SPORT AND PASTIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25718, 14 December 1944, Page 3

SPORT AND PASTIMES

The Canterbury Match The team selected to represent Otago against Canterbury on December 23, 25, and 26 Is a young one. It appears somewhat doubtful in batting strength, but this may be made up for in increased efficiency in fielding and a strong attack. The responsibility for making runs will rest mainly on A. W. Roberts, F. W. Bellamy, and C. Toomey, and probably V. McCaiten Lankford Smith. D. Murdoch, and A. W. McDougall, although the last-named two have not made many runs.this season. Murdoch was successful last season, however, and he has the big-match temperament which makes him a potential rungetter. In respect to the bowling, there will be plentv of material for quick changes, although the variety is not marked. Of the fast-medium type theie are Roberts, McDougall, and T. Freeman, of much the samei pace, and Kruskopf, the left-hander, who is most effective, however, when he drops his pace to slowmedium. Smith is the only really slow bowler, and his recent form in Invercargill points to the probability of his being a useful change. R. Harwood is a good all-rounder, and his left-hand bowling should be useful. Bellamy, too, may be used as a change if necessary. A. N. Lawson, the Kaikorai and ex-University player, will be the wicket-keeper, G. H. Mills not being available. Lawson is a sound type of wicket-keeper-batsman. A. H. Cutler (Southland) was alpo ap"proached, but was unable to make the trip. One feature of the selection is the prospect that presents itself of welding a young team into a combination for future matches and seasons.

An Outstanding Performer Easily the most outstanding performer at the Otago Swimming Championships last week was Miss Ngaire Lane, of the Kiwi Club, who collected five titles in the women's division. She returned good times in the freestyle races, and In the 100 Yards Backstroke was within 3-ssec of her New Zealand record, 'and failed by only 2-ssec to reduce her own Dominion figures for the 220 Yards Backstroke. Miss Lane’s performances during the past six seasons have been remarkable. She has won 21 Otago titles, and is the present New Zealand Women’s 100 and 220 Yards Backstroke Champion. This is the second year In succession that she has won five Otago senior titles; for each of three years before that she won three titles in the intermediate girls’ class, and In 1939 two junior titles. Of Miss Lane, it may be said literally that she “ smiles her way to success;" for, like a famous Danish backstroke swimmer, she smiles while swimming to aid relaxation. Win for J. P. Cartwright

In the final of the Intermediate grade of the Otago Golf Club’s Championship Knock-out Competition, played at Balmacewen on Saturday, J. P. Cartwright defeated A. F. Burnett, 1 up. In good figures they halved the first three holes. Cartwright was 1 up after the fourth, and the fifth resulted in another half. Burnett squared the match at the sixth with a " birdie ” 3, and then Cartwright went on to win the next two holes, but lost the ninth to be lup at the turn. The players were again all square after Tipperary. Over the following three holes Cartwright won two and lost one, and after a half at the fifteenth he won the sixteenth to be 2 up. Burnett won the seventeenth, but he was able to secure only a half on the home green, which gave Cartwright the match 1 up. Both played good, steady golf. In a friendly match last week Cartwright holed out at Tipperary (586 yards) for an *' eagle ’’ 3. After two well-hit woods he played a shot over the trees with a No. 4 Iron which found the cup. John Tonkin Memorial

