THE SPORTING WORLD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 5

THE SPORTING WORLD

By “ERA"

VARIETY OF PARS FROM HERE AND THERE

No. 1 Athlete. For the second year in succession Donald Budge has been ranked as the United States No. 1 athlete. The tall Californian, who won the Australian. French, British and American titles in one year before becoming a professional. was named as the No. 1 athlete for 1938. Harry Armstrong, the boxer, was ranked No. 2 athlete, with 104 points to Budge’s 122. Sport v. Business. It’s long been a sad fact that men in professions often give up test cricket before they’re due to retire, chiefly because of the claims of business. One who retired early was Dr H. V. Hordern. one of the greatest googly bowlers of all time, who was an Australian star just before the war. When Hordern announced his retirement, “Tibby” Cotter, famous Australian fast bowler, tried to persuade him to reconsider the decision. “I’ve got my profession to consider,” Hordern explained. “That’s all very well,” said Cotter, “but I'm slinging my job to take this trip to England. If I can do it, you should. Hordern was impressed. “What sort of job are you in, Tibby?” he asked. Cotter smacked his hand on the desk. “I’m at the meatworks. It’s worth [thirty bob a week to me. But I’m giving it up for cricket. Now, what about you?” 1940 Rugby Next season will be a big Rugby year for New Zealand in a double sense, for, while the 1940 All Blacks are absent in South Africa, a British universities’ team will be touring the Dominion. Arrangements for the universities’ tour are being pushed ahead, and the New Zealand authorities have outlined certain plans. The personnel of the side, the length of the tour, and the ,centres to be visited have still to be approved. One difficulty met with lay in the fact that when the tour was first mooted it was three seasons ahead for the British universities. Consequently, many students interested in the idea at the outset may have left before the team sets out. Yet there is good reason to believe that the visit is being enthusiastically looked forward to. and several leading New Zealanders at Home, including Messrs C. J. Wray, J. E. Lovelock, J. D. Carmichael, and G. Hope, are cooperating in the working out of the plans. Nfcw Zealand Rugby followers should see bright football in 1940. for some

of the finest players of England, Scotland. Ireland, and Wales come from the universities. Cricket Awards. W. M. Wallace, of Auckland, has been awarded the Redpath Cup for batting performances, and the Winsor Cup for bowling performances, to J. Cowie, of Auckland.

The Redpath Cup is awarded annually for the best batting performances in Plunket Shield matches and in games against overseas teams, and the Winsor Cup, a new trophy, which is awarded on the same lines as the Redpath Cup. goes to the best bowler.

Wallace, who is recognised as the Dominion’s most brilliant batsman, actually finished 10th in the Plunket Shield averages. He played five completed innings for 216 runs at an averag' of 43.20. His highest score was 105. His fine display for 54 not out against Sir Julien Cahn’s side in the test game at Wellington evidently influenced the award.

Cowie was in sixth place in the Plunket Shield bowling averages, with 18 wickets at a cost each of 21.38. However, he also created a marked impression in the test at Wellington, when he broke through the defence of the early English batsmen and took three wickets for 46.

The previous holders of the Redpath Cup are as follows:—A. Anthony, 192021; J. S. Hiddleston, 1921-22; R. C. Blunt, 1922-23; J. S. Hiddleston, 192324: R. de R. Worker, 1924-25; C. F. W. Allcott, 1925-26; R. C. Blunt, 1926-27; C. S. Dempster, 1927-28; G. L. Weir, I 1928-29; C. S. Dempster, 1929-30; C. S. Dempster, 1930-31; A. W. Roberts, 1931-32; C. S. Dempster, 1932-33; H. G. Vivian, 1933-34; P. E. Whitelaw, 1934-35; J. L. Kerr, 1935-36; P. E. Whitelaw, 1936-37; K. F. Uttley, 193738.

Olympic Selection. Not many people will cavil with the opinion of the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association that this country’s Olympic team for 1940 should arrive in England at least three months before the Games open at Helsinki, says a Wellington writer. It is the only practical solution of the problem of the reproduction by New Zealand representatives of their best home form. A. L. Fitch, who was consulted on the subject by the association, has suggested that the New Zealand team leave about Ist April. Even this is not soon enough. The departure shsould be fixed for no later than very early March or even for some time in February. After all. the Games open at Helsinki in July. 1000 Runs to Local Player a. W. Donald, of the Victory Cluo. is probably the first junior cricketer to score 1000 runs for a season in Nelson. Included in his aggregate score of 1050 runs were some very fine efforts. His best performance was 120, this being in a junior representative game. Donald reached three figures in a club game when his score was 107 not out. He was successful in. passing the half-cen-tury on nine occasions and his average for the season was 55. In bowling Donald took 32 wickets at an average of 11 runs per wicket. In the interhouse cricket matches he played a number of games and was successful in making a century on one occasion. His

score in this match was 104 and his side were all out for 125, the extras totalling 10, 'eaving the rest of the tea. in’s score at 11.

