TOPICS AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD OF SPORT

Northern Advocate, 18 March 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

TOPICS AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD OF SPORT

OVAL CRICKET TEST WAS RIDICULOUS

Speaking at a luncheon at Leeds, "William Bowes, the England and Yorkshire cricketer, not only criticised the captaincy of Walter Hammond during the Test matches against Australia of last year, but condemned the over-pre-paration of wickets. Alluding to the Oval Test and describing the whole business as ridiculous, he said: “For any player batting against a bowler of O'Reilly’s class to get 364 as Hutton did (good luck to him) was terrible from a cricket point of view. Groundsmen who are the lowest paid men in the game, should never be allowed to control the destinies of cricket in the way they are doing.” Alluding to the Leeds Test, Bowes considered that after O’Reilly had gone through the England side in the second innings on a wearing wicket, Hammond relied too much on the fast swing bowling of himself (Bowes) and Fames, instead of pinning, his faith to the spin bowling of Hedley Verity.

England would probably not have won ;

but they had a definite chance —such a chance as a Yorkshire side would jump at every time. In making that criticism Bowes recalled the fact that the wicket at Leeds was not the pitch originally prepared for the Test; it had to be changed owing to the first one being damaged by abnormally wet weather. Though making a friendly tilt at Hammond in the manner described, Bowes in the course of his speech said he bad often admired his captaincy. * * * *

£IOO-A-SIDE CHALLENGE ISSUED BY VON NIDA

N. von Nida will challenge Bobby Locke. South African champion professional golfer, to a £IOO-a-side match in England this year. He and Eric Cremin will compete in the British Open Championship in July. So will Locke. If Locke accepts the challenge, the contest will take place about that time. Von Nida has defeated Locke one up in a £SO-a-£ide challenge match. It was on the New South Wales Club’s course during the South African’s tour of Australia last year. * * * • A GAME FOR HE-MEN Ice hockey is a game for he-men. A superbly trained athlete cannot last much longer than five minutes without a rest when the pressure is on. Thus the team of six carries at least four substitutes and many changes are made to the lines during the hour of play. The game’s fast, stirring action and incidental fistic entanglements place a terrific physical and emotional stress upon players and spectators alike, and frequent changes are very necessary.

BRONZE TABLET FOR HUTTON The Mayor of Pudsey, the council, and the town band turned out and marched through the town to the cricket ground of the Pudsey St. Lawrence Cricket Club, where a bronze tablet was erected, to commemorate the record made by Len Hutton in the fifth Test match. The tablet is framed in oak. and the words on it are as follows:

“This tablet is placed here to record the brilliant feat of Leonard Hutton (who learned his cricket on this ground) by scoring 364 runs in an innings at The Oval Cricket Ground, in the fifth Test match, England v. Australia, 1938, thereby creating a world’s record in Test cricket.”

Mr E. F. Holdsworth, vice-president of the Yorkshire County Committee, unveiled the tablet, and paid tribute to Pudsey’s distinguished son. Herbert Sutcliffe said Hutton’s feat at The Oval had stamped him as one of the leading batsmen of the world. He would not say the best batsman. They must give pride of place to Don Bradman.. But this performance at the Oval, continued Mr Sutcliffe, scored in such brilliant fashion, was an example of patience and endurance and skill which he hoped would Stand for ever. Opposed to him was O’Reilly, the best bowler in the world, bowling for two and a half days against the impregnable defence of Leonard Hutton. He hoped, as he had said, that the record would stand for ever, but no doubt Don Bradman would have a crack at it. * • • 9 ROGERS’ ILL HEALTH Tennis fans in Ireland are sorry to learn that George Lyttelton Rogers, the Irish Davis Cup player, is fn rather 1

indifferent health and has had to give up the game for the time being. It is doubtful if he will be able to take part in this year’s Davis Cup matches. Rogers has a wonderful record at tennis. He is one of the few men to defeat Henri Cochet when the great French Musketeer was at his best. He has also beaten Vines, in the 1930 U.S.A. championship, and run Tilden to five sets. Jack Crawford, the classic Australian star, was one of his victims. With “Bunny” Austin he played with much success in doubles. * • » • ONE CHAMPION TO ANOTHER In a cable to Don Bradman, in which he says, “I wish you had succeeded in beating the six centuries

record,”. C. B. Fry is thus quoted: “I see some of my supporters argue that I had stronger bowling to play, but I don’t go anything on that, because it is easier to make a mistake against bad bowling than good. If one can really bat the better the bowling the better one plays, don’t you think?” Don’s six centuries were made against Australian bowling mainly in the Sheffield Shield. C. B. Fry’s were mainly in county cricket. Which was the better? ♦ * * * USED TO THE LIMELIGHT Henry Cotton’s music hall shows in England have been a huge success. His ability to dominate an audience by merely “talking” golf to people who may never have swung a club in their lives is an outstanding example of iron nerve and commanding personality. He hits soft balls from the stage high into the auditorium. And, as his act’s dramatic highlight, he demonstrates his swing in slow motion by using luminous club, ball, gloves, and shoes on the unlighted stage. * * * * PRO. TENNIS MATCHES ARE ON THE LEVEL Are the professional tennis matches between Ellsworth Vines and Donald Budge strictly on the level? This question has been put to a writer in the “Chicago Daily News” dozens of times since the two Californians started on tour. “I went directly to the men who were settling last year’s world championship, Vines and Fred Perry,” says the writer. Ellsworth and Fred caught on with commendable alacrity and quickly set him straight. No, they didn’t deliberately maintain a balance of power. Each player played his best at all

times, and for these reasons: 1 — A certain percentage of each gate was set aside to the winner of the series. 2 They knew Budge planned to turn professional and that the winner of their series would get first crack at him. 3 Each one of them wanted to be known as the world’s champion professional player. In other words, the top man was sure of more money and a greater reputation as a tennis player. But the chief reason Ellsworth and Fred kept their play on the level was the natural honesty of the men themselves. What held good for. Perry and Vines holds good for Vines and Budge. Budge probably wouldn’t know how to throw a match if he wanted to, says the scribe. w « « • IN THE DARK Lelang Dykes and Robert Calhour, students, amazed the audience at the Steriing-Chilocco basketball game by playing table tennis in the dark. The ball was painted with luminous paint. • * • * “BUNNY" AUSTIN RETURNS Britain’s chances of doing well in the Davis Cup matches are enhanced by the decision of “Bunny” Austin to return to Davis Cup play. Great Britain received a bye in the first round, but will play New Zealand in England. in the second round. There will be only four first-round matches in the zone, these being: Jugoslavia v. Ireland, Rumania v. Hungary, Poland v. The Netherlands, and Germany v. Switzerland. All other countries have byes in the second round. The draw for the North American zone is: Aus-

tralia v. Mexico, Cuba v. Canada, Philippines and Japan a bye. Brazil, the only entry in the South American zone, will play the winner of the North American zone. Great Britain is not expected to win the European zone. The honour is expected to fall to Germany, with Australia to win the American zone and defeat Germany. With the departure of Donald Budge, John Bromwich and Adrian Quist are favoured to win the Cup.

TWO FROM THE UNITED STATES Mr H. S. Vanderbilt, successful defender of the America’s Cup against the last three British bids, will be a competitor in English waters this year with, a new 12-metre yacht. The United tSates will also have another boat racing in England. This will be America’s outstanding yawl, Baruna, which won last season’s race to Ber* muda, and which her owner, Mr Henry C. Taylor, intends to enter for the Fastnet race.