A SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK

Evening Star, Issue 20653, 28 November 1930, Page 14

A SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK

[By H.P.S.]

GLEANINGS FROM SPORT

The athletic season is drawing on, but many of the better-known backmarkers have yet to appear on the track in competition, the usual reference to this state of affairs being that “ they do not intend to do any racing until after Christmas.” That seems to be a stock expression with quite a few athletes, but some of those who are taking things very quietly at present may mid that they nave left their preparations rather late when they do commence after Christmas. There is no better way of getting into form than indulging in an occasional gallop at these evening meetings once the slow work stages have been passed, and it is safe to predict that the majority of northern stars will have done some racing before Christmas. The writer has observed in the past that these after-Christmas runners have been found short of running just when important events loom ahead, and unless some of them buckle down to it from now on they may be missing when the numbers go up. Too many of our runners are afraid of losing their form by beginning too soon, but if they do their training along the right lines there will be no fear of that happening. One has only to look at the American athletic stars who race almost throughout the _ year in various parts of the world without losing their form, to see how foolish is this bogey.

Mr G. A. Wycherley, the president of the Otago Cricket Association, made a plea to members of the Management Committee for sane control of the game at last week’s meeting, but a few minutes later the surprising statement was made that the association could carry on as it had done in the past, but that in ‘future it would he wise to give an instruction to the Grade Committee that “ the rules of cricket be adhered to.” _ What is the Otago Cricket Association for hut to see that the rules of cricket are adhered to, and adhered to strictly?' Yet, because the Grade Committee was permitted by some rule of the association, it was decided that the senior games which had hot been commenced on November 15 should commence on November 22, play to bo continued on Show Day or on week nights until a decision was reached. The Grade Committee no doubt made its recommendations in the interests of the game, but members of the Management Committee freely admitted that according to the rules of cricket the fact that Albion and Carisbrook had commenced a match on November 15 made that constitute a day’s play, those teams unable to play being merely the victims of misfortune. That seems the only reasonable view to take of the affair, and the English county competition is a typical illustration of the case in point. It a match in Yorkshire were interfered with owing to rain and a game in London was played right out, Yorkshire’s misfortune, and the result, of course, would stand. Another point. It is the luck of the game that teams playing at Carisbrook might have the benefit of a splendid wicket and teams playing on some other ground might have to play on a wicket the reverse of good. That, too, is the luck of the game. As things stand at the time of writing, it seems that the two games in question are to be regarded as being drawn as an arrangement could not be come to to play them out on Show Day or on week nights. In future, let the rules of cricket be adhered to, and let it he seen by those responsible that the Grade Committee’s rules are in accordance with what are generally regarded as being the rules of cricket. There is no guarantee that a similar position will not arise again, and if a similar procedure were to be followed each time there is no telling what chaos might result. .** * » The arranging of tours by overseas athletes has been followed almost inevitably by the most beneficial results to those sports the controlling bodies of which has promoted them, and the big fillip that has been given amateur athletics during the past seven or eight years is a typical instance. Since the war the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Council has arranged three tours by American athletes, the last being in conjunction with the visit of George Golding, of Australia. In 1925 a team of Australian athletes and one cyclist toured the dominion, and on two other occasions Australian cyclists have toured New Zealand. Not only has public interest been increased by such visits, hut the standard of the sport itself has improved as a result. Without the visit of the, American, Lloyd Hahn, in 1926, it is a matter for conjecture whether the remarkable mile record-breaking performance of R. A. Rose would have been made. Hahn provided Rose with just that stimulus that was needed, and thus the, performances of one of the greatest runners New Zealand has ever seen in action became known' world-wide.

There have been tours by overteas swimmers, but scarcely with the same regularity which has marked the appearances of overseas’ athletes. Last year two prominent Australian swimmers, Noel Ryan and Owen Griffiths, swam in various New Zealand centres, but there is no doubt that a wonderful fillip would be given to the sport if the New Zealand Swimming Council were successful in bringing about a tour by American or Japanese swimmers. New Zealand has much promising material, as was shown by the form displayed by the dominion national champion, Gordon Gridson, at the Empire Games, and there is no telling what improvement might' be effected by such swimmers as Bridson, D. P. Lindsay, Alec., Stokes, and Leh Moorhouse if they had the added incentive of meeting, famous oversea stars in competition. From the coaching point of view, a tour of American swimmers might also prove most fruitful, for it is generally found that the American representatives in various sports are only too keen to pass on what knowledge they possess. This question of overseas’ tour is one that the centres might well discuss at the annual conference in Wanganui, with a view to seeing if it would not be possible to arrange a regular series of such tours during the next few years. The question of finance is, of course, the biggest obstacle to overcome, but if swimmers of sufficient note were secured there would probably be little need to entertain &ax fears ja ;thas direction.,

