ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20310, 19 January 1928, Page 7

ATHLETICS.

UNIVERSITY RELAY RACES. SIXTH VICTORY FOR CAMBRIDGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, December 14. The eighth annual relay match between Oxford University and Cambridge University was decided on the Ililey road track at Oxford, when Cambridge were successful by four events to three, and so scored their fourth victory in succession and their sixth in the history of the competition, which was instituted in 1920. The margin between the two teams was really larger, for the Light Blues finished first in the half-mile relay, but wore disqualified for an infringement, at the end of the first stage, of the rules governing the exchanging of batons. Two inter-varsity records were beaten, Cambridge winning the 400 yards relay in 38 4-ssec, and Oxford the 880 yards low hurdles in Imin 44sec. The Light Blues’ other successes were in the two miles, one mile, and 480 yards high hurdles relays, Oxford’s victories being in the low hurdles, half-mile, and four miles events. The last-named race was won very easily, but none of the finishes was close. The Earl of Birkenhead ofliciated as referee, and the judges were Mr A. E. Porritt (Magdalen, Oxford, and New Zealand) and Mr D. G. A. Lowe (Pembroke, Cambridge). The results included:— ONE MILE. Cambridge (L. O. Newton, Blundells and Sidney Sussex; P. W. Tchitcherine; E. D. Blundell, Waitaki, N.A. and Trinity Hall, and J. W. J. Rinkel), 1. Oxford (H. Gonin. Stellenbosch, and Balliol; B. L. Cook, Middleburg University and Exeter; W. N. Harrison, Queensland and Queen’s, and R. Leigh Woods), 2. . „ _ Won by nine yards in 3mxn 24 3-ssec. 480 YARDS HIGH HURDLES. Cambridge (J. R. Mann, Geelong and Jesus; T. G. Livingstone Learmonth, Winchester and Pembroke; H. P. Bowler, Malvern and Pembroke; and G. C. '■/ ightman-Smith, Hilion, Natal, and Selwyn), 1. _ T r , Oxford (W. G. Kalaugher, New Zealand and Balliol; G. C. R. Clay, Lancing and New College; L. R. Percival, Eton and Trinity; and R. St. J. Harper, Charterhouse and Lincoln), 2. Won by 20yds in 53 4-s'sec. 880 YARDS.

Oxford. —N. R. Dobree, H. V. Warren, R. Leigh Wood (Winchester and Trinity), and C. F. Gates 1. . Cambridge.—F. W. Tchitcherme (Brighton and Corpus Christi), K. 8Rowlands, E. R. Smouha, and J.,W. J. Rinkel, 2. , The Light Blues were disqualified, after finishing first, for a wrong changeover at the end of the first stage. Time, Imin 29sec. „ Mr Leigh Wood is not a New Zealander, but his mother, Lady Wood, was formerly Miss Turnbull (M el lington), sister of the late Mr Robert Turnbull. The Oxford student has been prominent for some time in his University athletics, on the Continent as well as in the Mother Country.

