GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

Northern Advocate, 29 October 1932, Page 12

GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

The Lancashire Cricket League’s championship this year was won by the Nelson Club, for the second year in succession and the fourth time in the last five seasons. In its final match Nelson beat Bacnp, which had been level witli it at tho top of the table.

Asking a witness in a case hoard recently at Barnsley, in Yorkshire, to estimate the distance a motor car travelled, a solicitor inquired: “Was it the length of a cricket pitch?” The witness replied that he did not know tlio length pf a cricket pitch. “Are yon a Yorkshiroman? ” asked the solicitor, then. “No,” replied the witness. “That accounts for it,” rejoined the solicitor.

‘‘The style of the Japanese swimmers represented the poetry of motion,” says E. Gill, trainer of the Australian swimmers who competed at the Olympic Games. ‘‘The continuity of leg and arm action, with hardly a roll discernible, the free breathing, and the great stamina of the Japanese swimmers proved that Australian swimmers must amend their style if they are to progress.” Gill thinks that Australian swimmers roll too much, thereby losing momentum.

Two members of the British Eugby team which toured New Zealand and Australia in 10.10 hava now become professionals. The news that J. C. Morley, Wales’s best wing threequarter of the last few years, had signed on for the Wigan Eugby League Club was cabled a few. weeks ago. Now it is learned that Gordon Bonner (Bradford Club and Yorkshire), who was second-string fullback for the British team, has joined the Wakefield Trinity Club, in the league, as a professional. ;

In a practice rim at Brooklands re-' cont-ly, Sir Henry Birkin, the famous [English racing motorist, while attempting to smash the lap record set by Borzacchini, the Italian ace, was suddenly struck on (he head by a bee. The bee, hit by a, car travelling at 12fi miles ait linin', on recovering consciousness, crawled inside Birkin’s goggles. Birkin was rounding a difficult bend when ho realised what was happening to one of his eyes, and wrenched the goggles from his head while the ear, held in check by one fiee hand, skidded from side to side of the track. When Birkin reached the pits, however, he learned that he had knocked three seconds off the Italian’s record —a lap at an average speed of 51.(31* miles an hour.

Under this heading, the “News of the World” states that the Accrington Cricket Club’s gates for the whole of last season amounted to £229. But during the present season to August 21 over .-£IOOO has been taken at the turnstiles. “This,” says the English paper, “is eloquent testimony to the magnetic qualities of Alan Fairfax. If any further proof Avere needed cf Fairfax’s ability as a batsman it was forthcoming when he flogged the attack of Nelson, one of the most deadly in the competition, for an unbeaten -12:”. In making his third century of the season the Australian hit so lustily that two of his driA’es cleared the ground. ’ ’

Denis Hondren, brother of “ Patsy, ’ ’ and one «1 ? England’s loading lirslclass cricket umpires, tolls tho following story in tlio ‘‘Daily Mail.’’ The soono is a village match, and ono of the homo team comes in to hat with only ono pad on. Tlio captain, a severe .stickler for etiquette, remonstrates with him, and sends him hack to the pavilion to put another pad on. There is tremendous amusement when tlio scolded batsman solemnly returns with two pads on tho same log.

There is a possibility that Drank Woolley will visit Australia to report the English cricket tour. Material for a very formidable side will be looking on at the first Test, writes a correspondent, .1. Hobbs, F. Woolley, H. Carter, C. G. Macartney, C. Kolloway, .1. M. Taylor, W. Bardsley, T. An-

drews, and .). E. Ryder arc still active cricketers, while others like W. Armstrong and M. A. Noble occasionally play in social cricket games, and Vernon Hansford could help at a pinch. Arthur Mailey considers that the selectors of the if.O.G, team will have reason to regret their omission of 'Woollev. He savs Woollev is C. ’V.

Grimmett’s master, proving it on near lv every occasion in England in .10.'11

The' circular issued by ;hc International Rugby Board regarding the deterioration of British forward play, has caused widespread interest in ,South Africa, where it is thought that last year’s tour of tho Springboks greatly inlluenced the circular. Bennie Osier, the Springbok captain, says that he personally saw no reason why the forwards should not specialise in the same way as tho back division did. “My experience,’’ lie said, “is that fixed formations in the scrum have boon part and parcel of the game for the last decade. It is a

strange thing that only now. have the authorities considered this aspect, of the game as being responsible for its alleged, deterioration. My belief is that specialisation is absolutely necessary fur the improvement of the scientific side of Eugby football. ” Osier denied that Rugby was becoming decadent.

