SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 18392, 28 September 1923, Page 8

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[Fhoji Oxru English Corhespokdent.]

’ LONDON, 'August 8. 1 *’ BUSY ATHLETES.

The August Bank Holiday week is always a busy one for athletes, many ranking this the period of their summer vacation. Tho wonderful popularity of athletic sports —perhaps tho very oldest of all our pastimes —was well revealed by tho long list of fixtures at tho wcijk-ond. If some careful compiler of facts and figures took tho trouble to collect tho entries and reputed attendance fit all tho holiday mootings, tiro returns would bo both, startling and interesting. The biggest fixture was at_ Stamford Bridge, London, where a meeting in aicl of tho Olympic Oamos fund and tit, Dunstan’s Hosted for Blind Soldiers and Sailors was staged. The public supported this well, over 35,000 people paying for admission, and something like £2,000 will be available for the funds mentioned. A very fine programme >vas put before ttiu spectators, several noted champions turning dufc. Tho level 100yds and 220yds races were like the championships over again., E. JJ. Liddell (champion), W. A. Nicho'l, and T. Matthewman competing. All three had competed at Glasgow forty-eight hours previously, and the long train journey took a lot out of them. Nichol beat tho other two in the semi-final of tho 100yds in lOsec, but he could not reproduce this in tho final, Matthewman just beating him in 10 l-10sec. G. Varney, a policeman from Brighton, created a surprise by gaming third place from Liddell; but only a few inched covered tho four, Matthewman also won tho 220yds in 22sec, with E. J. Tonis second and Nicho'l third, Toms boat 11. E. Edward (the 1922 champion) earlier in tho season, and he is certainly a much improved runner.

Tho level 440yds provided a grand finish, G. M. Butler, lato of Cambridge University ‘winning by indies only from T. J. Cushing and Toms in 50s ec. Another old Cantab in H. M. Ftallard, tho ono-inile champion, put up tho performance of the meeting by winning tho level lialf-milo race in Imiu 55gsco. Ho made all his own running, and won by 50yd's, mid it is possible that he is apab!e of heating tho British record of Ira in 54soc. Ho did not compete in tho mile, which went to G. J. Webber, the Luton runner, who had an easy task to score in 4min 28|sec, Webber later in tho day also won tho three miles in 14min c?scc, M. W. Cotterell, who followed him homo, not being,quite at his best. It looks ns though Percy Hodge will be England’s best steeplechaser for the Olympic Games. 110 gave a tasto of.his quality by winning tho two miles steeplechase <U tho meeting under notice, beating Ins nearest rival by fVarly ICOy-ds.

It was gratifying to ,seo something Hm first-das performances in two of tho field events. J. Ha-lryraplo throw tho javelin 160 ft lOin—signs of steady improvement. Belter still was tho exhibition hammer throw of 172 ft 7Hn by M. C. Nokcs, which is 4in further than tho British record which G. J. Lindh, of Sweden, set up when winning the A,A.A championship in 1922.

England never had so many great halfmilcvs as now, another class man in H. Houghton, of Iho Birchflold Harriers (Birmingham) having coino to tho fore. Ho won tho open half-mile handicap at Swindon on Saturday from tho short mark of 10yds, his time being Imin Solsco (on grass), whilst Ids quartcr-milo in tho relay rare occupied' him only SOsce, Ho looka like being a useful man for England's Olympic Games team nest year. Cecil Griffiths, tho AAA, open champion, distinguished himself nt Newport by yinning tho half-mile from ceratch in Ini in 67£sec, which is a new Welsh record. Griffiths is hotter now than at any time of his career, and further improvement is not beyond him. (YOUNG.

Tho crack cyclists have been well catered fi>r dining tho holiday period. Tho half-milo scratch race at Swindon attracted most of tho top-notchcrs, J. J. Sihbett, of Manchester, winning cleverly from A. Theaker, of Lincoln. Ihe lattei turned the tables in iho five miles, V arburlon, of Bristol, being best in each case. G, Owen was tho big gun among the riders in tho cycling events at the Salford police sports, held at Manchester. 110 won the Manchester Centro N.G.U. quarte.r-milo championship and also the five miles level race. This was his_ third success in tho latter; consequently ho mado tho Cawlev Cup his own property. Another noted rider in F. H. Habbcriield accounted for tho half-mile level iaco a.t the, Blctohlcy Bark festival SWIMMING. For the third time the Channel between England and Franco has beery fwum. After many attempts, H, Sullivan, of America, succeeded in emulating they performance alone previously accomplished by tho lato Captain Mathew AVobb and I. Burgess, tho Yorkshireman residing in France. ° Sullivan was 27h 45min pi tho water, and ho certainly succeeded in face of great difficulties. Up to a slago ho made good progress towards tho end the tide was no difficult that has .ask looked almost hopeless. He then ono and a-lu'ilf miles from, tho coast, and naturally after twenty-three hours in the water ho was not feeling like a hard straggle. Sullivan, however, stuck to Ills task" splendidly, and although hie progress was slow, ho eventually touched." bottom at 8,45 In the evening, IlitiE occupying four hours to swim tho last one and! a-balt miles His success gives him tho Alexander Channel Cup and £I,OOO in cash; and right well ho deserves these awards. Ono of tiro first to send him. congratulations was Mon to Holbein, of long-distance cycling fame, who got nearer lo swimming tho Channel without actually succeeding than any other man. In ono of his attempts ho was less than half a mile from shoro when beaten back.