SQUASH RACKETS. Oxford beat Cambridge in a squash rackets match at Queen’s Club, West Kensington, on Saturday, by five matches to none. The first serious inter-Univer-sity squash rackets match was played last year, Oxford winning by four matches to one, and it has now become an annual fixture. At Oxford there are four standard courts at Magdalen, two at Christ Church, and one at University College. Four of the five Oxford players are up at Magdalen. At Cambridge there are only three squash rackets courts, and these are built on the floor of the old racket courts in the manner of the squash courts at Prince’s Club, Knightsbndge. There is One difference only, which is that all the side walls at Cambridge are made of “““Cambridge the Gradidge ball isi in use and in those smaller afid faster courts very hard hitting with the faster ball is the most paying type of game to nlav. In the standard court, and with the Wisden ball, which is in use at Queen’s Club, and which will be used m the championship, hard bittmg. assuch, will never "worry the real cf squash rackets. , A P V. F. Cazalet, R. Sykes, K. A. Wage, and P. J. W. Milligan, of Oxford, and E. D. Andrews (New Zealand and X and A S. Fordham are entered fsavs The Times) was the best player i S Zealand Ha ias 'a*™? «“ chiefly in Mr H. N. Watson’s court at Palmerston North, one of the few courts in New Zealand. , In this match between Cazalet an Andrews Cazalet led 7 —o and 8 the first game. Andrews, playing really “u tew lave, at 8-H. bat CaaaM ,m him out and won the game. In the next two games Andrews showed quick and good footwork, but Cazalet beat aim decisively in the matter of length of the court (10—8, 9—4. •> On Saturday afternoon at the Queen s Club contests the Covered Courts Club won by six rubbers to three against Duh wich. In the doubles P. D. »panc and B. D. Helmore (C.C.CO D Andrews and S. M. Jacob (6-3.6—1 2). Later, Messrs Austin and Sharpe lost to Messrs Andrews and Jacob Afterwards the New Zealander and his partner were beaten by Messrs Austin and iharpe (7-5; 2-6, 6-2. Commenting on the play, tfi© lawn tennis correspondent of the Sunday Times remarks: “ Andrews, who is the New Zealand champion, impressed one favourably. He has a particularly powerful fore-hand drive invested with top and an adequate range of volleys.” It is reported that the committee of the All-England Club has invited Karl Kozeluh, the present holder of the French professional championship, to accept an engagement as coach at Wimbledon for a period of six weeks next summer. _ A Czecho-Slovakian by birth, Kozeluh ig a member of a well-known athletic family in Prague. All his brothers are adept at lawn tennis, and one of them, Jan Kozeluh, has been amateur champion of Czecho-Slovakia for several years representing his country in the Davis Cup and competing at Wimbledon. For the nast two years Karl Kozeluh has been stationed in the South of France at the Bristol Club Beaulieu, where in January next he will defend his title as French professional champion. During the summer months he has been engaged as a coach in Berlin, where, in a match last May. umpired by Mr W. T. Tilden, he defeated Najouch, the Polish professional attached to the Red-Wliit e Club, Berlin. He visited England for the first time last July, when he played in a series of exhibition matches in England and Scotland in association with Mile Lenglen and other professionals. Kozeluh has a style at once easy, fluent, and prepossessing His footwork is of the best, and his speed in covering court one of the main features of his success. Possessed of a sanguine temperament, he is a patie,nt and sound teacher, capable of extracting the best from his pupils. Th e experiment adopted by the All-England Club Committee cannot fail to be beneficial. £500,000 GROUNDS. On the road which connects Monte Carlo with Menton a tennis club ground lias been made which cost no less than £500,000. It is called the La Festa Country Cluli, Monte Carlo. The club house is probably the largest in Europe. Outside, it in solid terraces charmingly designed are covered boxes and other seats for members and their friends, facing the centre court. The are 20 in number, and the majority are of tennisol, but six are, granite. The three centre courts are marked out by tape, which can be

taken up at the shortest notice—a facility which will enable only one court to be marked out on the most important occasions. Aesthetically, no finer match arena exists on the Continent. The 17 outside courts are distributed over the falling ground in elegant terraces. Existing members will only be asked to pay 500 fr a year in subscription, new members paying 500 fr. Non-playing members will pay only 200 fr a year, or 400 fr if they desire to reserve seats for each of the three annual tournaments. The restaurant tariff will be on a scale equally suited to the purse of the average visitoi If present arrangements hold good, the club is to be formally opened by the Duke of Connaught towards the end of the second week in January. ARMY CADETy ATHLETES, The results for 1927 of the animal competition for the Lafferty Cup amongst the military cadets of England, Australia, and Canada have just been arrived at. The trophy has been won for the first time out of England by the Royal Military College of Australia, with an aggregate of 14 points, the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, who had won it in each of the six previous years, now being runners-up with 12 points. The Lafferty Cup was presented in 1920 by a resident of Canada for annua] competition amongst the gentlemen cadets of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; the Royal Military College of Australia, and the Royal Military College of Canada, th e winners to be the cadets obtaining the highest aggregate of points in one-mile flat race, a mile-and-a-half relay race, a 50yds swimming race, and a high jump. For the first four years the Woolwich cadets were runners-up to Sandhurst, but in 1925 Australia won the swimming match and obtained second place, finishing then with an aggregate of 8 points to Sandhurst’s 12. In 1926 Australia did even better, for, in addition to winning the swimming race again, they also got premier honours in the high jump. This year they were beaten by 3sec by Canada in the swimming, but won both the relay race and the mile flat race, whilst they were second to Sandhurst in the high jump. The Woolwich Academy cadets, who last year dropped to fourth place in the aggregates, again occupy that position, out now have points, whereas last year they had none. The order of merit for 1927 is:—lst, Royal Military College of Australia 14 points; 2nd, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 12 points; 3rd, Royal Military Coll e J? e . of Canada . 9 points ; 4th Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 5 points.