GENERAL SPORTS NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 14

GENERAL SPORTS NEWS.

JUNIOR SWIMMING RECORD.

JAMES* FINE WICKET-KEEPING

CLEANING UP FRENCH RUGBY.

A record field of 177 runners started in the three miles Edmond Cup race at Dunedin last Saturday. J. Barnes again won tho individual honours and Caversham tho teams race. N ■

Leonard b. Crawley, new English amateur golf champion, is one of tho most versatile of athletes. He is a Cambridge triple Blue and four or five years ago played cricket, golf and rackets for the university.

P. F. E., Taneatua, writes Could you kindly advise mo of tho date, place of contest and result of the Phil Scott-P-imo Camera boxing contest ?—Scott and Carnera did not meet, although a match was oYice mooted.—Athletic Editor.

G. Blazey, who :nade a great impression when playing fullback for tho South Island Rugby League team in Auckland three years ago, lias retired from tho gamo and is now refereeing in Duncdin. Blazey suffered badly from kneo injuries.

L. Hutt, tho Ponsonby forward, Who joined up with the St. Helens Rugby League Club in England for two years, is expected to arrive in Auckland next week. Hutt has completed his contract and is likely to play for his old club during tho present season.

The East Christchurch Amateur Swimming Club will be strengthened next season by tho return to Christehurch of D. P. Lindsay, one of Now Zealand's representatives at tho last Olympic Games, and a former holder of several records. During the past two seasons Lindsay has been in Auckland.

George Walker, the Canadian wrestler, is at present in liotorua, where he will stay for a few days in an endeavour to allow his hip to recover from the injury sustained when Peter Limutkin dumped him on tho boards at Wellington. Tho hip was again injured in his match with Lurich at Hastings on Monday last.

The appointment of Messrs. E. McKenzie and A. McDonald as New Zealand Rugby selectors should give general satisfaction throughout the Dominion. Both are sound judges of the game and of a player. Mr. McKenzie lias been a New Zealand selector for several seasons, while Mr. McDonald has acted for the past two years.

A feature of the performances of the Marist team in tho Auckland Rugby Union's senior championship is that so far this season it has bad the fewest number of points registered against it, namely, 31. Ponsonby, University and Grammar, the three teams ahead of Marist on the list, have had scored against them 40. 49 and 41 points respectively.

The heavv hand of the French Rugby Federation has fallen on the Lezignan Club, which has been ignominiously expelled from the federation. Two of the players are suspended for a year. This is the first act of the federation in a " spring-cleaning " programme which, it is hoped, will sweep away brutal play and professionalism from the game.

The Marylebone Cricket Club has decided to alter the qualification law. In future a cricketer is qualified to play for a county in which he has for the previous 12 months. Formerly the period was two years. This alteration seems to be deliberately putting temptation in the way of managers and county committees, remarks an English papor.

Leo. Lermond, the American athlete who toured Now Zealand two seasons ago, won a two-mile race at the American National Indoor championships at Madison Square Gardens, New York. His time was 9m 11 4-ss, which is only 3 3-5s off the world's record. Tho New Zealand outdoor record is 9m 31s, held by R. A. Rose*

Jack Johnson, former heavy-weight boxing champion of the world, expresses the opinion that the trouble with presentday fighters is that they will not work. He says Jack Dempsey was the last of tho real fighters and always gave the crowd its money's worth. Jim Jeffries, another erstwhile holder of the title, considers money is killing the sport at tho present time.

All conditions having been complied with the Auckland Swimming Centre has forwarded the time of 27 2-ss. for 50yds. by the junnior boy champion, N. Crump, to the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association for recognition as & record. Crump has established three new records this season and much of his success is said to be due to Mr. M. E. Champion, who has supervised his training.

The most impressive feature of the New Zealand side in the field against Essex was unquestionably tho wicket-keeping of K. C. James, says an English writer. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand each in turn sonds us a wicket-keeper of quite exceptional ability, and it is possible that James is the best of them all. He is amazingly quick, very Siire, and at the same time keeps without a semblance of fuss or of bother to tho batsman.

Tho South African Golf Union recently asked the following question of the Ruins of Golf Committee, St. Andrews: "Is it legal to stand at the hole and raise, and continue to hold, the flag-stick in the air at a blind hole so that the player may see the flag when making his approach shot?" " When playing from n part of the course from which the hole cannot bo seen a player is entitled to have the flag held up at the hole while he plays his stroke, was tho ruling of the High Court of Golf.

Touching on Dempster'R opening innings for 212 against Essex, a London writer said: " Even in. his most careful mood he found an opportunity to show himself a master of marjy strokes. A rasping square cut, &-■ drive of classical correctness in tho Cover-point direction, a hook which swept tho short ball to square leg oven when it rose to tho height of the chin, a late push-shot through tho slips, and a deflecting stroke to fine leg, all entered to hold tne interest between tho periods when bo was thinking only of defence."

WET CRICKET WEATHER.

TOURING SIDE'S EXPERIENCE. The New Zealand cricket team is experiencing exasperating weather conditions in England, and it has been robbed of several victories, apart from the monetary loss to the New Zealand Cricket Council. The month of April was the wettest experienced in England since 1878. The average rainfall for that particular month at Kew is 37 millimetres, but this year that was more than doubled. The figures for May are not to hand yet. The Derbyshire match was the twelfth of the tour and the players have taken part in the games as followsLowry, Page, Weir, Blunt, James, 11; Denipr star, Mills, Kerr, Talbot, Merritt. 10; Cromb, Vivian, 8; Allcott, 6; Matheson, 5. '■ Great interest is being manifested in the selection of the test team to represent England againßt New Zealand, and it is certain the touring side will be up against a solid eleven. The announcement of the personnel of the New Zealand test team is being as eagerly , awaited as thafcof the English side.