Tho ono mile swimming championship of England is generally accepted as iho blue ribbon event among British swimmers. This year’s fixture was decided yesterday in tho river Soar (Leicester), and served to show how well J. G. Hatfield, of Middlesbrough, retains his form. Considering ho was competing prominently at the Olympic Games of 1912, lie may be claesed as a veteran, yet his time of 24min 54sec yesterday ranks high. Ho has won the event six times in seven years (11. E. Annison taking tho race in 1920), his fastest victory being 24min 42|sec in 1914. T. S. Battcrsby holds tho record for tho race, his 24min l|soo in 1909 being tho beet. Tho course was IlOyda in length, and Hatfield beat E. P. Peter, the second man, by just a length of the course. BOATING. Although beaten for tho Diamond Sculls ■at Henlcv, J- Beresford was equal to defending his title in tho AVingtield Sculls, which represents tho amateur championship of the Thames. The course is from Putney to Mortlake, just over four miles, and thus the same as for the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.

Beresford beat T). IT. L. Gollan in tins year’s race, making his fourth successive victory. Gollan is the sculler who defeated three visiting oarsmen in the diamond sculls at Henley, only to fail against .Morris in the final

The winner’s father wa.s a vo.it succeesfnl oarsman in his day, which shows how talent rims in a family. This was also demonstrated a few days ago, when E. W. Phelps won Hogget’s Coat and Badge, a race for young Thames watermen. The Phelps family have played a big part in this event, the winner's greatuncle winning in 1860, his Undo William in 1875, his father in 1884, and his brothers T. E. and T. J. in 1919 and 1 1922 respectively. This is indeed a family record, and it may well bo improved in future generations. Although tho Leandcr crew was rather badly beaten for tho Grand Challenge Gup at Henley this year, homo oarsmen expect, ths-iatnoua dui\,t».do well in Canada. It

k recalled that Lcandcr were beaten by an Australian crew at Henley in 1912, yet turned the tables a few weeks later at the Olympic Games at Stockholm. Ho doubt the Lcandcr oarsmen will have done some hard training ainco Henloy, aa they will appreciate the fact that they represent their country as well as their club. YACHTING. Tills is the week of the famous Cowes regatta, llio biggest event in tho English yachting world. Tho Britannia scored a popular victory in tho Hoyal Yacht (Squadron race for yachts above fifty tons. The, King’s boat was at scratch, and covered the forty-mile course in 2h 53mi.n 42sec. His Majesty helped to sail his boat, and did his share with the regular hands, a reminder, no doubt, of his early training days in tho Navy. LAW TENNIS. By winning tho ladies* championship at tho Deauville lawn tennis tournament for the third successive year Milo Lenglen has made tho handsome Challenge Cup her own property. Interviewed after her success, tho famous iFrench lady player said that die might again visit America. Her defeat by Mrs Mallory when in tho United (States has never Been (forgotten, and, although Milo Lenglen has decisively beaten tho Norwegian lady since, the sting remains. A certain impression was created that Milo Lenglen was inclined to take defeat badly, and sho wants to prove that her form was all wrong and her defeat duo to ill-health. Thus it is not imnrobablo that sho will again cross tho Atlantic to try to show Americans her real form on tho tennis courts. CRICKET, Some big hitting was seen at Canterbury during tho course of tho cricket match between Kent and Hampshire. J. L. Bryan, of tho homo side, played an innings of 236, hitting two 6’s, ono 5, and thirty-eight 4’s. Ono of his drives sent tho ball through an open window of tho pavilion, and it rebounded off a table against a picture, smashing tho glass. His fine effort had a, lot to do with tho success of Kent, with an innings to spare. Hobbs (106) and P. IT. Fender (103) gave Surrey a fine start against Notts at the Oval, the total reaching 407. 'The Notts batsmen also did' well, Staples playing an innings of 110, As often happens when big scores arc tho order, the match ended in a draw. Surrey had lost tho previous match, against the West Indian tourists, by blithe host tiling the visitors have done. G. Challoner made 165 not out and 66 not out for the West Indies, whilst Francis look five wickets -for 31 runs and five lor 45. Surrey’s opening total was only 87, but a second innings produced 536, thanks mainly to D. R. Jardino's 104. Matches between Yorkshire and Lancashire are always of particular interest, and usually productive of exciting games. Wo saw an exception at Bradford this week, whore the homo cloven eclipsed the Lancashire men. Tho vieitors made onlv 183 and 73, Kilncr taking three wickets for 17 runs, Macaulay four for 32, and Wilson two for 12 in tho second innings of Lancashire. Yorkshire made 213 and 51 for two wickets, so winning with eight wickets to spare. ■ It is becoming clear that Yorkshire will take a lot. of beating for county championship honnrs.—{Yorksliiro won.—Ed.]