SPORT IN ENGLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 14634, 2 August 1911, Page 11

SPORT IN ENGLAND.

NEW ZEALAND SUCCESSES. WiLDING's"GREAT FEAT. RONALD OPIE'S DEBUT. [From Our Special Correspondent.] "LONDON, June 25. The first of the Australasian contingent for the Empire sports to give a taste of his quality was Ronald Opie. who. on Saturday last, won the Invitation 100 Yards at the Crew; Alexander sports, one of the biggest athletic gatherings of the year in the North of England. The sprint produced very fine racing. In addition to Opie, the contestants included R. Murphy (the Irish champion). W. A. Stewart (the Tasmanian who is now domiciled in London!. X. D'Arcy (the Polytechnic crack), and Patcrsoa Brown (of Victoria, Australia). The first heat brought out Opie, D'Arcy, Murphy, and three others, but the race lay between the named trio. They ran in a "dead straight line from pistol-fire, and it was only on the post that Opie beat D'Arcy by ;i few inches, with Murphy a bare foot* behind the winner. Opie was timed to do lOjsec. The Tasmanian, Stewart, had a much easier task to win "the second heat from Rice, of Reading, and did so by a good half-yard in lOfsec, Patcrson Brown being close up third. In the final Stewart was quickest into his stride, and led Opie and D'Arcy a clear half-yard at the half-distanco. Thirty yards farther on he looked a sure winner, but Opie came with £ rare rush at the finish, and snatched victory on the post by the barest possible margin, D'Arcy being third so close up that to all but the judges the race appeared to have ended in a triple dead-heat. Opie's time was again and he should stand a great chance in the English championship to-morrow, providing the leg that has been troubling him during his training here does not play him false.

In addition to Opie, Wheatley and Lynch and Guy Haskins were among the entries for various events in the sports, but did not compete. Another Australasian who distinguished himself on Saturdav was the New Zealand swimmer M. Champion, who won the principal event at the 19th annual Thames swimming meeting at Surbiton-,—the Half-

-Biile- Scratch —-Rjice:——*htchrded -"in-"-" the field " was F. Giles, of the City Police, the holder, and the Australian E. S. Findlay, and it was between this trio that the race lay after the first few yards, and Champion was always winning. Swimming well within himself, the Xew Zealander gradually forged ahead, and won very easily hy 50yds from Findlay, Giles being a moderate third. WILDING'S REMARKABLE TRIUMPH. A notable feature of the Beckenham lawn tennis tournament, which closed last Friday, was the return to his best form of Antony Wilding. It is true he had a comparatively -easy task in defeating his opponents in the qualifying rounds of the Gentlemen's Singles, but until he met A. E. Beamish in the semi-finals he was not extended ii the least. Beamish gave him a hard and exciting game, and took two sets off the New Zealander. but eventually Wilding triumphed by 5 sets to 2 and 29 games to 27 (64, 4-6, 5-7, 7-5, 7-s)—a narrow margin truly, but Beamish played probably the best game of his tennis career. In the final Wilding had to meet his an cient rival Ritchie, who had beaten C. P. Dixon decisively in the semi-finals by 3 sets to 1 and 20 games to 14. and was in first-rate tri'w. Everyone expected a very close fight between the pair, but Wilding proved in irresistible volleying and cutting form, and put up a game all round that can only be described as bewildering in its brilliancy. Poor Ritchie never had a look' in, and probably there has never been a final win in the singles of an important tournament so sweeping as that obtained by Wilding. 6-0, 6-0. 6-3. For a player of Ritchie's ability to obtain only three games in three sets speaks volumes for the form of his conqueror, but. when onr states that Wilding won the first 14 games off the reel it sounds almost incredible. Moreover, Ritchie was playing just as well as his opponent would let him. The value of net play was never more fully demonstrated than in this particular match. Wilding finished off nearly every rally by an insidious volley. For two sets and a-half the champion made practically no mistake. His drives never lacked vigor, and were placed with the precision of a machine, while his judgment was seldom at fault, and he nearly always chose exactly the right moment to come in and finish off the rally. Ritchie tried hard the whole time, but could make no impression on the aggressive tactics of his opponent, who, if he can maintain this form, .should have no difficulty in retaining the AllEngland Championship. —A Victory and Many Defeats.— Other Australasians to put in an appearance at Beckenham were Messrs R. W. Heath, A. W. Dunlop. Dr F. F. Muecke, E. C. Pockley, R. Marsh, and S. N. Doust. all, barring the last-named, being entered in the Singles. Dr Muecke and Heath were the first to disappear. Wilding knocking the former out in the first round, 6-1. 6-5, whilst I Roper Barrett disposed of Heath at 6-5, j 6-4. Dunlop won from Timmis, 6-1, 6-0, I and Marsh and Pockley had " walks over." i The second round saw Dunlop beaten by j Ritchie, '4-6, 6-1, 7-5, after an exciting i game. The Australian gained the first j two games, but it was afterwards two, I four, and rive ail, Ritchie finally winning ' the set and match by 7-5. j Pockley was easily defeated by A. E. | Beamish, 6-5, 6-1. Marsh also disappeared, in the second stage. ! In the Gentlemen's Doubles Doust and | Pockley wore easily defeated in the second I round by Barrett and Ritchie, 6-0, 6-2, \ and Dunlop and Heath fell before Dixon j and Prebblc, at 6 : 1, 6-3; whilst in the j Handicap Doubles Doust and Muecke'(owe 15) were put out in the first series by Sutton and Perry (15-4). ' Several of the Australian contingent were playing in the Singles Handicap, but all tailed to reach the final stages. . . In partnership with Mrs Lambert Chambers, Doust Tan through the Mixed Doubles* They werp eventually victorious, winding up with ft', hollow victory over G. A. Thomas 'and Miss Coles by two seta to love and 12 games to 5—6-1, 6-2.- Dunlop and Mrs).Natcoiabe,.Quick got through two rounds bi "i_M» competition, but were {hen

