SPORTING POT POURRI

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

SPORTING POT POURRI

ACTIVITIES IN OTHER FIELDS. FIELD, FLOOD AND TRACK. On the Decline. Dave Kemp, a noted Brisbane racing motor cyclist who recently returned to Australia from England, says that dirt-track racing ,s declining in England and probably will fade out next year. . Uphill Battle. W M (“Little Bill’’) Johnston, who'was the world’s amateur lawn tennis champion seven years ago and who was • a famous player in Davis Cup matches as well as m tournaments, is reported to be fighting severe lung trouble in his California home. Waiving the Rules. The excellent handling of the King's yacht Britannia on several occasions this season recalls a good story of a race at Cowes which had to lie restarted owing to some minor infringement by His Majesty s boat. Ah, said a witty “Britannia waives the rules, what. Old Form. After an absence of oyer 18 months from lawn tennis, E. Higgs returned to the game, and won the singles championship of Herts and Vest Herts. Higgs was a member of the British lawn tennis team which visited New Zealand and Australia in the 1928-29 season. Task was Hard. It is not generally appreciated that Woodfull’s team is the first Australian team in history that went to England to regain the Ashes, and succeeded On other visits Australia held the Ashes,before the Tests began. Tins reflects credit on the work of the selection committee. Remains Unbeaten.

There is one record in cycling that seems to defy the record breakers. It was made in 1889 at the old Crystal Palace Track in London by F. G. Crowley, who, from a standing start and human-paced, set up the figures of lmin 48 4-ssec for the mile. Since these figures were places on the books, all the crack pace-followers have attacked them, many of them certainties until they staged their attempts. But always some outside influence seemed to place the record outside their grasp. “Crowley’s mile” has become one of the superstitions of cycledom. Foul Work. When Chapman’s team were due in Brisbane for the first Test a couple of years ago, the groundsman of the Exhibition ground suffered great agony - of mind because the local swallows insisted on flying away with the pitch after he, had watered it, the fowls requiting the mud • for nestbuilding. The ground staff at Lords has recently been in much the same fix. There the trouble is caused by the seagulls, which not only dig up the turf for worms, but bring old bones and all sorts of rubbish from the near-by river. Strenuous. An English enthusiast recently fitted the players in a foursome with pedometers to support his claim that golf calls for staying power, at least. The card for the 18 holes played was 75, which proves that none of the four got. much off the fairway; the average, of the pedometers was five miles—a minimum of 10 miles for 36 holes. Lots of vigorous individuals who play football and scoff at golf would think twice of walking ten miles on end, punching a ball meanwhile. Coincidences. There were plenty of coincidences —if the superstitious will admit that they are nothing more —in the matter of numbers on the score-board and elsewhere in the first day of the first Test cricket. matcli • between England and Australia. It was. the 13th match on the Australian tour, and it was begun on June 13. Grimmett went on to bowl for the first time ‘when the score was 13, and in a. short time got rid of three of England’s best batsmen, Hammond,. Woolley and Hcndren, who made lp between them. At the luncheon interval the score was 91, which is seven times 13. Hobbs made 78, which is six times 13. Chapman made 62, which is four times 13, and Tate, when he had made 13, played on in the last over of the day. Change of Speed.

An unusual incident occurred in the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s junior race -at Waikowhai recently, when S. F. Budge had such a commanding lead that he dismounted on a steep hill on the last lap and ran to the top, wheeling his bicycle. This is the first occasion in the history of the club on which a rider has voluntarily dismounted in a short road race. It is quite common for riders in the famous Tour de France to walk over sections of the "more severe mountain passes. Budge did not lose anything by his tactics, as his lead was sufficient to enable him to win easily. A Notoriety. Wood full has. at last climbed the pinnacle of undying fame. In other woros, his effigy, has been added to Madame Tussaud’s famous waxwork gallery hi London, and there he may now dream the years away in company " ’Hi Mary Queen of Scots, Deeming and W. G. Grace. The exact location of the portrait in the gallerv has now been revealed, but if English bowlers are consulted it will be the Chamber of Horrors!