TOPICS AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD OF SPORT

Northern Advocate, 22 April 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

TOPICS AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD OF SPORT

DARTS CHAMPION AGED 81 "Granny” Clara Charman, aged 81, white-haired, but hale and hearty, is a local darts champion at Kenley, Surrey. “Gran.” says that if you want to live long you should drink half a pint of beer a day, and if you you want to keep your husband, play darts with him. “I’ve had proposals myself since I started to play, but I prefer to remain my own master,” she declared. As a regular player with the local ladies’ club she has helped them to win 10 of their 11 matches. • «* • " * HEAVYWEIGHTS’ POOR SHOWING As an example of heavyweight fighting the contest at Harringay between Len Harvey and Larry Gains was utterly pathetic (writes Trevor Wignall in the “Sunday Referee.”). Not once in the whole of the thirteen rounds did I see evidence of skill, tactics, or speed. What we did witness was the painful spectacle of two weary men feebly pawing at each other. I agreed with the spectator near me who stopped yawning long enough to remark that he was reminded of two elderly castaways clinging to each other on an abandoned raft. The heavyweights are back again in their accustomed doldrums, and those who continue to marvel that anyone in his senses can be induced to pay out good money to watch them in action njerely supply an argument it is most difficult to answer. * * « ♦ GET-RICH-QUICK BUDGE TO RETIRE At 22, Donald Budge talks of retiring in three years. By then he estimates he will have made £50,000 out of his tennis, on the basis that he has cleared more than £ 15,000 since he became a pro. six months ago.

OLDEST HOCKEY CLUB The Wimbledon Ladies’ Hockey Club, founded 50 years ago. and the women’s oldest club in the world, celebrated its jubilee with a dinner on February 27. t- * * * SULLIVAN IN FORM Jack Sullivan, much-discussed All Black representative, failed to reproduce his true form when playing for Taranaki against Wellington last season, but made amends when he was one of the stars of the Poneke v. Tukapa match, plyaed at Athletic Park. In a match characterised by sloid play, Sullivan and Wetere, a Maori representative on the tour of Fiji, overshadowed the ether 28players. Sullivan's only failing was an inclination to pass the ball too low. His tackling, anticipation and penetrating runs | helped Tukapa to defeat Poneke by 20 to 5. ( i

NEW ZEALAND CRICKETING RECORDS

“Wally” Hammond’s not-out score of 336 for Jardine’s Englishmen against New Zealand at Eden Park, in April, 1933, is one of the greatest batting performances ever seen in the Dominion, and following as it did his 227 in the first test at Christchurch the previous week, stamped the present M.C.C. captain as one of the most perfect scoring machines ever seen in the Dominion. The record score by a visiting cricketer still stands to the credit of J. N. Crawford, whose 354 for Arthur Sims’s Australian team against South Canterbury at Temuka on March 3, 1914, is specially noteworthy because it was made in one afternoon, and the side’s tally, 922, is never likely to be approached in the Dominion. This was not a first-class match, and you will look in vain for the records in “Wisden’s.” Victor Trumper was a member of that team, and his 293, in the match with Canterbury, was the highest in a first-class match until Hammond dethroned the mighty Australian, though Trumper's display still remains the most dazzling performance in our cricket annals. Roger Blunt holds the Plunket Shield record, with an unbeaten 338 in the match with Canterbury in December, 1931. With Badcock (who scored 105) in his liveliest mood at the other end, Blunt soon had the measure of Merritt and co., and batted with the supremest confidence. It was his swan-song as far as New Zealand cricket was concerned. The following season he left to take an appointment with Sir Julien Calm. * * * * SCHMELING AND WIFE MAY LIVE IN U.S.A. i Max Schmeling and his film star [wife, Anny Ondra, are believed to be

planning to take up permanent residence in the United States. The former heavyweight champion admitted in New York that he intended to return to Germany in a few weeks and to bring his wife back to the United States with him. He said she might go to Hollywood and try to get a job there. Schmeling was emphatic in denying stories about Dr. Goebbels barring his wife from Reich films. It it believed to be fairly certain that if Schmeling is successful in bringing his wife to the United States the two would never return to Germany.

78,000 AT RUGBY UNION TEST In the final international match of

the English Rugby Union season be-

tween England and Scotland at Murrayfield, Scotland, on March 18, all world records for Tost match attendances in Rugby Union went by the board. A new record of 78,000 was made. All through the season in Britain the attendances were good as the following taole shows: January 21: England 3 v. Wales 0, at Twickenham. 70,000.

February 5: Wales 11 v. Scotland 3, at Cardiff Arms Park, 55,000.

February 11: Ireland 5 v. England 0, at Twickenham, 60,000. February 26: Ireland 12 v. Scotland 3. at Dublin, 40,000.

March 11: Wales 7 v. Ireland 0, at Belfast, 24.000. March 18: England 9 v. Scotland 5, at Murrayfield. 78,000. The total attendances were 327,000 for six matches. * * * * ENGLISH CRICKETERS TO VISIT EGYPT These players will form the cricket team which H, M. Martineau is taking to play in Egypt this month: R. E. S. Wyatt (Warwick), T. N. Pearce and A. G. Powell (Essex), A. W. ChildsClarke and G. C. Newman (Middlesex), R. de W. K. Winlaw (Surrey), D. F. Walker (Norfolk), A. P. Singleton (Worcester). Taylor, Stevens and Crouch. * » * • NEW ZEALAND WON’T SEE MEGAN TAYLOR Miss Megan Taylor, who won the world skating title at Prague, has arrived in America on the first part of a world tour which will embrace Canada. South Africa and Australia. The entire absence of ice-skating rinks in New Zealand will prevent New Zea-

landers from seeing the successor to Sonja Henie in action, but the popularity of this modern sport in Australia should see Miss Taylor’s tour a success. Miss Taylor, by the way, is amateur champion, and it is not known who is sponsoring her world tour to the Antipodes. * * * * CRAMM RECEIVING ENCOURAGEMENT Everything points to Gottfried von Cramm making a successful comeback in world tennis if he can regain his best form. Despite his singles failures

in Egyptian tourneys he captained a doubles championship partnered by Pat Hughes of English Davis Cup fame. Later oversea news informs us that the King of Sweden has invited Cramm to partner him in a dubles tourney, a gesture that may mean much to Gramm’s future position in tennis - circles . ■ a

ALL ROUND SPORTSMAN PASSES Mr Mark Shea, of Melbourne, who once defeated the great professional sprinter. Jack Donaldson in a private trial, died .a few days ago in Melbourne. Mr Shea was a member of the Victorian eight-oar crew which won the Australian championship in 1912, and coached the Xavier crews when they won the Head of the River in 1928 and 1929. In his day he was also a prominent Association football player. * ♦ * * CANADA ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONS Canada won the world ice hockey championship at Basle recently when they defeated U.S.A. by ,4 goals to 0. Canada thus secured the title for the ninth time with the remarkable goal aggregate of 42-1. The match between Czechoslovakia and Switzerland at Zurich to decide the third and fourth places and also the European championship, ended 0-0, after three extra periods, and will be replayed. Next year’s championship will be held at St. Moritz during the Olympic Games.

HIKES 600 MILES TO SEE MATCH Jack Hall, a 25-year-old news vendor, of Milton Street, Darlington, England, set out at daybreak on a recent - || Friday to cover the 300 miles to Chelmsford by road in order to see t the Chelmsford City v. Darlington Cup-tie match.