SEASONABLE SPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1933, Page 3

SEASONABLE SPORTS

tennis.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Local Ladder Matches: The United Club are first m the field this year with ladder matches, and. players there are now taking a keen interest in the games. The his matches among the men were toi be played last Saturday, but the weather interfered with play. During the week several ladies’ matches have been played. Nothing has as yet been done by the Greymouth Club in regard to ladder matches, and interest seems to be a little lacking. However, the club has had a late start, compared with the other clubs, and next Saturday, when a doubles competition is expected to be played, should' see the commencement /of serious tennis. The attendances at the Grey courts have not been all that could be desired, and many of the better players have net started regular practice. It seems that the United players will have an advantage over the Greymouth players as far as condition is concerned, when inter-club matches commence. This year the Grey Club has been considerably weakened by the loss ofleading players such as R. Frost (left the district), L. Phillips (joined United), R. Clay (left the district), E. Scbnackenberg (temporarily transferred) and Mrs Fletcher (retired).

United Matches: Mrs Neville played Miss E. Boddy, the latter winning by 6/4. This game was a good one throughout, but Mrs Neville failed to clinch points manytimes, after getting her opponent o.ut of position. Her opponent played excellently, and made some wonderful recoveries. Her play throughout was of a good standard, and she is the type, of player that shoiild' go further. Miss E. Heinz was beaten by Miss B Brown, G/4. Both of these young players placed their shots well, a good augury for their future. Mrs Cassells defeated Miss D. Blair, 6/1 This came as a surprise, as Miss Blair has been playing very good tennis lately and her opponent has not been in anything like her true form. However, Mrs Cassells is the better xmatch player of the two, and this was the deciding factor in the games. D. Heaphy defeated' R. Barber, 9/4. Both of these players have good styles and play very clean shots. Heaphy is the better at overhead work, but both players should go far. They should concentrate on deeper drives and practise their cross couit shots.

Rate Lord Grey; It is probably not generally known that the late Lord Grey of Fallodcn held the title of amateur champion of tennis on live occasions between 1889 and 1898, besides winning the M.C.C. Gold Prize once in 1896, and the Silver Prize no fewer than 13 times. For twenty years he was one of the foiemost amateur players, the crowning point of his career being in 1896, when he defeated ' H. Crawley at Queen’s Club in the fjjnal for the amateur championship, and the Hon. A. Lyttelton at Lord’s in the match for the Gold Prize of the M.C.C. Sir Edward, a s he was then, was described as a player of great activity, taking his games at a great pace, but he had ■one outstanding fault. He refused to regard service in any other way than qs a means of putting the ball into play.

France Rebuilding: France’s tennis outlook for the near future is rather gloomy, and in an • effort to .produce new stars French officials are endeavouring to persuade Basque pelota players to, take up the gameM. Pierre Gillou, president of the French Lawn Tenni s Federation, and Jean Borotra, whose sobriquet, the “bounding ' Basque,” is indicative oi his ancestry, have|]been making inquiries in this direction, but the president of the Pelota Federation is not anxious to lose any of his brilliant young men. In the game, which is the national pastime in the Basque country, every town and village having a court or courts, the u.se of the eye, arm and feet combines much that lawn tennis demands.

Bwotra’s Tactics: The plan which J. Borotra followed to defeat H. W. Austin in the finqj of the covered courts championship is causing discussion in the London newspapers. Borotra, who is accustomed to 10 minutes’ rest in the middle of a liveset match, according to Continental practice, allowed the fourth set to go by default,- obviously in order to recover from exhaustion. Borotra offered, no resistance, and only won the sixth game because Austin doublefaulted, desiring to open the fifth set on his own service. Some of the crowd apparently misunderstood Borctra’s tactics, believing that he was deliberately assuming the attitude of a “dead man” for the purpose of lulling Austin into a sense of security. The “Daily Telegraph” lawn tennis critic, Mr Wallis Myers, says: “There is no ground for this theory. Austin ceitainly did not fail into a trap. He secured what seemed to be a winning lead, but Borotra was like a spring that recoils. It is absurd to condemn him for using his own time for applying maximum pressure. His display of volleying in the last four games was like a tornado. Austin was swept off his feet by a stream of withering blows.” The “Morning Post” describes the ending of the match as acrimonious, and says: —“Borotra was strictly within his rights, but Austin’s remarks / alter the match were obviously not complimentary.”

