Canterbury's Future In Inter-Provincial Tennis

Press, Volume C, Issue 29436, 11 February 1961, Page 5

Canterbury's Future In Inter-Provincial Tennis

r |'HE Canterbury represents-1 tive lawn tennis team now: has five regular interprovinc.al fixtures each season—against West Coast. South Canterbury, Wellington, Otago and Hutt Valley. For several seasons, Canterbury played only the first three of these teams, but in 1958-59 the Otago fixture was revived after a lapse tnd a new contest with Hutt Valley also added.

Th’«s is a very satisfactory number for any province and the Canterbury record has been a one in tne two seasons they have been played; it has had only one loss in the 10 fixtures.

In 1958-59. playing a West Coast men’s team only. St won, 9-0. it beat South Canterbury, 24-0. Otago 14-10. Hutt Valley 13-3. but lost to Wellington. 4-19. Last season Canterbury was unbeaten. It led West Coast, 7-2, when play was stopped by rain, beat South Canterbury 20-4, beat Wellington 13-3. Otago 15-9 and Hutt Valley by 22 sets to 21 It put two representative teams into the field on the same day when it beat South Canterbury and Hutt Valley. This season Canterbury has already beaten West Coast <a men’s team only) by 6 matches to 0. and the rest of the programme will be played in the next five week-ends. They are:-

Today: v. Hutt Valley at Wilding Park.

February 18: v. Wellington at Wellington. March 5 (Sunday): v. South Canterbury at Timaru. March 11: v. Otago at Wilding Park.

However, Canterbury’s record in these matches is inclined to be rather flattering because it is not meeting lead-

ing players. It cannot be recalled when the province has lost to either the West Coast or South Canterbury, and wins have been recorded when Wellington has put its second teams into the field, but losses have been heavy when all the leading Wellington players have taken part. The Otago standard has dropped since the fixture was revived but there were some losses by Canterbury before that—lo-14 in 1954-55 and 8-16 in 1955-56.

Now the shift of New Zealand’s leading player. L. A. Gerrard, from Auckland to Christchurch and the rise to prominence of Canterbury players in first-class play this season, indicates that a more ambitious outlook can be taken for next season. A Wellington tennis writer said recently: "With L. A. Gerrard transferred to Christchurch the time could be opportune to inaugurate a

home-and-away match with Canterbury next season. With Gerrard, G. Moss, C. G. Judge and another homing to grips with R. G. Clarke, R. N. Hawkes and J. B. Souter some thrilling tennis could be seen—tennis that would benefit the players and, financially. the associations concerned.”

Canterbury last challenged for the Wilding Shield in the 1954-55 season when it was held by Wellington and got beaten<j>y 12 matches to 0. No challenge was made this season. because when the challenges closed Gerrard’s transfer was not known, nor could it be forecast thdt Judge and Moss were going to do so well But this must be a main consideration for next season. Auckland’s hold on the Wilding Shield is not nearly as strong as it was a few years ago. Not Available Canterbury is unfortunate that for today’s match with Hutt Valley its two leading men. Judge and Moss, and its leading woman. Miss J. Davidson, are not available. W. Thom will lead the men with B. J. Shirlaw, A. D. L. Hunter and L. Walpole and Mrs G. Middelberg will lead the women with Mrs P. Leopold, Mrs E. Campbell and Miss S. Mackay.

Hunter, Mrs Leopold and Mrs Campbell took part last season and Shirlaw and Mrs Middelberg the season before. Hutt Valley will be fielding a strong team today. Led by the left-handed B. N. Shute and R. S. Sandilands, the men are particularly strong. Shute has been very successful in Wellington this season, and Sandilands, formerly an outstanding junior, won the Wairarapa title recently from a field which included R. G. Clarke'' and other top-line players. The other Hutt Valley men are D. Higgins and C. Spiers. Leading the Hutt Valley women will be Mrs M. Anderson, who will attempt to repeat her defeat of Mrs Middelberg from last month’s national championships. She will be supported by Mrs J. Carr, runner-up for the women’s plate at the national meeting. Miss S. Robertson and Miss D. Davies. A notable absentee is Miss E. Cavaye, winner of the national girls’ secondary schools’ title last month.