Details of the Olympic road race, in which Italy gained an overwhelming victory, have been meagre, but fuller information is contained in the English paper ‘‘Cycling.” Pavesi, who won, covered the .100 kilometres in the extraordinary time of 2hr i’Smin of’

sec, and averaged just over 25 miles an hour; his team mate, Sega to, took 2hr 20min 21 2-ssec, while Britz, the Swede/ finished third in 2hr 20mln 10 I-usec. .All of these men, the two Italians and the Swede, are stated to bo absolutely unknown internationally, and yet all of them proved capable of an average of 25 miles per hour for an unpaced (52 miles time trial. The time is, in fact more in accordance with that of a fast trade race than an unpaced road time trial. The first man of established reputation to finish was Olmo, the third Italian, who was fourth. Olmo was second in the world's amateur road championship last year.

Maurice Tate may have been laid aside with a nervous breakdown, but he’ll rise above it (says the Sydney Referee). We can hardly imagine merry Maurice suffering in this way. In “Reynold’s” the other day Tate told a typical story of Jack White, England’s highly popular amateur left-hand bowler: “Was there ever a bowler so accurate as the Somerset' shire farmer? (asks Tate). 1 believe he could drop a ball within an inch of any given spot. This remarkable accuracy of popular Jack White reminds me of an incident during the last Australian tour which at once reveals two points in his i-liaracter —his boyish outlook and ’ his modesty. “Taking a walk one day to look at a farm, ho noticed, when some distance away, that somebody had left two empty bottles pen-bed on each side of a gate. They were obviously waiting to be aimed at, so .1. C. Wh'ite, when some distance away, took up a stone. Straight it went to one of the bottles, shattering it to pieces. ‘Oh,’ splendid throw,’ came in a chorus from those who were with him. ‘I don’t know that it was quite so good as it might

haA’e been,’ said the Somerset man, ‘you see I aimed at- the other one.’ ”

Although Hlay is one of, Australia 7 s lies* fighting men and lias beaten champions, lit* lias not so far held a title of any sort. But he will hold a number before lie is done with’ the game. Harry Leo, the Surrey cricketer, talking to a London “Star” representative, recently, said: “I can explain. how Leyland lost his batting form, Avhich he has now regained so splendidly. He had boon playing a lot of golf during the past two winters, and Avas making golf shots intralian grounds. Voce will be a big success if he boAvls o\ T er the Avicket, Larwood is easily our best fast bowler; the paciest in the world today by tAVo or three yards. Ho has a lovely run up to the wicket, and is scrupulously fair. It is a pity ho is not as tall as Voce. He has always been handicapped by his lack of inches, F. R. Brown will probably bowl bet ter in Australia than here, as other spinners of his type have done before.” Leyland is not the only cricketer who has found golf put him off batting. Was this not the cxpeiience of Dr. R. H. Bettingtou last season? He did not bat with anything like the zip in his drives for Paddington last season lie lias shown for instance, when lie hit up that double-century against North Sydney.

"Mr \V. M. Kelly, the Now Zoalandboni international of both countries, who coached the .Now Zealand teams to moot the recent Englishmen, has pointed out to the Australian authorities that in the third test Now Zealand rose to tiie occasion in one grand performance which Justified his coaching efforts and demonstrated that the Dominion has quality footballers. If he had had a little more time with the side it was possible that the English tourists would not have left Noaa' Zes land with an unbeaten record. During the trip, for the first time in his career in the game, he had travelled as official manager of a side. He was convinced, however, that in future New Zealand would have to prepare earlier for overseas teams. * * * * ft is on record that when Ketchell Avas told he was too small to fight heavies he increased both his height and size by wearing high-heeled boots and padding his clothes. This ruse ist said to have enabled him to get a shot: at .lack Johnson. * » » * The directors of the Wigan Rugby League Club have offered to J. Sullivan, the captain of the club and loader of the English team which recently toured Australia and New Zealand, terms, on which his appointment as player-manager could be made. Sullivan lias been with Wigan eleven seasons.