Andrew’s in the record time of 46 2-ssec. Christ’s College in the open grade took 45 l-ssec. A Question

‘*Neville Cardus is continually reminding us Of the low state of cricket today,’! writes J. M McConnell, Dublin, to the Editor o£ the "World Sports.” “Can he tell us of another period when the game possessed players like the following? Batsmen: Hutton Hassett (just retired), Worrell, Weekes Harvey, Compton, Sutcliffe, Miller, Morns, Walcott, Endean, McGlew May and Graveney. All-rounders: Miller, Won-ell, Bailey, Mankad, Benaud, Davidson and Lindwall Bowlers: Lindwall, Tyson, Trueman, Miller, Statham and King (fast); Tayfield, Ramadhin, Laker, Appleyard, Ghulam Ahmed, McConnon, Dooland and Wright (right-arm spin); Bedser and Loader (fast-medium); Valentine, Lock; Wardle, Mankad and Sobers (slow left arm). Fielders: Harvey, Davidson, Benaud, Hole, Trueman Lock, Ikin and Grieves. I doubt if Evans ever had a superior as a wicketkeeper.” West Begs For Money

Jack Crump one of England’s best known sports writers says:—"Before we Britons, or the Americans, or Australians can send a team to the Olympics, our officials and many of the athletes must visit various organisations to beg for money. The Russians, Czechs and Hungarians simply go to their Governments and get the money needed to take their teams to the events.” The Americans who were at Berne and Turin went home determined to bring their own training for the Olympic as close as they dared to the Communist level. Olympic "probables” will be intensively coached, and the drive for a million dollars to send the team to Melbourne put under way. ■’

Cnp winner and Cricketer Mr L. R. Spring, of Whakatane, owner of the Melbourne Cup winner, Rising Fast, was at one time a prospect for the New Zealand cricket team which went to England in 1937. A medium pace bowler and a solid batsman, he was a member of the powerful Auckland team which won ttie Plunket Shield in 1936-37. When he bruised his heel while bowling against Canterbury in his first Shield match he ruined his chances. At Lancaster Park Mr Spring took one for 46 off 26 overs, and three for 28 off 14 overs. He contributed 30 to Auckland’s total of 278. He played only a modest part in the subsequent matches. Mr Spring was educated at Palmerston North Boys’ High School, a well-known cricket nursery, and then went to Christchurch for a while before moving to Auckland. In 1940 he moved to Whakatane. A Quick Knock-out The American. Negro, Freddie Dawson, gained one of the quickest wins^ of his Australian career when he knocked out the Filipino, Benny Salem, in the first round of their fight at Leichhardt Stadium; on Monday. Dawson knocked out Salem two minutes 25 seconds after the start of the first round, tad ttie referee, Art Mawson, signalled the full count over the Filipino. It was the biggest crowd to attend Leichhardt Stadium this year, and about 4000 patrons got only a brief glimpse or Dawson’s work. The aggressor from the start, Dawson landed a series of left hooks, which had Salem moving backwards. Suddenly he unleashed a short right, and, chasing Salem, landed a long left to the head, which sent the Filipino down. After the fight, Dawson said that he would not run any risk* with future opponents. Dawson, now rated number four welter-weight, In the world, cannot risk bad performances, if he is to gain his goal or fighting for the world welter-weight title. Dawson’s next fight is to be against the winner of the Eddy DioneMarshall Clayton fight, at the Sydney Sports Ground on December 8,9, or 10. . Opawa to Visit Nelson Twenty-five players from the Opawa Tennis Club will travel to Nelson next week-end by a chartered bus to play the Nelson Club on the -grass courts ’ at Rutherford Park. The total will include five senior men arid a separate mixed team of 10 men and 10 women— , a similar arrangement to that for the match against the St. Clair Club at Opawa at Labour Week-end. A Miler of Promise After the brilliant performances . of poger Bannister and Chris Chataway England hopes to produce another in the same class, in K Wood, who won the Emslie Carr mile at the British Games in 4min 4.Bsec. Wood ran his - last 440 yards in 57.25ec, a performance that can have been beaten by fewWood, who is a 23-year-old Sheffield harrier, has only been in the sport for three years. An international • crosscountry runner, he had his first major track success on August 2. Soccer Becoming Popular Attendances at soccer games in New South Wales during 1954 were a record for the code, according to the secretary of the. New South Wales Soccer Association. “It was twice as good as any other season,” he said. -‘Record attendances gave record entrance money, and there has been a terrific spread in the game in junior andt school boy grades. The game also has ■ grown largely in country areas.” Barry at Lighted Courts John Barry, of Wellington, the number 1 ranked tennis player in New i Zealand and a member of the Davis . Cup team, might with Ron McKenzie ■ and Peter Nicholls, also of Wellington, , visit Christchurch towards the end of

