SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22687, 29 June 1937, Page 7

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, May 13. ATHLETICS. One of the principal obstacles to athletic progress in this country is the apathy, and in some cases the opposition, of our more important schools. For many years head masters have stoutly maintained that everything else must be subservient to cricket and football each in its season, and boys quite unfitted by physique and inclination are compelled to devote themselves to these games to the almost entire exclusion of everything else. The master in charge of athletics at a public school near London complained bitterly to the writer of tho opposition he met with from his head, who will not hear of any boy at the school in training outside the Easter term, which is tho period during which the annual sports are held. The athletics master instanced one boy in particular. Ho is an absolute muff at cricket, but has the makings of a fine all-round athlete. Yet twice a week ho must turn out at the ball game, and even practice for athletics outside school hours is frowned upon by the head. Surely it would be far better that this youngster, who will shortly he going up to Oxford, should be allowed to perfect himself at the sport in wdiich he bids fair to become an expert, than be compelled to play a game at which he knows he is not and never will be any good. School masters always were hidebound in their ideas, both on the scholastic and the sporting side. Happily there are some signs of a change of heart in both directions. Bodies like the Amateur Athletic Association and the Lawn Tennis Association, whose activities have for the most part been coldshouldered in the school curriculum, should continue to hammer away in a demand that their sports shall he as freely recognised as any other. Otherwise we shall continue to lag behind the United States. Germany, and even our own dominions. BOXING.

When should a fight be stopped by tho referee? The old question was revived when Mr Deyong stopped the bout between the heavy-weights Buddy Baer and Jim Wilde. The big 21-year-okl American had dealt out severe punishment to his rival, and tho Welshman seemed quite unable to overcome the difference of nearly 3st in the weights. The contest had only gone four rounds when Mr Deyong thought it would be a useless prolonging of Wilde’s “ agony ” to let tho fight go one, and pronounced Baer the winner. Wilde was indignant, declaring that he could have gone the full distance and would assuredly have beaten Baer. Many of the onlookers sided with him, though, since they were of that section to go to watch boxing because it panders to their instinct for brutality latent in so many of us, their opinion was disregarded. Fair-minded judges thought the referee perfectly correct, because, after all, the match was a boxing contest and not a fight. Some people need reminding that, in spite of all that goes on in the ring to-iday, fighting is illegal., - Some day the police will step in, and then perhaps those who have been shouting for a display of brute force will be sorry. The other big contest on the same evening had an equally unsatisfactory termination. Pete Sarron was warned no fewer than nine times for hitting with tho open glove. Nor did those cautions cover every offence of which the American was guilty. Dave Crowley suffered many blows from Sarron’s flail-like action, but ho was not disinclined to mix it, and shone far less as a boxer than he has done against many other opponents. Neither the experts nor the out-for-hloocl portion of the spectators could have found much pleasure in the display of either man, and those who like watching boxing as nn art must have felt not altogether displeased when the end came with the disqualification of Sarron in the ninth of the 10 rounds over which the bout should have run. CRICKET. The weather god has been unkind to the devotees of our great national pastime, and with only a week of the season gone there has been a big crop of matches spoiled by rain. Tho downpour which descended on the latter part of the Coronation procession yesterday sadly interfered with cricket all over tho country. It was strangely ironical that the match between Cambridge University and Yorkshire having been transferred from Cambridge to Bradford on the representation that it would draw a holiday crowd of 30,000 not a ball could be bowled. Changes in weather have changed wickets, bringing with them reversals of form. For instance, Derbyshire, after scoring 242 and getting six 'Worcester wickets down for 53, went in again on a bad wicket and ultimately lost by three wickets. In addition they played two short in their second innings through illness and injury. Nevertheless, it was a fine performance on Worcester’s part to beat the champions after being in such a desperate position. It reminds one that a year ago they inflicted de-

