CRICKET CLUBS AMALGAMATE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24413, 26 September 1940, Page 4

CRICKET CLUBS AMALGAMATE

The decision of the Albion and Y.M.C.A. Cricket Clubs to amalgamate under the name Albion-Y.M.C.A. is a move which should do much to strengthen the game locally, particularly in the respect that it will tend to keep players in the game. While Albion was faced with a shortage of players owing to enlistments, the Y.M.C.A. authorities were aware that the weakness of their club was that, while there was a large supply of young players, the lack of a First Grade team had an unsettling effect upon ambitious members. The approach towards amalgamation came originally from Y.M.C.A., and the details were arranged in the most amicable spirit by representatives of the two clubs. The Albion Club, formed as long ago as 1865, should gain new life by_ this development, The most prominent Y.M.C.A, players who may be expected to find places in the senior team are 0. Everson (who formerly played for Albion as wicket-keeper), R. Riley, R. Breese, and T. H. Miller (who was a junior representative last year). The veteran J. H. Don Miller, who has taken upwards of 600 wickets for tne club in the past eight seasons and who scored a century for a Dunedin team against Central Otago a couple of year; ago, will also be available if required A Valuable Recruit One of the points of interest in the basketball first grade tournament last Saturday was the appearance of Miss Mary Martin, the physical and recreational officer for Otago, in Kiwis centre third. This was Miss Martin s first appearance in Dunedi games, although she played here some years ago as a member of the Auckland representative team when the New Zealand tournament was last held in this centre. Miss Martin ;o,.tinuou ly represented Auckland for a considerable number of years, and also gained New Zealand honours when the New Zealand team toured Australia in 1938. Her game on Saturday proved that she "elains hei prowess on the field, and her strong and aggressive play opened up numerous opportunities for her team of which her co-players were not slow to take advantage. Miss Martins experience will prove of great value to the Kiwi side. Ground for Athletics For some seasons past the Otago Athletic Centre has had cause for dissatisfaction over the state of the Caledonian Ground, and the need has been apparent for a first-class ground for athletics. The Caledonian Society is a sports body, but the state of the ground has not been a credit to it in the past season or two. The ground is in a particularly bad stale at the present time, and requires careful topdressing and levelling before it will be in a fit state for track and field events. It is to be hoped that everything will be done to improve the ground, since every encouragement will be required to keep athletes keen and the sport flourishing during the war years. Gambols of Hockey Umpires Having spent their Saturday afternoons during the past fow months lustily blowing whistles and reprimanding the more lawless of Dunedin’s hockey players, the umpires turned out in force last Saturday, and, exchanging stern faces and whistles for resurrected jerseys and shorts, put rip a bold front before a women’s team. For something more than an hour they got offside, obstructed, gave “ sticks," scooped the ball, hooked sticks, and appealed under the advantage rule, and at the end of it all nobody seemed to know what the score was. No doubt they were all satisfied that they had shown their opponents many of 'the finer points of hockey, and just to prove that umpires are a hardy breed they wound up the afternoon by teaching the girls how to form a Rugby scrum. The remarkable feature of the performance is that most of them will have the hardihood to turn out again next season, resuming their role of experts on the rules. A Good Tournament As had been anticipated, the basketball first grade tournament last Saturday was filled with surprises, and neither of the two premier teams filled the top position. This was won by Kiwi who scored 12 cup points, with Albany I (11 points) a very close second. Kiwi played with vim throughout the ilernoon, very strong defensive work being combined with attractive attacking play. The teams were so evenly matched that several of the games were won and lost in the closing few seconds of play. The following table shows the position of the teams at the end of the day’s play:—

Speedy Backstroke Swimmer The brilliant Kiwi junior swimmer, Miss Ngaire Lane, holder of the New Zealand junior girls’ 50 and 100 yards freestyle titles, added further to .er laurels on Tuesday . ight during the Kiwi Club's hour when, in a specialattack on the Otago record, she succeeded in lowering Miss Edna Goldthorpe’s figures for the 50 yards junior girls’ backstroke <39 l-ssec) by 2 2-sscc. Miss Lane’s effort was all the more noteworthy in that her time

was only a second outside the New Zealand record of 35 4-ssec, which was established last year by the Auckland girl, Miss Thelma Owens. Miss Lane first came into prominence at the New Zealand Intermediate and Junior Championships, which were held here last January, when she captured her two titles, but the promise she has recently shown as an exponent of backstoke led her coach, Mr Don. Watson, to put her forward for Tuesday night's attempt. Championship Bowls The New Zealand Bowling Association will hold its championship tournament in Christchurch next January. All profits from the tournament will be given to a fund for patriotic purposes. The New Zealand champion singles will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, January 8 and 9. The New Zealand champion pairs will be held on the following Friday and Saturday, and the New Zealand champion fours will begin on Monday, January 13. Four trophies will be awarded in each section. Special concessions have been arranged for players by rail and steamer. Entries close on Monday, December 2. The secretary is Mr H. B, Oakey. of Christchurch. Whitcombes for Bowls-*

P. W. I Cup D. Pts. Kiwi 7 6 1 — 12 Albany I 7 5 1 1 11 Y.W.C.A. I 7 4 1 2 10 Training College 7 5 2 — 10 Y.W.C.A. II .. 7 3 4 — 6 O.G.H.S. 7 2 4 1 5 University 7 1 6 — 2 Albany II 7 — 7 — —