Will Crawford Tarn Pro? Everyone appears to be quite certain that Jack Crawford, the Wimbledon cnampion, will not consider a professional offer. He even says so himself. And perhaps he is sincere. He may not at this stage have any intention of accepting a professional proposition—certain it is that if he were great pressure would' be brought to bear to induce him to retain his amateur status Until Australia has made another endeavour to capture the Davis Cup. In fact, so great would be the pressure that he would find it more profitable to remain an amateur.

If Australia should be successful next year then no doubt he would still ignore professional bait. But if that country fails then no surprise will be occasioned if Crawford becomes like Cochet, a “business man” player.

CRICKET.

PLAY AND PLAYERS

The only senior match played during last week-end was the Technical Old Boys-School Saturday competition match, and this only served to emphasise the weakness of the school team as compared with the general run of senior teams. The boys proved too young and inexperienced tor the Old Boys’ team, which included two seasoned representative players, and the heavy defeat of the school team, by ten wickets, was. no surprise. It is now probable that the School -will withdraw their senior team and enter two third grade teams. This will be the wisest course in the interests of the boys’ cricket, for they would be no match at all for either Cobden or United, and would not get a decent game. In the third grade, with two even teams from the Technical School, they will be sure of a good even game, and that will do them more good, at their present, age, than leather-hunt-ing for senior players. The Saturday competition, which was run successfully last year, seems, this season, to bo doomed to failure, owing to the scarcity of teams and lack of enthusiasm among players, who seem to regard their Saturday game, as a chance to loosen their shoulders. More active organisation by the Association might do a lot of good, and place the competition on a sound footing.

Exemplary Conduct: The Technical School boys are to be commended for their exemplary conduct on the field on Saturday. Certainly they were in charge of a master, but their conduct on the field was excellent, and quite a lesson for many of the senior teams. There is altogether too much talking and gentle “ragging” among senior players, and this is not in the interests of good cricket. A cricketer cannot afford' to waste time talking and joking, ior all his energies and attention are necessary to the proper performance of his duty to his team.

Promising Lad: V. Hazeldine, playing for the School senior team on Saturday, showed some promise. He had some idea, of “stepping” them, and' could certainly lay , the wood on—one of his big hits landed on High Street. His main fault was that he did not know which ball to pick to hit. His hitting propensities should not be curbed, but he should learn' to use his feet properly, and pick the right ball to lift over the fence.

Goof: Footwork: Vaughan, of the Technical School senior team, was another school batsman. to show promise. He used his feet nicely, particularly in backmoving.

CensisteiC Length: B. Tindale bowled well to secure four wickets for 38 against Old Boys on Saturday. He kept a fairly consistent length throughout, but lacked that extia nip that troubles a good batsman.

Old Boys' Batsmen: Most of the Technical Old "Boys’ batsmen were ill at ease on the slow wicket, and only three or four of them collected any runs. Grant stayed at the wickets for some time, but poor footwork lost him many runs. Skeats made 17 by indiscriminate hitting. 0. Morris played his best innings this season to compile 80 not out, but the bowling was not strong.

Bakewell’s Rise: The rise of Bakewell, the Northamptonshire batsman, who made a century against the West Indies on August 12, is one'of the romances of modern cricket. , , He started his life with none oi the advantages of the average boy, but he had the good fortune to be sent to St. John’s School, Tiffield, Northamptonshire. . „ There he came under the influence of Mr M‘Coll, who is not only a good schoolmaster, but an exceptionally keen cricketer, with the faculty, possessed by few, of imparting his cricket knowledge to others. At Tiffield there is a concrete wicket on which, in the long winter hours, which might otherwise drag in such rural Surroundings, the boys are taught the rudiments of batsmanship. This coaching is concerned solely with the art of defence—strokes will come later is the theory. Good coaches insist that thi s is the way to make a cricketer, and Bakewell is a living tribute to the soundness of the idea. When, on the recommendation of his master, he joined Northamptonshire, he had a month’s coaching at Strudwick’s school, and then stepped almost at once into the team, and was soon pi emoted to No. 1. Within a tew years he has become an England batsman.Curiously enough for a boy with such training, Bakewell proved too impetuous. He would “have a go early in his innings, and attempt strokes the workman would avoid until well set. . This season he has altered his style. He first plays himself in. and when set never looks like getting out. Nobody needs to be told that Northamptonshire is not a wealthy county. Last winter, with a view to cutting down expenses, they intimated to the professionals that the annual bonus of £25 would be discontinued. As a concession the talent money was increased to 30/- tor 50 runs, and 30/-. for four wickets. Bake well earned in this way a total of nearly £l5 in two successive matches, and “Nobby’’ Clark has also found this, the highest talent money paid by any county, most remunera- ’ tivc. : • Recently when Bakewell made a big ‘-•core, a collection taken on the ground realised £23—and the total gate receipts that day were only £O6.

