Sportsman’s Notebook Ashburton 2-Mile Race With Scott

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30294, 21 November 1963, Page 18

Sportsman’s Notebook Ashburton 2-Mile Race With Scott

An invitation two-mile race, with the’ New Zealand representative, N. I. Scott, as the star competitor, will be the feature event of the Ashburton Athletic Club’s annual inter-club meeting at the Ashburton Domain on January 11. The organisers plan to restrict the field to about six to eight specially invited competitors.

Although some of the top North Island distanee runners such as W. D. Baillie and J. L. Davies, are not available because of other commitments. a first-class field should oppose Scott. Scott is reported to be in fine form this season and includes a two-mile win in about Bmm 40sec against Baillie and Davies in his recent efforts. Scott has been putting something like 130 miles a week behind him in training and has “never felt better.”

With a best time already not far short of M. G. Halberg’s world record of 13min lOsec for the three miles, Scott is contemplating a deliberate attempt on the record. Evening Match While this meeting will be the highlight of athletics activities at Ashburton, the club has a number of other events planned and is expecting a successful season of interclub competition. In addition to its regular weekly club meetings, there will be an evening match with the University Club and other athjetes before Christmas. Membership is expected to increase on last season’s 30 registered athletes. During the winter the Ashburton Harrier Club doubled its numbers and some of these are expected to continue with summer competition. The new president of the club is Mr P. Cates, a former national 220 yards and 440 yards hurdles champion, who is also taking an interest in coaching. Also on the coaching side is D. Chadderton, a New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association diploma coach, whose main interest as a competitor is in the walking events.

Among the club's leading competitors is I. Behrnes, who was a finalist in the 440 yard hurdles at the last New Zealand championship meeting. After a successful harrier season, B. Welch will be competing in the middle-distance events. Last year as a junior he had a best time of Imin 57.95ec for the 880 yards and represented Canterbury. Another promising runner is the winner of the South Canterbury junior harrier championship during the winter, J. Mcßrearty.

¥ ¥ * Ashton’s Loss

The recent retirement of the Wigan and Great Britain Rugby League captain, E. Ashton, might be a greater loss to Great Britain than the defeats by the touring Australian team. However, he will not be lost to the game, as he has signed to manage and coach the champion Wigan team for the next four seasons and a half. Ashton was selected to tour New Zealand and Australia in 1958 and played in two tests against Australia. After playing in the three tests against the 1959-80 Kangaroos he led Great Britain to victory in the 1980 World Cup in England. He was again the Great Britain captain when the Kiwis played three tests in 1961-82 in Great Britain. Ashton toured Australia and New Zealand last year, but after playing in the three games against Australia he was injured before the first New Zealand test.

During the last English sea. son Ashton played in the three tests against France, once again captaining his country. His last appearances were against Australia in the first two tests of the present series. Ashton will retire with many great memories: the 50-15 defeat of France in 1959; leading a winning World Cup team; leading Wigan against St. Helens in the 1981 challenge cup final and playing in four cup finals (winning in 1958 and 1959).

¥ ¥ « Year Book

Men’s indoor basketball in New Zealand has a brief ' mention in the American Converse basketball year book for 1963. This indicartes the growing strength of tile sport here and the increasing interest in its development by the world’s leading basketball country.

The forty-second edition of the year book states: “Basketball continues to improve in New Zealand, with sights set by coach J. G. Hamlin, of Wellington, to participate in principal international tournaments.” On the national team it says: “The team was selected from an original squad of 22. Except tor one player, all members were at least 6ft tall. Most have been playing the game since the early fifties, with Colin Agnew, the oldest at the age of 31, having taken up the game as a schoolboy in 1949. ¥ ¥ ¥ Relay Teams As expected at the beginning of the athletic season. University has fielded strong senior relay combinations and is so far unbeaten. To date six members have figured in the University teams with W. Jowett, D. Mackenzie, D. Stevenson and B. Joyce tor the first two weeks. When Jowett suffered a leg injury, his place was taken by D. Rogers, who has a best time of lO.lsec, while last week, R. Best was brought in as the fourth man. The relay contest this Saturday might provide University with its toughest competition since the start of the season. The event will be the longest yet, with each stage being of 440 yards. ¥ ¥ ¥ Country Tennis A suggestion that teams of town players could be sent into the country for matches on Sundays has been acted on by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. The first such expedition will take place on Sunday w hen a town team of six men and six women will meet a team from the Banks Peninsula sub-association at Little River. The town players have been announced by the selectors as follows:—-Men: B. J. Aldridge, G. Ford, J. Betteridge, V. N. Brightwell (captain), M. Feamley, T. R D. Flint. Women: Mrs D. MeKinnel, Mrs L. Buxton, Miss C. Andrew, Miss D. Hopping, Mrs D. Brightwell, Miss J. Hatch. Players not available or requiring transport have been asked to telephone Mr Brightwell 25-919. —Advt.