BOXING

Evening Star, Issue 18853, 30 January 1925, Page 4

BOXING

BAXTER BEATS MACDONALD. A full house at the Napier Municipal Theatre greeted Ern. Baxter 9.8 (exfeather champion of New Zealand) and Lachie Macdonald 10.8 (of Dunedin). During an interval Mr Jack Harris introduced Eddie Parker, who, it is understood, will challenge Baxter. The first round, ns is natural, opened quietly, each man sparring and feeling his way (says a northern paper). Baxter was catlike in his agility, while Macdonald was frequently changing his guard. The heavier man chased his opponent to the ropes with his left, then feinted with the left, and got home a right cross to the jaw. In the second Baxter scored with left and right to the face. Macdonald countered with his right, and they clinched and commenced the in-fighting which continued all through the fight. Baxter’s ducking caused his opponent to miss with a heavy right swing aaid two lefts, and the Napier boy got home with a left to the jaw. The thud round saw Baxter warming to his work, but the round was principally in-fighting. Macdonald effected a series of short jaos to the heart. Ho then continued with a right to the head, and got in body blows during the in-fight-ing, finishing with a good right to the jaw. The fourth round concluded with a sharp exchange of hits, Baxter scoring with a strong right to the jaw. The Napier boy opened the fifth round with a left to the body, and very cleverly guarded his opponent's right counters. Baxter stopped a right to the jaw. The round closed with a sharp exchange. Baxter got home in the sixth with a right to the face, and then repeated. .Macdonald forced him to the ropes. The seventh was a smart round. Baxter dodged a right from Lachie, who missed twice owing to his opponent’s clever footwork. Baxter's left to the jaw connected. Macdonald countered with a right to the body, and followed up with a right to thu jaw. Baxter administered a good left to the body; bis opponent failed to connect with a right swing, but got home with a second right. Macdonald was warned for hitting with the elbow. During the ninth Baxter was avoiding hits well, and became more aggressive. His left opened a corner of Macdonald’s mouth. The tenth round saw the Napier boy’s right at his opponent’s jaw, and he followed with a straight left. Macdonald retaliated with a left to the body. Lachie smartened up in the twelfth, but in the “ devil’s ” Baxter made him miss badly. The Napier boy connected with a body blow, and ATacdonald sat down, but did not wait for the referee to count. He rushed at Baxter, who side-stepped, and he continued practically through the ropes. During the fourteenth Alacdonald made Baxter miss several times. In the last round Baxter stopped a left to the jaw, then very cleverly made Alacdonald miss badly, and got home two lefts to the'jaw. Alacdonald shook Baxter with a heavy right. The referee’s decision was in favor of Baxter. The enthusiastic audience accorded the winner an ovation.

in it sounded good. A narrow loss to Professor Maxwell Walker robbed them of one life, but when they downed Bremner's rink (last year’s winners) their chances were esteemed highly for the final game, played against Warnham, Wilson, MTntyre, and Pilkington (Hamilton). In this last game, however, one of those unaccountable slumps with which all bowelrs are familiar set in, and the Dunedin men went to pieces, never looking like winning. But Stewart and his men did well. To be runners-up in such a contest is a high honor indeed. Dunedin players made a good show in the tournament. They provided the singles champion in J. D. Best (Dunedin Club) ; J. Tonkin (North-east Valley) reached the semi-finals in the singles ; J. C. Rigby and J. Tonkin (North-east Valiev) were runnors-up in the pairs; and Gregory, W. Smith, J. Bentley, and T. Stewart (Dunedin Club) were second in the rinks.

MTiityre, the third player in Hamilton’s victorious rink, is the erstwhile Taieri player so well known here a few years ago. In spite of all precautions, unstamped bowls seem to have protruded themselves at the association tournament. Wellington ‘ Post ’ writer says : —“ Fortunately, the umpires have not been called upon very often to exercise the power of imposing penalties for breaches of the rules, but at Kelburn green on Tuesday afternoon the Takavo rink, skipped by Tantrum, was awarded the gams against Cooper llvarori) on account ot the stamp mark not being visible on the rubber bowls of one of the Karon players. The player in question is reported to have averred that the man who sold him the bowls assured him they were stamped; but an unofficial scrutiny of them failed to show very distinctly where they were stamped. It is stated that a spectator on the bank drew the attention of Tantrum’s rink to the bowls, but that he promptly ‘ did a pike ’ when he saw that trouble was brewing over the discovery. The bowls wore taken possession of for testing by the official tester, and for a close examination for any stamp mark.’’ The North-east'Valley rink which took part in the association tournament did well. The players were Duncan, Rhodes, Rig'bv, and Tonkin. As a team they lasted well into the post-sectional play; Rigby and Tonkin ran to the final of the pairs; and Tonkin was in the semi-finals of the singles. This is a good record. Fastier’s St. Clair rink surprised most of us by its excellent performance. Considering the quality of the opponents it was up against the team’s record was distinctly good. The players comprising it were Pope, Seddon, A. Smollie, and hastier. . .. A Newtown (Wellington) rink was all Brackenridge—J. M., Iv, J., and J., sen. Elderly bowlers are reminded that the eleventh anniversary of their “ Day ’ takes place on the Dunedin green on the second Saturday in February, 14th inst. To show that tliev are bona fide members of an affiliated club, all entries have to bo forwarded by the secretary of the club to which they belong, and should reach the secretary of Dunedin Club by Tuesday, 10th February. The secretary of a country club, when forwarding the names of two players, writes that ” both these gentlemen had such a good time last year that they assure mo nothing could make them miss the function this year.” News like this is very gratifying to the members of Dunedin Bowling Club, showing that their efforts to entertain their visitors are appreciated. Word has also been received that Messrs Smith (Te Rangi) Martin (Southland), John Day (Gore), and W. W. Mitchell (Awamoa) will be again present on this occasion. As the years go past a number of those present on the previous occasion pass away “ home ” during the year; yet it is pleasing to know that on this occasion there will be a number present who have been in evidence on all of the ten previous gatherings. The reunion of these will be very pleasing and interesting. The members of the Dunedin Bowling Club are exerting every effort to make the eleventh anniversary of Elderly Bowlers’ Day as successful as on previous occasions. The gathering of from 120 to ISO bowlers, all over seventy years of age, on the one half-acre section, to talk over the days of auld lang syne on a nice sunny warm afternoon (given that) is sure, to ha a success.