GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23545, 4 January 1940, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS

ATHLETE'S EAST >ITT,E * TENNIS CHAiyiPiONSHrPS. ' * BIG YACHTING PROGRAMME: ' 4 Auckland is expected to be well repre- " sented. at the New Zealand lawn tenr-.is /* championships which are to be held in 1 Wellington from February, 10 to Febru- 1 ary 17. The Now Zealand junior chain- ' pionships will also -be decided, in Well- .i ington between January 17 and 20. The ..3 Auckland championships wiirbo held as . Stanley Street' from January 18 to 30.'

An outstanding; performance was registered by the British Empire Games three miles and sic miles champion, C. H. Matthews, at a recent meeting of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association, when he-ran a mile in the fast time of 4m 21 1-5;:. His lap time's were as follows:—6os, 'sss, 69s and 67 l-ss. This is one of tha fastest times for a mile event that has been run in Christchurch for a number of years.

The chairman of the North Shore Rugby Football Club's management -1 committee,' Mr. A. G. Alexander, who '• is leaving Devonport to take, up farming in the Morrinsville . district, was 'X farewelled by members and supporters of the club at a recent gathering, in presenting Mr. Alexander with a mottled oak bookshelf and cocktail cabinet, Mr. J. J. Herrick remarked i"i on the loss tha club would suffer 'M through Mr. Alexander's departure, but the speaker felt sure that he-would : be a decided acquisition to Rugby in jrJ Morrinsville. ' " > %

Ron Richards,. Australian ' heavy-weight boxing champion, stated recently that he v,l would retire in 12 months. "I am -only 2U a and could stay in, the game another five 1 1 years, perhaps more," he said. "But I have s got almost all I want out of tho game, and v cannot see any sense in staying in to be ' f knocked about. I. have taken care of myself, never been knocked about, and would like j, to go out at my top." "if,

D'Arcy Heeney, of Gisborne, who won the New Zealand welter-weight boxing championship for tho third successive time -last year, was considered in some quarters to have been rather lucky in beating \V. Little, the Auckland welter-weight champion. However, as if to confirm the decision of the judges at the national tournament, Heeney again beat Little at a Gisborne carnival. It was a splendid effort by Heeney, Little for the most part being outclassed.

The Australian and South ■ Australian wicketkeeper, C. Walker, who has had. moro than his share of ill luck with a broken finger in recent years, is playing again in Adelaide. So far, the finger has not'again, troubled Walker. It was originally broken in England, and went tho second time during the shield match against Queensland at Brisbane last( season. He entered hospital in Sydney for an operation, during which a portion of tho bone was removed. V ,'

Gordon Dennis, a 20-year-old bowler from Fitzroy, caused tho sensation of the cricket season v in Australia wlrSn, in taking eight wickets for 4 runs, he "was chiefly responsible for the dismissal of Hawthorn-East (Melbourne) by the Colts for tho low score of 16. It was the outstanding bowling performance of the season and one which has not been equalled in senior cricket for many years.' 3ft fact, some old-timers, discussing the feat, said they could not recall a'performance'anywhere near-it. . ' *

For tho purpose of undertaking coaching of North Taranaki cricketers, under atrangcnicnt with the management committee of the Northern Division of the Taranaki - Cricket Association. J. R. Sheffield, the .Wellington Association s coach and Essex County' wicketkeeper, arrived in New Plymouth recently. He accompanied the North Taranaki team which played the South-Taranaki on Monday and yesterday, and commences coaching for a<'-short holiday period to-day. "IHe . will play for New Plymouth Boys' High School in a competition < match next Saturday, ■'

;A- big programme ' of events• has ; ljuen arranged for the Centennial Regatta week to be held-at Wollinpton .from January 15 lo .January. 10. The. contests .which .'will be decided are:—Sanders Cup. January,ls ,t<J 18; Cornwell Cup, January 15 to IS; New Zea land Idle Alonfr-class. January; 15 to lg{ New Zealand "ihoilotyho." race,:. January .lU; f -New Zealand Roua-Jellicoc class championship, January 10; and the Centennial Idle Alone championship, January 10. Tho ocean yacht race from Lyttelton (o Wellington . will also be held at. this time, finishins about/January i l or 15.