A handsome honours board was unveiled •recently in the North-East Valley Bowling Club’s pavilion in memory of the late Mr Jack Tonkin, 15 times winner of the club's Singles Championship and three times winner of the Dunedin Centre's Singles Champion of Champions. The board, which is to set out the winners of a special handicap singles competition, is the gift of Mr George Dunn and Mr J. C. Rigby, both of whom were associated with Mr Tonkin in many hard-fought championship games. In view of the great Interest Mr Tonkin always took In the younger players, the donors of the memorial board expressed a desire that his connection with the Valley Club should be perpetuated by Instituting a special handicap Singles competition, to be known as the "John Tonkin Memorial Handicap Singles." Mr Rigby stated his Intention of presenting an annual prize of £2 2s to the winner of this competition. The president of the club, Mr W. A. Jenkins, before asking Mr Rigby to unveil the memorial, referred to the fine record achieved by Mr Tonkin in other branches of sport. He was born In Cornwall, and commenced work at the age of 11, and at 13 was a member of the crew of a collier trading round the coast of England. At the age of 18 he joined the London Fire Brigade, and he quickly reached championship class as a longdistance swimmer. Dramatic circumstances marked his arrival in New Zealand, as the vessel of which he was one of the crew was wrecked off Tlmaru, and Mr Tonkin, after a hard swim to the shore, was pulled out of the water by the Mayor’s daughter. Shortly afterwards he came to Dunedin, where he joined the Dunedin Engineers, and quickly developed into a champion rifle shot, and among his many successes he was five times winner of the Ladies' Challenge Shield. One of the most notable games in which Mr Tonkin, with Mr Rigby as lead, participated, was in the New Zealand Champion Pairs in 1923, when the Valley pair tied, and In the play-off of another full game, lost by one point. Two years later this pair again reached the final.

Junior Lawn Tennis Championships The Committee of Selection (Messrs R. Philips and R, G. Sincock) appointed by the Otago Lawn Tennis Association to consider applications from Otago junior players to take part in the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Junior Championships at Auckland on January 18, 19 and 20, have nominated four representatives from Otago. The ladies will be represented by Miss Y. Rudd and Miss M. Lemin, both of whom have shown match ability and a standard of lawn tennis equal to that required for New Zealand Junior Championship competition. Miss Rudd was runner-up in the Girls’ Singles Championship at Christchurch last year, and has distinguished herself at the various handicap tournaments held by the Otago Lawn Tennis Association during the past two years. Miss Lemin is a young player whose style should be suited by Auckland conditions. During the past few years she has shared the winning honours In the Otago Girls’ High School Championship and the Secondary Schools’ Championship with Miss Rudd, the two girls Detween them dominating these events. A. L. Scott, who will be competing in the male section, has a number of performances which indicate that he should have a reasonable chance of success. At the Canterbury Championships last year, with J. Robson, he won the Boys' Doubles Championship and was runner-up in the Boys’ Singles Championship at the South Canterbury meeting. At the Otago Easter Tournament, he annexed the B Grade Championship and, with Robson, won the Junior Doubles title. He has had numerous successes in handicap matches. The fourth member of the party is P. Hellyer (Macandrew Bay), who some years ago won the Otago Junior Championship and is at present playing in the Macandrew Bay A Grade team. Although not quite so well known as the other members of the team, the standard of his play compares favourably with that of the others. N.Z.E.F. Rugby

Interesting comment on Rugby activities among members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. in Italy is made by Gunner A. J. Hay in a letter to Mr S. B. Butler, formerly a member of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union. "Alble ” Hay, at one time a well-known Otago cyclist and boxer, was also trainer of the Pirates Football Club. He stated that it was hoped to have eight teams of 20 men each who would go Into a camp for inter-group competition after the war, and from die 160 a New Zealand divisional side would be chosen to play the Springboks, with the possibility of a tour also. "Albie ” has been acting as regimental selector and coach. Jack Hore, Bert McEwan, N. A. (“Brushy”) Mitchell, Ron Stewart and Brigadier J. T. Burrows are members of the New Zealand Divisional Committee. Dave Trevathan plays an occasional game of Rugby in his battalion, but says he has no ambitions as far as the division side is concerned.

