GENERAL SPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 2

GENERAL SPORTS

SERVICES TO TENNIS RUGBY FORWARD WOUNDED VETERAN'S CRICKET RECORD Advice has been received in Auckland that E. G. McLeod. tbo well-known cricket and hockey representative, is likely to ho transferred' from Wellington to Auckland in the near future. It is anticipated that, if this happens, McLeod will play for the Parnoll Club.

Victory, a new fourteen-foot type yacht recently completed by Mr. F. Dohbic, of Lyttelton, to compete at this year's Sanders Cup trials, was launched on Saturday afternoon. A number of yachting enthusiasts and supporters were present at the christening ceremony, which was performed by Colleen Wheat ley, the grand-daughter of tho builder.

Youth is to have its fling in Wellington cricket (his year, states the. Sports Post. There will ho plenty of experienced players about, but many of those who are ill tho prime of their careers are absent on more important business. To fill the gaps the pensioners" may be drawn on to some extent, but the boy's will find promotion coming as an earlier reward than usual for keenness and latent ability.

Mr. J. K. 6. Hall, a vice-president and chairman of the inter-club committee of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association, who has now resigned, was presented by Mr. J. A. Fernandez, chairman of the inter-club committee, on behalf of the executive, inter-club committee, and past members of the inter-club committee, with a pencil, fountain pen and wallet, in recognition of his services extending over many years.

The D.C.L. Cup, which is awarded to the local rowing club gaining most points in regattas held in Canterbury, has been competed for since 101)3. Last season, it was won by Avon with 129 points. Union was second with 57, Canterbury third with 41, and Akaroa fourth with <5. Competition for the cup between Union and Avon has been exceptionally keen, and at the present time Union is leading Avon hy one win, the total wins to date, being Union 15 and Avon 11. Canterbury is next with only three wins, and Akaroa has two.

Miss Enid Wilson, well known in golfing circles as former holder of tho British open and English championships, now an officer in the W.A.A.F., was recently injured in an air raid and, although she is making good progress, it is feared the sight of her left e.\c will be permanently affected. After being one of the few infant prodigies in golf (she won the junior championship at. 1-1), Miss Wilson steadily improved her game until she became open champion in 1931, a feat which slie repeated in 1932 and again m 193.5, her lucky courses being Portmarnock, baunton and Gleneaglcfi.

The record of rescue and salvage was well maintained by tho Milford Surf Life-Saving Club, according to its annual report. Patrols were carried out very well and the beach was well guarded against accident. A healthy financial position was disclosed in the balancesheet, Although the absence of senior men on military service seriously weakened the active personnel a satisfactory enrolment of younger members amply compensated for the loss. Mr. L. Hint on, the club's secretary, was elected a life member at the annual meeting in recognition of his services during tho past 12 years.

Theodore Michel Mavrogordato, one-time noted British lawn tennis player, who represented Britain at Stockholm in the Olympic Games in 1912 and who won the world's covered court doubles championship in 1920 in London, died in his sleep recently, after returning from duty with the Home Guard. His age was 58. In recent years he had been active as a lawn tennis official and in 1930 was elected vice-president of the Lawn Tennis Association. His principal successes were just before and after the last war. He was chosen as a member of the British Davis Cup team in 1910, 1911, 1919 and 1920. He won the all-England combined doubles at Manchester and the combined doubles at Wimbledon in 1911.

Badly wounded in Libya by a bullet which grazed iiis lung, R. L. F. Kelly, the big New South Wales forward and international, who toured New Zealand in 1930, has recovered, but is a prisoner of war. His comrades despaired of his life being saved. Kc-lly, a member of an anti-tank regiment, was t;jj<cn prisoner in an engagement at (Solium, where he was in a party ordered to hold a position to cover other troops. The party was surrounded and suffered many casualties. Kelly lost much blond and pleurisy supervened. In a letter received by his relatives, after four months' waiting, Kelly said that food in hospital at Naples was scarce, but he managed to get a number of delicacies.

A year of steady progress was revealed in the report and balance-sheet presented at the sixth annual meeting of the Jubilee Rowing Club. Although only a few functions of a public nature were hold last summer, the members trained steadily, and the benefit of this was plainly seen toward the close of tho season, when competent judges of oarsmanship commented upon tho improved stand ard. The president, Mr. D. McPhee, congratulated the members upon their performances, and referred to the splendid influence these had upon all members of the Blind Institute. The plant, which included two new clinker fours and two new clinker pairs, was in excellent condition, and reflected much credit upon the members for their care and attention.

No other of to-day's senior cricketers in Canterbury was born when R. .T. Read, the New Zealand. Canterbury and Lancaster Park bowler, first played senior cricket. Looking 20 years younger than his actual age, Read is among the keenest of players who have attended his club's practices this season. Read first entered senior ranks in 1902 at the ago of 17 years. That means he has begun his 40th season in senior cricket. Such a performance is without parallel in the history of New Zealand cricket, and it is a record that is probably unbeaten in any part of the world. Over 2000 wickets have been captured by Head since 11102 and his bag includes 186 in first-class matches. Only 11 players have taken 100 wickets in first-class cricket in New Zealand, and only one, W. S. Brice (Wellington), with 187, has taken more wickets than Read. Other players who figure in that honours list are D. ,T. Mcßeath (113), F. T. Badcock (157), 11. M. McGirr (1(53), S. G. Smith (110), C. F. Allcott (131). A. W. Alloo (115), G. R Dickinson 1107) and R. C. Torrance (107).

After a tournament at Cherry Hills, Denver. few weeks ago marked by dazzling golf, freak incidents, and major upsets Vic Ghezzi. of New Jersey, carried off the 1 100-dollar prize attached to the United States Professional Golfers' Association's championship. In a thrilling final lie beat Byron Nelson, defending champion, at the 3*th hole. The two rivals could not have" packed more drama and colour into the last four holes of the overtime struggle had they been doing it for the movie cameras. The lead had changed four times before Ghezzi finally rubbed out Nelson's three-hole lead on the incoming nine. The end of a long day of dramatic battling between the two 29-year-old golfers was written with wavering putters on the green of the 400-yard second extra hole, perched on the lake's edge at rolling Cherry Hills. Both players, tiring visibly missed the green with their .iron seconds, but both chipped valiantly to within 30 inches of the flag. They were so close that they flipped a coin to decide which would putt first. Nelson won and tapped the ball. It slid past the cup by a hair. Ghezzi then tapped blade against ball, and for a second it looked as though he too had missed, but the ball slithered in the "side | door" for the all-important par 4.