For many years English boxiiifj authorities nave been endeavouring to find a heavy-weight boxer capable of bringing back to. Britain the heavyweight championship of the world, and Phil Scott was given a glorious chance to achieve unforgettable distinction.That he failed to make the grade, and how, is now a matter of fistic history* and the outlook does not seem particularly bright for the future, though there are one or two promising fighters coming on, fighters who will in a very short space of time, no doubt, be given an opportunity of taking the British title from Scott, who is far from popular with British ringside fans. But if the outlook is bleak with refard to the heavy-weights, it is a very; ifferent matter in 'some of the other divisions, and in an American boxing paper only recently the writer read an article in which it was freely admitted by a leading sports’ critic that British boxers were a long way ahead of most of the Americans in boxing ability, but the Americans were able to hit harder and to fight more stronglyStill, the last couple of years has found England able to send to America ono or two fighting men who have that combination of boxing ability and the urge to fight which brings fame in the laud of the almighty dollar; , One such ia Jack (“Kid”) Berg, the outstanding contender for the > light-weight championship of the world at the present’ time. Berg has. beaten Tony Canzoneri, the present holder of the title* and not so very long ago, either, and it seems veiy much on the cards that the ‘Londoner will come to blows with Canzonerja very shortly. Indeed, on the face of it, he looks being Canzoneri’s next opponent, though it is stated that he may clash with AI Foreman, the British light-weight champion, before then. Foreman is a good fighting man, ranked second among the contenders for the world’s junior light-weight championship. A win for Berg, carrying with it the British title, would, of course, make a Berg-Canzonen .match a still greater attraction, and American critics freely express the view'that Berg is the most likely of all British fighters-to take a world’s championship back to England.He is recognised as the holder of the unofficial junior welter-weight championship. Berg is reported to have been offered a battle with Singer before the latter lost his" title to Canzoneri,it being reported that his demands were excessive. However, that may be mere newspaper talk. Another English fighter listed among the leading contenders for a world’s title is Lea Harvey, the British middleweight champion, who outpointed Dave Shade, the American, in London some time ago. As recently as a couple of months ago Shade was ranked as the leading contender for Mickey Walker’s middle-weight championship, and a Harvey-Walker match is now being mooted.

Jack Hood may not he the force among the welter-weights that he used to be, but he is still a fighter who might yet come up to previous expectations if given the chance and if his hands would stand the strain. Teddy Baldock, English bantam-weight, had faded out of the picture a bit of late, but when A 1 Brown and Eugeen Huat met for the bantam-weight championship of the world some time ago, Baldock’s manager insisted that Baldock had prior right to Huat for the fight. Baldock went to America to meet! Brown, hut complications arose, and Baldock returned home without a fight eventuating. Dick Corbett, who fought well in Australia last year, has made rapid strides since he returned to England, and is ranked among the first tea bantam-weights in the world by American boxing critics. There are several good feather-weights, and in the majority of divisions it certainly looks as if the British representatives are coming into their own **■ * » A worth-while suggestion has been made by a northern writer that when the team of American athletes appear in the various centres during the coming season an effort should be made for; them to give lectures and demonstrations to the boys of the primary and secondary schools, and when the local itinerary is being drawn up the Otago Centre should certainly endeavour to arrange for an address and a demonstration to be given by these athletes, especially by Harlow Rothert, the famous field athlete. Another suggestion that might well be considered would he tho advisability of inviting parties of schoolboys under the charge of teachers to be present at the New Zealand championships under som- special concession.The way to advance athletics is to get busy in the schools, and both suggestions outlined above should assist in' that object. Following the example of the Australian States, which have adopted the larger wickets for use in Sheffield Shield matches, the New Zealand Cricket Council, at the annual meeting last week, decided to use the larger wickets in the Blanket Shield gamea this season. The decision is a wise one,as the New Zealand team should have every opportunity of becoming used t» them before leaving for England, where the larger wickets have been adoptedMr Heathcote Williams made a very gloomy forecast when he said: “ Our batsmen will never score at all. It will diminish the att-mdance. We can not put ourselves on a par with the best Englishmen and Australians.” If such pessimism were general, it is hardly likely that New Zealand would make the progress that it is doing at the present time, but fortunately for the future of the game the majority of our, administrators are full of optimism and hope concerning the future of cricket in New Zealand. And there will be many like the writer unable to see thalj the. attendance is going to be' diminished by the larger wickets. Mr Heathcote Williams does not say why.