feat -upon Yorkshire—a defeat which was the first step in the northern county’s loss of the championship. Derbyshire may well pray that here precedent, will not, hold good for 1937. Probably the most interesting fixture of the week-end cricket was the first appearance of the New Zealanders. One swallow does not make a summer, but knowledgeable people who had the good fortune to watch their bowling and hatting at the Oval pronounced both very good. Surrey we know were without the steadying influence of their captain, E. 11. T. Holmes. With that exception, however, they had all their regular batsmen on view, as well as 1). J. Knight, who in the years just after the war was amongst the leading batsmen in the country ; hence one has nothing hut praise for New Zealand in getting rid of such a side for 149. The wicket, moreover, was all in favour of run-getting, and our Dominion visitors might have been excused if their opponents had run up a big score in the cold, bleak conditions that prevailed. The bowling of J. Cowie and N. Gallichan and A. W. Roberts certainly impressed the critics. When N ew Zealand had scored 161 for five wickets on the first day they certainly appeared to have the whip hand of Surrey. They scarcely maintained their advantage in being dismissed for 233. Surrey’s reply of 127 for four slightly restored the balance. Unfortunately the advent of rain robbed us of what promised a most interesting third day and probably the New Zealanders of a win. That would have been a fine start for a side which some people have been inclined to un-der-estimate making what is perhaps an unfavourable comparison with the Australians. If Walter Hammond and Charles Barnett can maintain the wonderful allround form with which they started the season Gloucestershire may bo hailed as county champions when the curtain is rung down at the end of August next. Although helped by the condition of the wicket, the tost representatives had a wonderful record in 'Hampshire’s second innings; they bowled; unchanged in a score of 74, Hammond taking five wickets for 30 and Barnett five, for 40. They followed up this rare performance with centuries, Hammond 121, Barnett 115, in the_ unfinished game with Glamorgan. While speaking of test cricketers, mention must be made of the satisfaction with which cricketers of all kinds have appreciated the conferring of a knighthood on P. F. Warner. Sir Pelham is one of the most-travejled players in the world, and his service to the game throughout tho whole of the Empire cannot be over-stated.

Essex have had such a long and arduous struggle against poverty that they must' have felt greatly encouraged by success in their initial encounter of the season over Somerset. The eastern county owed much of their triumph to their international howler, Nicholls, who had , the lion’s share when five Somerset wickets fell in the second innings for 4 runs, the score card in fact showing the first four batsmen dismissed with noughts against their name. The Essex fast bowler had altogether six wickets for 48 runs. RUGBY. The record crowd of 53,000 which supported the Rugby League Cup final at Wembley was made up of enthusiastic followers of the professional gamo from the north and amateur Rugbyites who came to see to what extent their favourite sport had been transposed by the Rugby. League. The latter would npt be impressed, for the match was much less open in character than one had a right to expect from a code which has always set out to make' the play more entertainng for the spectator. It was once again a meeting between Lancashire as represented by Widnes and Yorkshire by Keighley, and Lancashire triumphed for the first time since 1930. It was Keighley’s first Cup final, and over-anxiety may have contributed to their defeat by 18 points to 5. Those who like to see professional teams made up of local talent would rejoice at the result, for the whole of the Widnes thirteen came from the neighbourhood, whereas no fewer than seven Keighley players were Welshmen. GOLF. There was nothing half-hearted about Richard Burton’s success in the £1,600 tournament at Southport. The 20-year-old Ryder Cup player has a physique that few men in the game can boast and he .slashed away most vigorously. He was always in the van and then he wound up with an aggregate of 280 for the 72 holes, that was three strokes better than his nearest opponent, Charles Whitcoimbe. Perhaps the latter and l J. H. Busson .were the real heroes of the fourth round, which always attracts more attention than the other three, though there is no reason why it should, each scoring 66, a score credited to N. Sutton in the third round and Patrick Mahon in the third. Burton’s success was very popular, for he had finished second in the corresponding tournament last year. LAWN TENNIS. New Zealand' was entitled to much sympathy on the scurvey trick played on them by fate in the second round of the Davis Cup. A. C. Stedman began well for his country by defeating W. G. Farquharson by three sets to one. Unfortr nately, he strained a muscle in doing so and was out of the rest of the match. New Zealand had

to call on E. D. Andrews, who left his office in London to come down to Brighton to compete. Fine player thugh Andrews undoubtedly is, he was not in a condition for a hard Davis Cup light. Victory in the doubles on the second day made a South African success almost certain, and it was clinched when V. G. Kirby defeated Andrews somewhat easily. The result being arrived at the last match was played by the reserves, which was made thoroughly interesting by the display of E. F. Fanw'n, South Africa, who in style ami build reminds one of our crack, H. W. Austin. .South Africa looks upon young Fanwin as one of her future hopes, and from what wc have seen of him at Brighton they seem justified.

Signorita Lizana, is not sparing herself in her efforts to be in top form at Wimbledon. Indeed, we are beginning to ask ourselves if the popular Chilean is not doing too much. There was, for instance, not quite the same snap in her play in winning the Hnrlingham Cup outright as there was when she won at Bournemouth a week earlier. It may, of course, have been due to the fact that there was no opponent capable of/ extending the signorita. Nevertheless, her wellwishers would like to see her take a “ breather ” before the all-important tournament in six weeks’ time.