A SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK

Evening Star, Issue 21007, 22 January 1932, Page 4

A SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK

GLEANINGS FROM SPORT

[By H.P.S.]

It was a very graceful act on the part of the Canterbury Cricket Association to present to Roger Blunt the bat with which so many of the runs in his record score for Otago against Canterbury wore scored. All the more so as Roger learnt and played so much of his cricket in Christchurch. And Canterbury enthusiasts will be hoping that Roger will treat Wellington’s bowling similar to the way he dealt with the Canterbury attack, for' the result of this match means to Canterbury either that the shield remains in Christchurch or goes to Wellington. In commenting on Blunt’s feat of scoring 338 not out, a northern paper says that it was not only masterly batsmanship, but a fine feat of endurance. Anyone who has scored a century knows what it is like to stand at the wicket for two hours on a hot afternoon. Blunt scored 160 odd in boundaries—the rest from runs between the wickets. Assuming that he ran for 160 of his runs, at 22yds for each, this writer computes that he covered by this means exactly two miles at a sprint! This shows what it means to create a record; also what a marvel Bradman must be. But Bradman is younger than Blunt. This talk of endurance led an Auckland cricketer and a tennis player to argue as to the physical tests imposed by their respective games. The tennis player contended that more exercise was to be obtained from five sets of tennis than from an afternoon’s cricket. The question hinges on the nature of the tennis, and the northern scribe quite rightly points out that to play two four or five-set singles matches in one day, and perhaps a double or two as well, as some of the players at championships have to do, calls for high qualities of stamina and endurance. » #. ♦ « There have been some great showmen in the fistic game, but few to equal Jack Dempsey, “ the Manassa Mauler,” ♦x-heavy-weight champion of the world. Jack has not figured in an actual bout since his return match with Gene Tunney, when history was made by a count that was given to Tunney and was said to be of seventeen seconds’ duration because Dempsey did not retire to a neutral corner. Still, Dempsey has i made a lot of money as a referee, and he believes in keeping himself well before the public. One day an American paper will have it that “Dempsey is contemplating a come-back to add to his diminished fortune,” and the next that “Dempsey has all the money he needs , and will never do actual battle in the ring again.” The fact remains, however, that the ex-champion has just concluded a boxing tour which carried him into many States. It is significant that Dempsey will make no statement as to whether he will go back into the ring in earnest. He wants to weigh the problem a little longer. A prominent American scribe has it that Dempsey will fight Max Scluneling if 'the inducements ,are sufficient. It will need to be this year or never. Dempsey apparently is such a dynamic personality that, irrespective of his chances, a Schmeling-Dempsey match ,might be-the one to revive the milliondollar gate in boxing. ■*• • * And speaking of boxing, one. realises how dormant the game is in New Zealand at the moment. There was a fair amount of activity in the north last year but little in Dunedin, but the whole of the dominion appears to be sharing in the doldrums through which boxing is passing. The departure cf the Australians has left little in the way of attractive matches, and before the coming season approaches the New Zealand Boxing Council could do worse than to get in touch with the affiliated associations regarding their proposed activities. If interest is not aroused in more centres than was the case last yetr, the game will soon reach such an ebb that it will be hard to restore it to favour by any means at all. Wrestling still has a big following, hut the writer is satisfied that if only the right sort of fighters could be induced to come to New Zealand, either from America or Australia, it would not be long before the game enjoyed all its former popularity. • « « • In the good old days the junior cricket teams used to carry around their own umpires, and 1 was told a story on Saturday by a well-known cricketer of other days of an uncompromising stand taken up by the umpire in one match. The Grange and Opoho elevens were meeting in a junior final, and Opoho won the toss and elected to hat. A Grange bowler took the ball, the Opoho umpire being at his end. In the course of the first over, the batsman got m front of his wickets and the bowler appealed for Ibw. Back came the reply: “Not out—there’s nothing out at this end to-day.” Surely, a, declaration of war. The storv is vouched for by my informant, hut lie is unable to add what happened subsequent to the incident related above.

The success that attended the lifesaving contest between the Sumner and St, Clair Life Saving Clubs last Sunday shows what can be achieved by a little enthusiasm and energy. A couple of years ago, the St. Clair Club, through loss of experienced members, was at a low ebb, but it Avas a Aviso move that resulted m tho appointment of Mr I. L. Turnbull ns secretary, for he has brought tho olub right back to its old level. The progress made Avas indicated In the good shoAving made by the dub's first team against the Christchurch, Visitors, and the growth of interest m swimming and life saving was shown by tho fact that the thousands Of people who thronged the beach remained ell afternoon for the compete tion. No sport equals in importance and utilitarian Value that of life saving, and the St. Clair Club is to be congratulated on its efforts to keep before the public the work that is being done. • * * Not since the elld Of 1927 have New Zealand and Australia met on the athletic track, tile meeting at Wellington in the 1927*28 season seeing the end of the Australasian championships, at which the Australian States and Neiv Zealand had competed on so many former occasions, It avas hoped that soine plan would bo evolved by Avhich New Zealand and Australia Avould meet every second year in athletic competition, but so far it has not been brought to fruition. However, according to the secretary of the Australian Athletic Union, there is a possibility of a New Zealand team crossing the Tasman in March for the opening of the Sydney Bridge carnival. The matter is to be discussed at the Australian conference, and it will certainly act as a stimulus to Nbav Zealand athletes during the next month or so if a team is to be sent to Australia. One obstacle in the Avay is that tho Ncav Zealand championships are to be held on March 11 and 12.