Australian Professionalism: Another storm is brewing in Australian cricket. The recent attempt to introduce professionalim in Australia by means of a “brightest cricket” plan has brought down on the promoter the wrath of the Queensland Cricket Association, which has banned professional play. Any of its players taking part in such matches will be summarily suspended. “There will be no half-measures. ’ said one of the members of the association. But Mr Hunting, the promoter, is not deterred and is going on with his ambitious plans, which include applying for affllialion to the Lancashire League and sending a team to England within a year. He has already made three captures. They are W, D. Rowe, Queens-

land’s best left-handed batsman, G. Amos, a prolific scorer, and L. Wateiman, who played against Jardine s team earlier in the year. „ “What amuses me,” says Amos, is being cast aside by the Queensland association as a professional, when all the time I was playing Sheffield cricket for them I was receiving much more than 5/- expenses a day. I thought I was looked upon as a professional then.” The plan is that each team will have one innings and each batsman will be. entitled to receive ten effective balls, provided he is not dismissed earlier. Wides and no-balls will not count. At the end of both teams’ first innings the remaining time until 6 o’clock will be divided equally, and the game will bo resumed under the accepted laws of cricket.

The revised scale of payment is: — 10/- a sixer; 2/- a boundary hit; 20 per cent, of the gate receipts to the winning team; 10 per cent, of the gate receipts to the losers; £3/3/1 to the captain-manager of each team. The cost of staging each match is estimated at £261, and basing the average attendance at 4000 —a moderate estimate, according to Mr Hunting the anticipated revenue would be £395, or a profit of £134. bowling. GREYMOUTPI CLUB’S FORMATION. The Greymouth Bowling Club was formed on January 19, 1903, when a meeting was held for that purpose in the office of Mr Skoglund. On that occasion, there were present: Messrs A. McKay, Sampson, Jay, T. Jones, Thomas, Kerr, Skoglund and Hansen. At that meeting the decision to form the club was unanimously made, and Messrs McKay, Jones and Jay were appointed a committee to select a suitable site for the green.

The next meeting was held on January 30, 1903, the li e being present: — Messrs McKay, Sampson, Jay, Jones, and Skoglund. To that meeting the committee reported that they had selected a piece of ground owned by Mr W. Thomas, and that area duly passed into the hands of the club on May 31, .1903, for the sum of £5OO. Then a meeting Held on the fourth of the next month, it was decided to form a green. On July 20, 1903, it.was agreed to borrow £5OO from the Oddfellows’ Dodge at 4£ per cent., in order to facilitate the formation. of the green.

. The next meeting was held on August 21, 1903, when Messrs Murry, of Christchurch, and Fairhall, of Greymouth, were appointed to form the green. The next important meeting of the club was on’ May 10.. 1904, when it was decided to issue debentures of £5 each to the value of £5OO, the debentures being taken up by members. In December, 1904, at a meeting at tended by Messrs McKay, Jay, Jones, Sampson, and Skoglund, it was decided to borrow £450 from the National Bank to build a pavilion. Messrs McKay and Jones acted as guarantors. Mr Fairhall was appointed caretaker on December 20, 1905, and at the meeting held on that date it was decided to plant flowers and shrubs on the ground in order to beautify the green. The formation of the green was completed in March, 1906, and at a meeting held on March 22, 1906, Mr A. McKay was elected President. There were also present on that occasion, Messrs Jones, Sampson, and Skog!und. The green was officially opened on October 21,. 1906, in the presence of a large crowd of members and visitors. The above notes were compiled from a diary kept by Mr T. Jones, a foundation member of the club.