SIDELINES

Press, 13 August 1986, Page 50

SIDELINES

ITS GETTING TOUGHER, seemingly, for New Zealand athletes to harvest medals at Commonwealth Games contests since the/ golden days of Peter Snell and Valerie Young. In the last five Games, New Zealand has won only four golds in track and field, compared with 18 at the previous five festivals. In the same period there have been 19 silvers and bronzes won, as against 36 during the earlier era. JOHN BRACEWELL became the fourth New Zealand cricketer to score a test century from No. 8 in the batting order with his 110 against England at Trent Bridge. Bruce Taylor achieved the feat twice — 124 against the West Indies at Auckland in 1969 and 105 against India at Calcutta in his debut four years earlier. Richard Hadlee was eighth man in before scoring 103 against the West Indies at Christchurch in 1980, as was lan Smith, who took an unbeaten 113 from England’s bowlers at Auckland in 1984.

808 HOWITT, the founding editor of Rugby News, has won the D.B. Sports Journalist of the Year award for 1986. A long-time writer on rugby, Howitt accomplished several sporting scoops while in the employ of the “Auckland Star” before leaving to establish the weekly rugby newspaper. He is also the author of several books. Howitt headed off the rest of the field with his intensive coverage of rugby in the 12 months to June this year.

CRICKET IS taking a foothold in Italy, it seems. The national team is playing 11 matches in England this month. It has brought with it some intriguing cricket terms. Bowled becomes eliminazione al wicket, which is easy enough to follow. However, leg before wicket is eliminazione per impatto della palla con la gamba del battitore davan ti al wicket, which is a mouthful.

... ON THE TOPIC of cricketing terms, German expressions are listed in a recent publication, “The Joy of Words,” by Fritz Spiegl. The author explains that leg before wicket in German is aus sein, well des Schlagmannes Beine von einem Wurf getroffen wurden. Perhaps the most easily understood is silly mid on. The best translation is apparently dummkopf in mittelpunkt. Now that makes sense. ARANUI HIGH SCHOOL is the first holder of “The Press” Cup after convincingly winning the Canterbury high schools rugby league championship this season. One of the new entries which boosted the numbers from seven to 13 teams, Aranui lost its second game to Burnside High School before fashioning an unbeaten record for the remainder of the round-robin competition. Hornby High School was the runner-up. Aranui’s outstanding team-work was reflected in the prolific scoring of the outside backs, Brian Fontea and Ray David. This afernoon Aranui will meet Linwood High School in one semi-final of the Autex Cup knock-out tournament; Christchurch Boys’ High School and Hornby are the other semi-finalists.