Testing period for new N.Z. basketball representatives

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32634, 16 June 1971, Page 14

Testing period for new N.Z. basketball representatives

(By

R. O. DEW)

Although Canterbury failed once again to win the South Island men’s basketball championship, there was cause for satisfaction in the selection of both the province’s final trialists, J. Fairweather and H. Dimock, for the New Zealand team to meet Australia in the threematch test series to decide which country will represent the Oceania area in the Munich Olympic Games next year. They have the ability and physical attributes to ensure that the Canterbury colours are kept flying high in the testing time which lies ahead of them. However, any reflected glory must be tempered by the knowledge that both of these fine players obtained their grounding in the sport in other parts of the country. Fairweather, a 6ft 4in forward and centre, has played only one full season of basketball in Christchurch. Before that he was in Dunedin. Since he began playing for Checkers under the guidance of the former Canter-

bury and South Island centre, Mr R. Entwistle, Fairweather has improved greatly. But he was already a player of no little ability when he came to Christchurch, having already represented New Zealand at colts level on an Australian tour in 1969. Dimock arrived in Christchurch shortly before the start of the current season and owes little to the province for his achievement in winning a place in the national side. His play at club level for Y.M.C.A. has been something less than outstanding and it was not always because he was not available that he was overlooked when the Canterbury team was being chosen. But his form at the national clinics runs by the New Zealand selector-coach (Mr J. Hinton, of Auckland) was impressive. At 6ft'9in he was the tallest member of the squad and Mr Hinton could not risk leaving him out. Until this season, Dimock played all his basketball in Nelson. He was introduced to the game when he was 16 and since

then his career has been moulded by the former New Zealand coach (Mr T. Wright). For the last two years he has been a member of the Nelson representative team. Now only 20, he still has his best basketball years ahead and can be expected to improve considerably as time passes. Although a year younger, Fairweather has been playing basketball longer than Dimock and is already an accomplished performer. He was introduced to the sport at Bayfield High School in Dunedin while he was in the third form. The Otago coach (Mr. D. Sharp), a master at the school, guided Fairweather in those early days and found him to be a dedicated pupil. He won a place in the Otago Colts side in 1968 and the next year toured Australia with the New Zealand colts side. Last year he moved to Canterbury to study for a degree in agricultural science at Lincoln College. He joined the Checkers Club and made such an impression on his A grade debut that he was immediately chosen for the provincial representative side. Since then, he has been a key man in the Canterbury line-up. Both Fairweather and

Dimock are now in Auckland training with the New Zealand team under Mr Hinton. To do this Fairweather has had to sacrifice his studies, although he hopes that he can make up some lost time at the end of the series against Australia. Because of this he will not be available to play for Canterbury in the national tournament. Dimock, however, has agreed to turn out for Canterbury in this important event if he is required. Dimock and Fairweather are the only two current Canterbury players in the 12-man New Zealand team but one other, P. LundJackson (Auckland), has strong links with province. He played A grade basketball for Rex for several years and later for Y.M.C.A. His last season in Christchurch was in 1969. Although he regularly played for the Canterbury B side when it was a genuine open Canterbury second team, he was never chosen for the top side. In the weeks ahead before the first test against Australia at Auckland on August 7, Lund-Jackson, Fairweather and Dimock, as well as

the other nine members of the national team, face the toughest training programme planned for a team in this country. Based in Auckland, it will train solidly every day of the week except when a match

has been arranged. The team will tour the Country playing provincial sides it will meet Canterbury at Cowles Stadium on,July 26 —and has matches arranged against the American “Big 10” tourists as part of its

comprehensive preparation. In the picture at left, taken last season during the match between Canterbury and the touring Czchoslovaidan team, Slavia Auto Skoda, Fairweather (No. 15) is shown attempting to guard a jump shot by R. Mifka.