SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22274, 27 February 1936, Page 17

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our English Correspondent.] LONDON, January 9. ATHLETICS. Englishmen were profoundly interested to hear that the great Ben Eastman is again to compete in the Olympic Games. One uses the word great advisedly, for it cannot be disputed that for the past five years Eastman has been amongst the finest middle-dis-tance runners in the world. The last occasion on which he competed against athletes from this country was in August, 1934, when, at Amsterdam, _be beat our then, half-mile champion, J. A. Cooper, by 20yds in a 800 metres scratch race. Eastman must always have regretted that at Los Angeles, in 1932, he preferred to go for the 400 metres instead of 800 metres. It was said at the time that it was the intense good-natured rivalry between Eastman and W. A. Carr that swayed the former into tackling his fellowAmerican at the shorter distance. In the event Carr won the 400 metres, with Eastman second, in world’s re-cord-breaking time. and, although Hampson’s Imin 49 4-ssec was alio a world’s record for 800 metres, Eastman has since shown that on the track used for the tenth Olympiad the time would have been within his compass. BILLIARDS The Billiards Association has not listened to” the suggestion, if, indeed, it was ever put before it, that the young Australian, Horace Lindrum, should be allowed to take part in the championship, which is to begin on March 23. If such a proposal had been made the reply, of course, would have been that since Walter Lindrum had taken the original cup with him to Australia the new title and trophy were meant for players of Great “Britain. Joe Davis is the holder, and he is getting good practice by competing with many other professionals for the gold cup in a sealed handicap. The champion has shown fine form against Falkener and Sidney Smith. The champion will need to do something exceptional, for when the sealed handicap is opened it will be found that he has had to concede long starts, especially to veterans like lnman> Rees, and Falkner. In the championship Davis will be opposed by Willie Smith, Tom Newman (his two chief rivals), and 10 others, the entry of 13 being a record for the event. BOXING. Larry Gains, the coloured boxer, is dogged by misfortune. He considered himself unlucky to be beaten by the South African, Ben Foord, and a return match had been arranged for January 20. Gain, however, is in bed with a ruptured blood vessel and influenza. Foord, by the way, has been told by the South African Board of Control that he must defend the heavy-weight title of his native land within six months. CRICKET. Every English cricket enthusiast will congratulate Clarence Grimmett on beating Sydney Barnes’s record of 189 wickets (Grimmett’s total is 193) in .Test cricket. Grimmett has done some wonderful work against English batsmen, over whom, at times, he exercised an uncanny fascination. Years ago it was said that he was a back number, but his performances on the Australian tour of 1934, and now in ''South Africa, prove the falsity of such a statement-,- Barnes, who tool: his Test wickets between 1901 and 1914, in spite of the fact that he is 60 years of age, is still taking wickets, and, moreover, has quite a reputation as a. batsman, in club cricket. SOCCER. ' Any fears, or on the part of their chief rivals for League honours, hopes, that Sunderland would collapse after its unexpected reverse at the hands of Aston Villa, were dispelled when it went to Manchester and beat the City hy the only goal scored. - Arsenal dropped a point at home to Birmingham, and it is patent that something very exceptional will have to occur if the London side is to retain the championship. Huddersfield had to be content to share four goals with much improved Brentford. Aston Villa continues to struggle to avoid those bottom places, although if Portsmouth bad not conceded two penalties, the Hampshire club would not have lost.: Grimsby has done itself immense credit' by gaining full points from successive matches at Manchester and Chelsea, but Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, and Everton (three of the oldest and most famous clubs in the League), as well as Manchester City, are all now in extreme danger of delegation. There are new leaders in the Second Division. Charlton Athletic, which has only lost one game in its last 16, went in front by reason of a good win (3-0) over Doncaster Rovers, which, like Charlton Athletic, won promotion last season, and until they struck a slump at Christmas, looked like going into the highest class. The club now threatening Charlton’s supremacy is Sheffield United, whose succeis at the expense of Bradford took it to second place in the tpble. After three consecutive reverses the supporters of Tottenham Hotspur had begun to despair of their favourites recovering their lost status. The North London club, however, rehabilitated itself with a fine victory at Newcastle, and now stands third. There were few startling results in the Third Division. Luton shows the way in the Southern Section, and well it deserves to, for tho Bedfordshire side has gained 14 points out of the last 16 it has played for. In the Northern Section Chesterfield, by winning at New Brighton, drew a point nearer Tranmere, which sacrificed a point at Walsall. Aberdeen, Celtic, and Glasgow Rangers stand out as the first three in the Scottish League. THE ALL BLACKS. Ever since the international match at Twickenham the countless admirers of the New Zealand side have been asking themselves: What was the explanation of England’s victory—a victory that was record-making in that it was the first occasion on which a combination of English footballers had beaten a New Zealand fifteen, and also tho first time that tho present tourists had failed to score. The reasons appear to be two, with perhaps a possibility of a third. England put in the field the strongest side she has had for years, and to a man they did splendidly. On the other hand, despite the axiom that a team plays as well as its opponents allow it, the All Blacks certainly did not give as bright or as dash ing a display as they had done in several other games. The English tackling, we know, was brilliant, and the forwards played like demons. Nevertheless, New Zealand never gave one the impression of an abihtv to make the best of its chances, as, for instance, it had done against Wales. Even Gilbert’s attempts to kick at goal were feeble compared with the very high standard he has set himsell.

Was there another cause for the debacle in the selection of the team? The manager, Mr Meredith, has shown himself all through such an astute and capable selector that one can only say that the omission of the gallant little Sadler and the speedy Hart came as a surprise to English followers of the game. When Obolenski’s two wonderful tries had given England a 6 points’ lead at half-time dubious heads were shaken, and the spectators whispered amongst themselves the fear that tire All Blacks’ superior condition would turn the scales in their favour after the interval. Then came Cranmer’s dropped goal (Tindall and Gilbert, not an Englishman, were expected to do this sort of thing), and followed on it was Sever’s well-earned try, which set the heart of the 70,000 spectators at rest. So ended .the tour of our gallant visitors from New Zealand. Twentyfour victories in 28 matches is a fine record, and the players will take home with them the knowledge that they have earned golden opinions as the finest of sportsmen and the best of good fellows, RACING. Reyuoldstown is in the field again. Last year’s Grand National winner was stripped for the Steeplechase at Leicester on Monday, and won as he liked from Carbus and that other good horse, Delaneige. His owner, Major Furlong, said it was his intention to give Reynoldstown three or four more outings before the National, though these will not include the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which Golden Miller has made a habit of monopolising. Major Furlong’s son, who rode Reynoldstown to victory at Aintree last March, is now overweight, and at Leicester another amateur, Mr Walroyn, made his first racing acquaintance with the Irish horse.