Prominent All-rounder Miss A. (“Nancy”) Hanlin, the New Zealand shot putt women’s record-holder and Otago basketball representative player, has begun the athletic season with her best discus throw to date, almost bettering Miss Margaret Gibson’s New Zealand record of 99ft B|in. Having regard to the fact that unfavourable weather has hampered organised training and that on the night of the event the ground was heavy underfoot, her perfomance of 98 feet was really outstanding. It mav be recalled that a few seasons ago Miss 'Hanlin was a member of the two- “ man ” team from the Dunedin Ladies’ Club which won the Anderson Cup for most points in the Otago Women’s Championships, the other member being Miss P. Malone, the ex-Otago sprint champion.

Oh, For the Good Old Days !

“ I wonder what hard-hitting batsmen like J. Baker, J. N. Crawford, J. Shepherd and A. Galland would do with our modern bowling? ” How many times is such a remark and similar comment heard on Saturday afternoons, especially during a particularly poor patch of batting? Some of those present at the North Ground on Saturday, for instance, could remember the days when, as a protection against the aggressiveness of the batsmen mentioned and others, owners of houses within shooting distance of the senior wicket made sure that their places would not be wrecked by requisitioning large supplies of netting. It is on record that Crawford, who was one of the most punishing batsmen of his time, on one occasion subjected one house to a merciless bombardment for over two hours. Those days, unhappily for the spectators, at any rate, are gone, and last Saturday those who were able to last the afternoon out saw a mediocre exhibition of batting in tlie game between Alblon-Y.M.C.A. and Grange when 13 wickets fell for 163 runs. Some of the batting was so bed that even the stock excuse that it was a “ bowlers’ wicket" failed to be convincing. It might be suggested that Otago is once more producing bowlers of the Downes-Fisher-Hope type and that the batsmen have not caught up with them, but Otago's moderate showings in representative games • hardly gives support to such a flattering assumption. A Triple Success

Miss Eunice Marslin, of the Dunedin Club, was not seriously challenged in winning the Intermediate Girls’ 100 and 220 Yards Freestyle races at the Otago Swimming Championships last week. She collected her third title In the 100 Yards Backstroke in 8B 2-ssec after a good race with Miss D. Brown (Zenith), who made a promising entry Into Intermediate ranks. Miss Marslin performed well at the South Island Championships at Invercargill two years ago, but failed to reproduce her best form In the New Zealand Championships at Auckland last season. She is a swimmer, however, from whom further Improvement may be looked for in the period that has to elapse before the notional meeting is held at Wellington. Falconer Cup Tournament

The first annual competition for the Otago Lawn Tennis Association’s Falconer Cups was held on Saturday at Logan Park, when large entries of men’s and ladies’ doubles took part In a Yankee Tournament. Til? standard of play, particularly among the juniors, was high, arid the spectators witnessed a number of fast and exciting court finals. In the final of the A Grade men’s section the veteran pair A. T. Jensen, of Cosy Dell, and R. Craik. of Mornlngton (rec. 2), found the pace of the young Macandrew Bay double. R. Bennett and A. East (rec. 6) too severe, the boys winning 31—24 and qualifying for the Cup final against J. H. Ferguson and E. Holden (Sawyers' Bay), who were the winners of the B Grade section. The final produced some of the best lawn tennis of the day, Bennett and East from owe 10 beating Ferguson and Holden (scr.) 31—28 after being down 12—21. All four players gave good exhibitions of the game, the severity of the serving, driving and smashing of the Macandrew Bay boys being the deciding factor. Bennetts overhead work was deadly, his smash being executed with a speed and angle which eliminated any chance of the ball being returned. The winners, who are each 18 years of age, fully deserved their success and produced a hard-hitting and determined attack which no one managed effectively to counter. The final of the ladies’ event was about to commence when rain interfered and a postponement until next Saturday was necessary. Mesdames M. Gray and M. Cameron, of Pine Hill (rec. 5), who were the winners of the B Grade section, will meet Mrs C. J. Rawllnson (Roslyn) and Miss M. Kerr (Kaituna), owe 10, who were winners of the A Grade and had beaten Misses J. Scott and G. McKenzie (St Clair), the wlhners of the C Grade, in the semi-final, where the experience of the A Grade ladles proved too much for the younger players.