Alan Donald was a product of the Wellington College, being coached by the English Professional, F. T. Badcock. He gained junior representative honours for two years in the Capital City

and played senior cricket for a season at the early age of 18. A transfer and business ties prevented this player from further activity and the season just concluded has been his first one for some years. A fine bat, a useful change bowler and an excellent field, Donald has proved a valuable acquisition to the Victory Club.

International Rugby

The international Rugby Union championship has now been concluded and England, Ireland and Wales are bracketed as joint winners of the competition on the basis of two points for a win and one for a draw. Each of these three teams obtained two wins and lost one game, while Scotland lost all three of its contests. It is not a common occurrence for teams in the championship to be bracketed, as on at least six occasions two teams have jointly held the honour, while three teams have been bracketed at least twice before. The results of the games this season were as follows21st January, at Twickenham.—England, 3; Wales, 0. 4th February, at Cardiff.—Wales, 11; Scotland, 3. 11th February, at Twickenham.—lreland, 5; England, 0. 25th February, at Belfast.—lreland, 12; Scotland, 3. 13th March, at Dublin.—Wales, 7; Ireland, 0. 18th March, at Murrayfield.—England 9; Scotland 6.

An Unfortunate Retirement. B. S. Sadler, former All Black halfback, who before the arrival of the 1937 Springboks was compelled to make a premature retirement from the game due to a severe ankle injury, had expectations that he would be able to turn out again next winter. However, though his recovery has been extraordinary, he found, when he tested his ankle a .week or two ago, that, untroubled though he is by it in walk \ it is a different story when he applies | pressure. Next year his leg may stand the strain of football, but Sadler, if he is wise, will forget all about Rugby from the point of view of an active player. Any recurrence of his ankle trouble and he may suffer for the rest of his days. Verity and Umpire in Appeal Drama. Drama crept into this creeping Test match when Verity appealed three times for a catch at the wicket against Grieveson. The ball had lodged in Ames’ pads. The umpire each time said “Not out!” At the third time of asking, Verity turned to the umpire, said: “I am appealing for a catch at the wicket.” Answer was the same as before: “Not out!” The umpire said afterwards that Grieveson had not struck the ball. So writes William Pollock, the “Daily Express” cricket reporter, in describing an incident near the end of Africa’s innings against England in the recent marathon Test. Law 22. which applies in this appeal, reads as follows:—The striker is out if the ball is “hugged to the body of the catcher,” even though he has not touched it with his hands. Should the ball lodge in the fieldsman’s clothing or in the top of the wicketkeeper’s pads, this will amount to its being “hugged to the body of the catch-

Athletic Records

The world’s best track and field performances in 1938, compiled by the “Amateur Athletic,” official publication of the National Amateur Athletic Union, reveal that, for the first time in many years. American athletes, in

spite of their achievements, do not dominate the list the way they did in the past. The “Amateur Athlete” shows that other nations hold leading positions in 11 of the 20 events in the compilation.

Events that formerly were almost exclusively the property of the United States, have passed across the seas—--100 metres. 800 metres, 1500 metres and two miles in track events, and the shot putt, hammer throw and discus throw in field events.

Sidney Wooderson. of England, is the only athlete to obtain top ranking in two events. His world record of 2m 48.4 sin the 800 metres run and his 3m 49s in the 1500 metres give him the lead in Ihese two events. Had the 800yds run been given separate attention, instead of being included in with the 800 metre performance, Wooderson would have been first there, since he covered the half-mile in lm 49.25, a world record. An Obsolete Rugby Rule Obsolete rules still clutter up the book and hamper the progress of the Rugby Union game. One of them reads:— A fair catch is obtained when a pHyer catches the ball direct from a kick, knock-on, or throw forward by one of the opvosing team, if at the same time the catcher makes a mark on the ground with his heel.

Little wonder that the national conference of New Zealand Referees had to admit a few days ago that, with strict interpretation of this rule, fewer and fewer players were having the temerity to claim a free catch.

One of the stipulated conditions is absurd. In nine cases out of ten, a player attempting to take a mark has to jump for the ball in the face of charging forwards—and it is quite a feat of skill to do so.

Yet for this, the best and pluckiest fair catch of all, the referee is prevented from awarding a free kick because the catcher failed to make a mark on the turf simultaneously with taking the ball. His feet were off the ground, any way.

It was within the province of the New Zealand Referees’ Association to draft an overdue amendment to this piece of absurdity. As they did not, here is one for Rugby administrators to think over (it mighf have to be varied slightly to prevent claims for a running catch).

A fair catch is a catch made direct from a kick, knock-on, or throw forward by one of the opposing team. The catcher must claim the same simultaneously with making the catch.

Why force a player to stop and dig his heels into the ground. The “mark” business is a relic of the bewhiskered days of hacking, mauls-in-goal, and twenty a-side. Delete it. and the rule would be easy to interpret and fair to everyone.