Tho Wellington Lawn Tenuis Association lias issued a challenge for the Anthony Wilding Memorial Shield, and tho Canterbury Association has accepted the proposed dates, Janij-, ary 26 and 27. Tho Wellington Association has a big group of players in training for tho contest, and it is expected tliatithe Canterbury: team will have no easy task in defending" tho, trophy which it has held, with a break of only one year, since 1935. It is'possible that Canterbury will endeavour to arrange for .Wellington to send, a Nunneley casket..team to-Christ* church also, but it appqarj at present that tho northern intention- of challenging for the women's trophy. - :-

The possibility of matches between Joe Davis and Henry Cotton for the Red Cross Fund is provided by the suggestion of the world snooker champion that he should meet the former open golf champion at their own particular sports, states an English wrlterJ Davis offers to concede Cotton - six blackS: a frame if the latter gives him a'-'stroke a hole Cotton, who is booked up for Red Cross golf matches for some time, expressed' keen interest in the 6nooker champion's sug-" gestion. "I am afraid 'no handicap-will, be high enough at snooker," he said, "but I shall play Joe with pleasure- at both games.-Per-haps ho will give rue a few' lessons-before-hand!" " : - - - - ■

An outstanding performance -was givpn by? ,A. E. Wilkinson, when playing for Auck-= land B against Waikato in the provincial' cricket tournament at Seddon Park, Hamil-,; ton, last week. His scoro of 112 wa,s the best effort of the week's play, and he impressed as a bowler. During tho tourna-j merit ho retired with 50 to his crodit againstPoverty Bay and made 61 hot out against. City and Suburban. He compiled 243 runs' during the three days. Originally Wilkinson played, for Mount Albert, and was later a member of tho Eden senior A team; He is representing Y.M.C.A. this season. Besidesbeing an efficient bat, Wilkinson has had : considerable success as a left-arm bowler. ?

Training untiringly, G. L l . : Austin,- the? Otago marathon champion, has only one aim'i in view,, and that ,is to win . tho New Zea-. land marathon' title in March. He had .in-i tontions of making an . attempt oathe New* Zealand 20 miles record next month, butho has definitely abandoned the idea, and> instead- is concentrating "on'the' big event' at Wellington. Neither will he J attempt j to; lower the national 10 miles'recoird. In> spite; of tho holidays he has not departed' from.) his training schedule, and many holidayr' makers have been greatly interested in his; training runs on the Dunedln-Portobello: highway. C. Gr. Gibbons, the'• New Zealand.' 1 title-holder, and R. A. Wilson, the other Otago representative in the national event,* are also training;, steadily." «R." G." Colston .is ! not available for' the trip north. 4 *" ;■

Clarrie Grimmett's amazing -deeds. in Australian cricket are demonstrated by the fact ' that he has, in Sheffield Shield cricket alone, ■; taken 472 wickets at an average of. 25.3 - runs apiece. Add to this his bag in Tests | .and other first-class matches and we -have-i a truly remarkable record of achievement.'' Fleetwood-Smith, with.232 .wickets, and Iron-', monger with 2X5, follow, the little South,: Australian, and the . merit ,of Grimmett's* performance is enhanced when ,it is realised'" that ho' has taken more wickets thati the, combined total of the two Victorians. It is , by no means impossible for Grimmett to-< reach 500 this season, and establish a re- 1 cord that may nevcf be broken. The only,other bowler to take 200 wickets is Ernie, 1 -; Jones. Jack Saunders took 19(5 and George* Giffen -102,- while 21. others hare -taken more'i than• 100. *■- ' - •

• Alfred Perry, Lcatherhead, and Archie.? Compston, Coombe Hill, formed a witining partnership apairist Henry. Cotton. Ashridge/, and Georgo Oke, Fulwell, whom they beatfour and three 4n an IS-holes golf' match in aid of the Red Cross Fund at Fulwell, i Hampton, last month. Pesry, a former open 1 :' champion, was in brilliant form with his £ iron clubs. He had two 2's toward the close of the round and finished with an individual-: score of six under -l's. Oke began well by.;-| taking the first hole with a three, but Perry..j A and his partner gavo 'a slightly superior dis- ji play in approach work. Perry and Compston vturned, one up, and with 4, 4, 4, 2. 4. 2 for,.* tho next six holes won three of them and • tho match on the 15th green. Afterward the;* four balls used by the players were auctioned,-,, and realised a total of £lO. Tho total pro- ,V ceeds reached £lO5. ■ . . " -

In spite of the war in; Europe, Italy « > carrying on with international tennis matches, having arranged "contests with Hotland at The Hague.-Norway, at Oslo, Swden at Stockholm. Naturally, Georges-de);, - Stefani. whose ambidextrous ;"tepiS T -ha3: ; i puzzled opponents for years, is in the Italian > side. The other two members of the- team, - V. Canapele and G. Romanom, -are not Bp ;; well known, but Canapele, like Stefani, - played at Wimbledon last year. Although.-* Stefani has been in big.lawn tennis for over-;: 10 years ho is only' 35 and playing , msg. peculiar brand of tennis as smoothly;as r He puzzles most of his opponents by manner in which ho is able to use his left and right hands with/: eaual facility, being able to change ball and racanet in _the> twinkling of an eye to'.meet ..a -return dnvea to either side of him. , v