Sportsman’s Notebook Canterbury Squash Titles Have Strong Entry

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29843, 8 June 1962, Page 17

Sportsman’s Notebook Canterbury Squash Titles Have Strong Entry

Players from Christchurch, T.maru, Oamaru, and Dunedin will compete for three titles in the Canterbury open squash rackets championships which will begin in Christchurch tonight. There will be a B grade and a handicap event in addition to the open championship, and play will continue throughout tomorrow and Sunday with the finals at the Chester streets courts on Sunday afternoon.

A strong and even field w.ll contest the main event which as usual is limited to 16. seven from Christchurch, seven of the leading members of the strong Timaru club, P W Mackenzie, the top player from Oamaru, and D R. Preston, who is now in Dunedin. The four seedings are the title-holder, G L Bird, K R. Green, G A Davidson and F. N. Coe, winner of this event for four successive years Although one or two ranked Christchurch players have been unable to enter, R. G. Pattinson, P. M. Hill, L. A. Milne, N. W McGillivray, M. J. Simons, and L. G. Holder, who have found places in the A grade draw, will provide keen competition, and Davidson if at his best will give Christchurch—probably for the first time—a more than remote chance of success.

W A. Green, M. M. Jones. C. L Ryan, and the extremely promising B J. Rip. pen. all from Timaru, complete the field, and although Bird and Green, who are seeded to contest the final, are reported to be in very good form, there remains abundant opportunity for upsets.

The B grade title will also not be easily won. The four Redings are J. H N. Pine. M O. Holdsworth, K. J. Brown, and E. R. Morris, all from local clubs, the only visitors in this event being B Armstrong (Oamaru) and M. D. Isaacs (Timaru). * * ¥ Chatham Cup The series of elimination matches to determine the a J. finalist in the national Chatham Cup competition will start tomorrow, with eight of the 12 Christchurch entrants taking part. Tomorrow’s matches will include City v New Brighton, Rangers v. Old Boys, University v. Neeriandia, and Thistle v. Lyttelton. The best of these could be that between City and New Brighton, which will be played as the curtain-raiser at English Park. New Brighton is at present equal first in the first

division, with City secondlast in the premier division. The other four local entrants in the Chatham Cup—Technical. Shamrock. Western, and Nomads—will play Hurley Shield matches today. * ¥ ¥ Rugby Gathering When S. K Henderson, the Old Boys and Canterbury Rugby representative, is married at Waiau tomorrow at 3 pm. to Miss Barbara Davies, two distinguished members of the Canterbury team will be lending their assistance. S. G. Bremner, vice-captain of the All Blacks in South Africa in 1960, will be a groomsman, and P. B. Vincent, the present Canterbury back selector and captain of the All Blacks against South Africa in New Zealand in 1956, will be toastmaster. It was incorrectly reported in "The Press” that Henderson was to have been married yesterday. * * ¥ Local Successes Canterbury players competed with some success in the Hutt Valley open table tennis championships last week-end. J Armstrong reached the semi-finals of the men’s singles where he lost in five games to the former Australian champion, G J. Jennings, after beating W N. Evans. T. R. D. Flint beat P. McLauchlin before losing a close match to the national champion, M. L. Dunn in a semi-final, the score being 21-18, 21-15, 21-19. Mrs J. Shadbolt was runner-up to Miss J. Brown in the women’s singles, and won the women’s doubles in partnership with Miss J Crosby, of Hutt Valley. * * ¥ Whineray’s Mishap A report that the All Blacks’ captain, W. J. Whineray, had grazed his arm in Brisbane in the first test match has not been borne out by the “Sydney Morning Herald." Its version of the cause of the injury is that Whineray fell down a lift-well on, the Sunday night after the first test. The newspaper said that the New Zealand captain followed two members of his side, C. E. Meads and K. C. Briscoe, up a dark alley next to their hotel in Brisbane, thinking it led to a back entrance. Whineray lost sight of the other two. stepped into a darkened doorway and fell into a shallow lift-well, grazing his right arm and nicking the back

of his head. Meads and Briscoe came to his aid, but the wound in his arm became infected and had to be lanced.