Sportsman’s Notebook UMPIRE SHORTAGE CAUSING CONCERN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29624, 21 September 1961, Page 5

Sportsman’s Notebook UMPIRE SHORTAGE CAUSING CONCERN

Unless recruitment is particularly good, the Canterbury Cricket Umpires’ Association will have grave difficulty in supplying umpires for the four senior games in the coming season, says the annual report of the association. The Canterbury Cricket Association has been advised of the position, adds the report, and its help sought for a recruiting campaign. , , A decline .in the number of umpires has been brought about by deaths, ill health, and ln an effort to check -this trend and build up strength, the association' has had executive members present at the annual meetings of most of the major clubs. They have addressed the meetings on the shortage of umpires and appealed for members Unjoin the association.

• The report expresses the intention of the association to dbntinue the coaching scheme inaugurated last season.’ notwithstanding small attendances. Meetings were held in the St. Albans club’s pavilion on alternate Wednesday evenings, those attending being taken through the laws of cricket and receiving instruction from experienced umpires. ¥ ¥ ¥ Noted Cyclist Although there is a vast gulf between G.. Hill’s recently established record of 3hr 51min 31sec for the Timaru to Christchurch cycle race, and H. E. Mehrtens’s record time of 6hr 17min IGsec put up in 1906 Mehrtens did have the distinction of fastest time in the Warrnambool to Melbourne Blue Riband 21 days later. Mehrtens, who died last month, was also a leading Canterbury track rider. He represented New Zealand in the Warrnambool to Melbourne along with P. M. O'Connor, R. Rodgers, A. Birch, A. Humm, G. Smith and E. Boyce in a test race against' Australia and riders from the Australian states. In a field of 206, Mehrtens, riding off lOmin, took fastest time in Bhr 53min 52sec. Birch finished second and Humm third, ¥ ¥ ¥ Link With Suburbs The visit of the Suburbs (Auckland) senior Rugby team to Christchurch on Saturday will hold a special significance for Father D. L. Hickey. Father Hickey, now of Christchurch, was formerly captain of the Suburbs senior XV and represented Auckland as a full-back in 1947-48-49. He came to Christchurch in 1950, joined the Marist club, and played three games for Canterbury before starting his studies for the priesthood. He was a dashing full-back and one of the best to have played in Christchurch in post-war years. ¥ ¥ ¥ Good Winter Form New Zealand's secondranked tennis player, Miss A. Smith, of Auckland, and formerly of Waikato, has established a marked dominance in Auckland competition. After entering in three of the winter series of five lightning tournaments and winning three she has now won the first tournament of the new season, the West End club’s invitaticn tournament. In the final last weeked she beat Miss E. Green, ranked sixth in the Dominion. 6-2, 6-3. Miss Green had .won two of the ' lightning tournaments and had been beaten by Miss Smith in two finals. In a West End semifinal she beat Miss P Nettleton, 6-2, 6-1. Miss Nettleton, who was ranked second in New Zea’and in 1957 and third in 1958, was playing in her first tournament since her return from several years overseas. The men's singles, the final of which has yet to be played between E. D. White and F Sehwanner had one surprise last week-end when the

second-ranked New Zealand player, B. E. Woelf, was defeated, 6-3. 8-6. by R. Wong, cnee’ New Zealand's top junior. *■ * „ * Tour Planned Mr N. P. Champion, president of the Southerland Rugby Union Club in Sydney, is planning another tour of the South Island for his, club. In 1958. the Petersham and Southerland clubs toured the South Island and the Petersham club toured the North Island in 1959. A tentative date has been set aside in 1963 for the proposed tour. ¥ ¥ ¥ Life Boys’ Tourneys The six-a-side soccer and seven-a-side Rugby tournaments of the Life Boys (Canterbury area), to be held on Saturday, have both drawn entries of 29 teams. The two tournaments will start at 9.30 a.m., the Rugby at N'ortb Hagley Park and the soccer at the Hillsborough Domain, Opawa. Leaders in charge of the Rugby tournament will be W. Bishop and. W Gray, while T. Waueh and R Eagle will control the soccer tournament. ¥ ¥ ¥ Basketball Winners Grade winners for the season in the Canterbury Basketball Association’s competitions were:— Senior, Kakatai A: senior reserve, Sacred Heart C: second grade, St. Nicholas B: third grade, St. Nicholas D: fourth grade A. Girls’ Training Centre: fourth grade B. Technical 4B: fifth grade. Mairehau High A: sixth grade. Sacred Heart O. Beau Ideal for senior goal average: Kakatai A. 38. Mann Trophy for junior goal average: Girls’ Training Centre A, 34.3.