put out, 64, 6-3, by Thomas and Miss Coles,

, SYDNEY SWIMMER'S SUCCESS. The first of the English swimming championships—the 100 Yards—decided at the Cossington street bath, Leicester, last Monday evening; resulted in the victory of the New Soqth Wales crack, Harold Hardwick. The race did not produce the excitement expected, for of the 11 entries only 6 competed, the absentees including the West Australian, E. G. Findlay, the Irish champion, G. S. Dockrell, the 1908 winner, H. Meyboom, and the Netherlands representative, J. Wuyto. The first heat saw the Welsh crack. P. Radmilovic, win by a narrow margin from J. Hatfield, a most promising youth hailing from Middlesborough, with the Brussels representative, P. Deprez, barely a yard behind, and Carlisle, of Nottingham, a poor fonrth. The winner's time was 62|sec. For the second heat Hardwick and J. H. Derbyshire were the only competitors, and as the first two in each heat qualified for the final the " race" between these experts was farcical—really an exhibition of slow swimming—for they took 73|sec to compass the distance, Hardwick winning by a touch. The final produced a really good race, though befoir the first length was completed it was clear that Hardwick and Derbyshire had the issue between them. For the first two lengths they kept head and head, the Australian in each case turning the smallest fraction of a second in advance of Derbyshire. Hatfield and Radmilovic hung on gamely, and were barely a. yard behind until the final turn, when Hatfield began to flag. Coming down the last lap Hardwick put in a tremendous spurt, and, drawing away from Derbyshire, won handsomely by a couple of yards in 58|sec. Derbyshire finished l£sec later, with Radmilovic a yard behind third, end Hatfield some 4ft behind last.

Hardwick's time was 3ssec slower than the record of 55fsec put up by the American C. M. Daniels in the same race in 1907. and just equals that fine swimmer's performance when he won in 1906. The Sydney swimmer's victory is the third that lias fallen to Austrajja since Derbyshire won for the fourth' time in succession in 1901, the Antipodean winners being: 1902 F. C. V. Lane, 60sec. 1910— F. Be.aurepa.ire. 59ssec. 1911— H. Hardwick, 'sßlsec. No P'nglishman has won the race since 1904, when Derbyshire proved successful in oOgsec, the remaining races having been won by: 1905—Zoltan Dc Halmay (Hungary), 1906—C. M. Daniels (America), 58£ sec. 1907—C. M. Daniels (America), 55lsec. GRAY THE CONQUEROR. On Saturday night last in the theatre of the National Sporting Club George Gray achieved the greatest triumph of his career in the Old Country, when he won his match with Melbourne lnman of 16,000 up (level) for £IOO by a margin of 8,769 points. By his remarkable victory Gray has proved beyond question that its a scoring torce he stands alone. His actual play has been a revelation of the perfection to which his special stroke may be brought. His bridge and cue delivery are beyond improvement; moreover, he has come on enormously as regards the ease and celerity with which he works up position. By defeating lnman, Gray has conquered a player who is undoubtedly the finest exponent of safety play in England. A born strategist and a tactician is lnman, and yet this wonderful Australian youth has won by more than half the game. The idea of " stopping Gray " has Deen killed. Nothing throughout the match has been finer than Gray's daring and successful attempts to nullity Inman's safety leaves. During the first week Gray's red-ball prowess became an obsession" with the Londoner, and it was a most unenterprising lnman that was seen. lnman battled pluckily and doggedly. At time he showed almost attractive play, especially at the spot-end game, and this despite the fact that he never felt at home witu the balls, which he described as being very much lighter to the touch than those he is accustomed to. To use his own words, "it was like playing with peas, after being used to ordinary ivoryballs." This was probably exaggeration, but lnman certainly played very gingerly in his manipulation of the balls, and, in cricketing parlance, ho' was " feeling for the ball" all the time. The Londoner sat out two complete sessions during the match, and in two other sessions had only one innings. He had two breaks of over 1,000 registered against him. and over a dozen exceeding the 500 mark. His own highest contribution stopped short of the third hundred. The only consolation in defeat lnman has is that he can lay the flattering unction to his soul that on the opening day he outplayed Gray, scoring 1,535 to the Australian's 695. and also led it at the end of the third session—a thing no other player against Gray can boast of. Inman's safety tactics paid him well so long as he could keep the lead, but a break of 774 on Tuesday put Gray well ahead, and from that point the Australian went out for things, and his ventures proved for the most part profitable. One could never fairly accuse lnman of lack of nerve, but it is quite certain that Gray's habit of scoring from his safety leaves had its effect on the Londoner's play. The Australian bicyclist E. W. Schneider was among the competitors in the N.C.U. Championship, held at Fallowfield, Manchester, last Saturday, but beyond winning a heat in the Quarter-mile and securing third place in the final (there were only three competitors!) to Vic Johnson and H. T. Johnson, the Australian did not make much of a show. In the Mile Schneider was easily beaten in his heat by H T. Johnson, who was again second to Victor Johnson in the final; and in the Five-mile (also won by Victor Johnson) the Australian was unplaced.