“LOOK AT THAT BIRD!”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12549, 11 September 1926, Page 17

“LOOK AT THAT BIRD!”

W. G. GRACE’S FAMOUS BLUFF. The following little story is one of many told of W. G. Grace’s tactics during a long partnership, by his opponents. A pair of batsmen had been at the wickets a very long time, and the scores had assumed proportions quite large enough to worry the “Old Man.” All his bowlers, regular and alleged, bad been tried, and still the pair kept on. Suddenly “W.G.” called out: “Oh, I say! Look at that bird up there!” The batsman looked up at the blazing sun to see the bird, but could not. “Can’t you see it up there?’ There he is!” Again the players looked up. “He must have gone. I am sorry you didn’t see it.” When one of the batsmen got bowled next over, because of the Mack spots in front of his eyes, he realised that he had fallen for the “Old Man’s” bluff. There is no doubt that “W.G.” had more than a passing knowledge of tactics. From Auckland comes the news that the New Zealand league team, which left some weeks ago for England, via Panama Canal, to engage the Northern Rugby League clubs in a series of games, has a champion wing threequairter in the party (says the Sydney “Telegraph”). He is a Maori boy named Gardiner, a really wonderful youngster, who* 6tands 6ft 3in high, weighs lost and runs straight and as fast as a deer. “I pick on him to finish the tour as the world’s best winger,” writes an enthusiastic Sydney sportsman now* in the Dominion.

The feature of the Queensland tennis championships ?.t Brisbane was the return to form of the Sydney player, R. O. Cummings. Cummings, during the last New South Wales championships, and for months previous, was not showing his best form, and in an early round in the State matches narrowly avoided being defeated by th« colt H. Hopman. However, in th« inter-State match between Queensland and New South Wales he won both his single ties, defeating E. F. Moon with ease, and again proved Moon’s superior in the final of the men’s singles of Queensland. Cummings won tKis title in 1924, and has got several excellent victories to his credit. He has defeated Pat O’Hara Wood and Gerald Patterson, and in the recent Queensland championships defeated the prominent Victorian, R. E. Schlesinger. Mr W. Beilis, secretary of the South Australian F.A., in his capacity as councillor of the Australian F.A., met the members of the Indian Army hockey team during its visit to Adelaide (reports the “Telegraph”). Mr Beilis discussed with their captain the possibilities of a visit to Australia by a Soccer team from the British Army now stationed in India, and the project was well received. The matter is to be taken up on the return of the hockey players to India, and. in all probability, Australia will receive a vist from them.

If such a visit evetuated, it would he immensely popular, for the army at Home is recognised as a good recruiting ground for the professional footballer.