The World's playground

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7294, 2 August 1930, Page 15

The World's playground

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Winning an open golf championship is like kissing a girl. If you can get one the rest come easy.' *■ * * It isn't the number of clubs in the bag that makes the golfer; it's the number of shots in the system. * * * Sunday Cricket! B. H. Lyon, the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club captain, desires first-class cricket on Sunday afternoons—county championship play and all the rest of it. If cricket, why not League football, greyhound racing, speedway sport and a full racing programme? asked an English exchange. Is Mr. Lyon prepared for all that? Organised sport could not be limited to Sunday afternoons. The affair inevitably would spread itself over the whole day . . . but it won’t bear thinking about. * * * A certain golfer who always plays in his oldest clothes was proceeding toward the course one morning with his clubs slung over his shoulder. What was his astonishment when he observed a woman leaning over her garden gate, eyeing him angrily? “You are very late.” she said irately. “Late?” echoed the astonished golfer. “Yes, late,” repeated the irate dame, “you promised to sweep my chimneys at eight o’clock and it’s past nine now.” * * * Where Racing is Barred There is no racing in New Jersey, United States. It was long ago prohibited by legislative act. Recently a movement has been set going with the object of having racing restored to that State. It is proposed to have the pari-mutuel betting system established at the same time. * * * Walter Miller, the world’s middle-weight wrestling champion, will shortly return to the United States, where he intends to issue a challenge to Gus Sonnenberg, the recently deposed heavy-weight wrestling champion of the world. * * * New Champion Ted Phelps, new world’s sculling champion—having wrested the title from Barry—has a brief record, which is onlv to be expected, as he is only 21. Born in London, Phelps scales 12st Sib, and has never been. beaten in a scratch race. His record includes the Kingston Coat and Badge and Putney Coat and Badge in 1925. In 1926 he won the Newcastle half-mile Christmas Boat Handicap, being the first Londoner to do so. * * * Poetry in Cricket Day after day in daily newspaper cabled stories from England Australians read lecturettes by former stars on the failings of the Woodfull party of youngsters, even Don Bradman and his prolific bat coming under the eyes of these critical gentlemen of the past in cricket. It is, accordingly, quite bucking-up to read a more appreciative whiff from an English source, as the following by “Cricketer.” in the “Manchester Guardian”: “The Australians batted again at one o’clock. Woodfull sent in Victor Richardson and Jackson, which was at any rate a gesture. But Lancashire’s bowling had a steadiness which kept quiet even the powerfully-built Richardson, who, as he bats with much muscular energy, causes us to think what an admirable threequarter at Rugby he would make. “Jackson again let us taste the flavour of cultivated cricket. He has wrists, and a clean, economical movement of the feet and body. As soon as the wickets get hard, Jackson will play the summer' game like a true and courtly lover of it. “Richardson drove a huge six to the on from Hopwood, and seemed ready

to launch a hefty offensive when he made the fatal mistake of playing back to Tyldesley’s straight top-spinner, which Tyldesley bowled with all his broad back behind the ball. “The sunny afternoon went to a tame close. Bradman and Jackson took the opportunity of gentle practice. The voice of the barracker was heard in the field; the warmth from on high tanned our faces; runs came slowly, as though of no use or value whatever. The scene and the game must have made one or two of the Australians quite homesick —so peaceful was everything, so full of the sense of an everlasting drift and purposelessness.”

World’s Record Walk A world’s record time of 2hrs 46min 30 2-ssec was returned by A. E. Plumb, of the North London Harriers, who retained the national 20-miles roadwalking championship at Derby in May. The previous record for the distance was 2hrs 47min 17 l-ssec, by S. Poynton, in 1324, at Windsor. L. Lloyd Johnson (Leicester), winner three years ago, was second, and T. W. Green (Belgrave H.) was third. Team honours went to Birmingham, with a total of 43 points, Derby being second with 53, and Belgrave third with 60. Surrey and Sheffield United tied for fourth place. Three Italians competed, but the team of four Germans scratched. • * * * Jackson And the Boys Just before the Australian XI sailed Archie Jackson found himself among a group of boys in a Balmain park. Before commencing their own particular test match, they decided that, for the occasion, each should become one of the champions. First pick fell to a bright youth, loyal to Balmain, who dubbed himself “Archie Jackson." When the youngster who had second choice recovered from the shock, ho spluttered, “It’s your own fault; you had first pick.” Then he shrieked with glee, “I’m Don Bradman!”