the season to play Saturday night matches on the lighted courts at Opawa. The dub extended an invitation when Barry and Nicholls were here recently with the Swedish Davis Cup players., At present tile courts are not able to be used at night because of the power restrictions. Track Testa Begin ' Melbourne officials have begun a series of tests to determine the Composition of cinder tracks to be used during the 1956 Olympic Games. The first training track will probably be laid down at Olympic Park, one of the main Olympic venues, by February, 1955. Three training arenas will be built at the Olympic Village, which will accommodate visiting teams. Eleven separate test strips have been laid down. Test materials inelude samples of the Wembley and White City tracks, London. Most of the other specimens have been worked out under the direction of an expert committee, consisting of soil research engineers, analytical chemists and. experienced trackmen. The Australian strips have three main bases—shell grit, natural red cinder (scoria) from Mt. Duneed, a nearby extinct volcano, and ordinary commercial cinder* from Newcastle coal. These were mixed with various Australian clays. The strips varied from light grey to dark red jn colour, and from 11 to 13 inches in depth. The track to be laid down for the Main Stadium will be constructed late in 1955, with exception of the final layer of topdressing. which will be completed six weeks prior to the Games. It will be 400 metres long, with the straight, on the north side, 150 metres (164 yards) long and 9.75 metres (32 feet) wide. ' ” Tribute to American " ’Dutch’ Harrison held the attention all middle-aged golfers, and the -esson should be worthwhile,” writes Bill Fitter in the Sydney “Sun-Herald.” ls old championship golf. The twin secrets of his continued success are his temperament and his indestructible swing, smooth and orthodox. Few golfers half his age exceed Harrison’s distance from the tees, and his Jong irons are brilliant. He is completely relaxed with all his shots. That style may not rate tournament headlines, but it is the way. to enjoy golf and play a presentable game, even when you’re well into the 60’s. Harrison’s bussinesslike approach, without fluster or complaint, was also a lesson to those competitors who noisely condemned the course for their poor scores. The Lakes, admittedly, is an unusual layout. It may not be a ’great’ golf course but it is a testing one with its tight lies and, throughout the tournament, tricky winds. Harrison quietly accepted all The Lakes’ hazards and set out to show they could be mastered—the mark of a true golfer and sportsman.” Sinn Beats Peacock The Australian bantam-weight champion, Bobby Sinn (8-si), smashed his way into world rating when he outpointed Billy Peacock (8-SS) in • fierce 12-rourfd bout at Melbourne Stadium, last week, writes the Melbourne correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald.” Peacock gave Sinn a boxing lesson for five rounds, but Sinn, in one of the most courageous dis: plays ever seen in the Melbourne ring, wore him down over the final four rounds. Although the referee. Terry Reilly, stunned the capacitycrowd when he crowned the Australian, Sinn, received one ot the greatest receptions ever accorded a local fighter in recent years. Peacock, upset at the decision, said he had eon- > sidered himself so far ahead on points that he had eased up late in the fight The sharp-punching Peacock was 4-1 i on after a few rounds but in tile ninth round shrewd judges were > prepared to lay 5-2 against the ; American. When-.Sinn received the ■ referee’s decision he hugged Peacock, • leaped into trainer Snowy Hill’s arms, I and pranced around the ring. The fact : that Sinn could come back and match —and even outfight—the Negro over i the final hectic rounds stamped him a : worthy successor to Jimmy Carruthers