An erratic and hard-hitting Scots* man was suffering under the imposition of one of those incompetent parasites called caddies. The lad could not locate any ball off the fairway and three new ones were given up for lost. Going to the home hole, a blind affair, the Scot sent his boy ahead over a ridge to watch the flight of the ball. After the Scotsman drove he heard a yell from the front and going ahead found his boy holding his ear and hopping. “Aye, weel,” said the player grimly, “ye ken where that one went to.” » * * Highland Games A rather diminutive English visitor to one of the Highland resorts decided to enter for one of the events at the annual games. He was told by tho secretary that the only open event on the card was “Tossing the Caber.” "All right,” said the Englishman innocently, “put me down- for that. My name’s Simpson.” In due course when this event was announced Simpson went forward and the secretary pointed to a hefty and weighty tree trunk which lay on the ground. “There you are, sir,” he said. “You take first toss and throw it as far as you can.” The visitor looked astonished for a moment and then said, in a struggliiio voice, “There appears to be some misunderstanding. My name is Simpson—not Sampson.” * * * Hobbs and Grace It seems likely that during the coming summer Hobbs will add yet another record to the long list he can already claim, and that a most important one —nothing less, in fact, than the largest number of runs ever made by a man in first-class cricket (says the “Athletic News”). He maintains his form so well that, unless handicapped by illness or accident, lie seems certain to score the 1,673 required to equal W. G. Grace’s aggregate. Hero is a summary of the doings of the pair: Yv. G. GRACE. Ins. N.O. Most Tl. Av. 100's Australia 11 1 *159 US 44. SO 1 England J,452 104 314 64,448 59.51 125 Totals. 1,9-13 105 344 54,890 39.55 126 HOBBS. Ins. N.O. Most Tl. Av. 100’a Australia 94 5 187 4,570 51.81 14 England 1,016 S 5 *3IG 45,970 49.37 148 Totals . 1,493 105 344 54.596 39.55 126 ♦lndicates not out. In attempting to compare the feats, it should be remembered that programmes were much shorter, and wickets less carefully prepared, during “W.G.’s” prime, than they are now, , and that overseas tours were much less frequent. Furthermore, Dr. Grace took as many as 2.576 wickets. Lord Lonsdale Reminiscent Lord Lonsdale opened at Pontypridd, Glamorgan, on May 29, his three days tour in Wales to raise £I,OOO for endowing a Lonsdale bed at the Cardiff Infirmary. In a reminiscent speech, according to a London writer, at a civic reception given in his honour, be recalled how, under an assumed name, he beat the great John L. Sullivan, and that he had also beaten T. P. Weston, the American champion walker, by doing 100 miles in 17 hours 43 minutes. Remarking that be had had a roving life. Lord Lonsdale said that in 1574 he was driving sheep and cattle in Canada. He had roughed it in many parts of the world. This story does not say how he “beat” John L. Sullivan. * * Tribute to Trumper! “Victor Trumper once received the greatest compliment one sportsman could give to another in Rockhampton, Queensland, roughly about 25 years ago. New South Wales was playing at Rockhampton, when Trumper made IS. It lias been like a birth-mark. I remember every stroke, says a writer in tho “Referee.” When IS, he hit, rather than snicked, a ball to McLaughlan in the slips. The fieldsman dead-heated a good catch with a remark, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ It was like the end of a play, and when Tibby Cotter gave a good imitation of Jessop hitting later in tho day most of the crowd had gone home, just as disappointed as the sport who had to hold the catch.”