Week-end Golf The penultimate matches of the season were played at Balmacewen and Belleknowes on Saturday. At Balmacewen, after a lapse of over two years, a Canadian Bogey Foursome, senior partnered bv junior, was held. The best card, 4 up, was returned by T. B. Ferguson and G. R. Hyslop, handicap 6. This excellent score was the result of fine team work. At the turn they were all square with bogey, and over the homeward journey they won four holes and halved the rest. Their stroke score over the last 9 holes was 36—one under par. The senior division of ihe Australian Stableford played at Belleknc-wes was won by G. N. Brownlee (6). He produced sound golf to score 36 the juniors A. J. Campbell (12) outdistanced the field with the outstanding score of 39 points. His amended handicap will probably show a suitable reduction. A Four-ball Bogey was played at St. Clair With the good score of 4 up. A. G. Evans and S. B. Ward hed wlth - T. Wren and J. Wren. Three other pairs were each 3 up. Veteran Yachtsman s Death

The sport of yachting in Ota 6o ha* ’° st one of Its most enthusiastic and lojal sup* Sorters by the death last week of Mr Charles Hook, whose funeral on Monday was attended by a number of boating men who were contemporaries of one> who. during the past 30 years or more, devoted much of his leisure time to the promotion and assistance of the sport on the Otago Harbour. For many V ea s s •" Charlie ” Hook was In regular attendance at all the yachlng regattas and club races held on the harbour, and his wide knowledge of the sport was always in demand for the purposes of Judging, start-., ing, time-keeping, and handicapping. There were few occasions, Indeed, when, he was not a member of the official party on the flagship or starting base, and in the days when races were held with inc degrees of regularity at Port Cna*m Crs, Portobello, Broad Bay, Macandrew Bay, St. Leonard’s, Ravensbourne, and the boat harbour, he was a ’ mos t ]ne vit ably to be found taking an active Interest In the conduct of the contests. As an organiser he was in hls element, and it was mainly through his drive and enthusiasm that the North-East Harbour BoaUng Club, which was a power in the land some years ago, emerged from a period of financial doldrums and remained firmly established until the departure of many of its members, Including Mr Hook for the city caused it to cease active operations as a club. His genial personality and his sound knowledge of the sport will be missed by his many friends round the shores of the Otago Harbour.

N.Z.E.F. Boxers in Italy The activities of 2nd N.Z.E.F. boxers are mentioned by Gunner A. J. Hay in a letter to Mr S. B. Butler, of Dunedin. Gunner Hay, formerly a well-known Otago boxer and cyclist, stated that while the division was resting some time ago he had a team of boxers in training and took them to Caserta (Southern Italy) to fight a team from 2nd New Zealand Geiieral Hospital. Some of the boxers taking part were Joe Collins, a member of the New Zealand team at the Empire games in Sydney in 1938, Jack Freeman, Auckland middle and light-heavy-weight champion, Gordon Hawes, and a Scottish professional champion. Hay did not intend to take part himself, but had to substitute for one of his men who had taken ill. He managed to win, however, and the members of his team won five bouts out of eight. George Donaldson, the exOtago welter-weight champion, turned on some good exhibitions at Arce, and has maintained his form. Matheson Fours

Following the recent decision of the Otago Rowing Club to recommence club races, the first event of the season, the Matheson Fours, was decided on Saturday. The race is for new members and nonregatta oarsmen. In the first heat good racing was witnessed, a crew stroked by G Porter gaining a narrow decision of half a length over a crew stroked by A. H. Brent. The final was also a good race. The winning crew, consisting of J. N. Metcalfe (s.), R. Kinraid (3), R. AU en (2), and C. George (bow), decisively defeated Porter's crew. On. Saturday tJhe Otago Club will hold its race for the Thompson Fours, which is open to all oarsmen In the club It is customary to select crews consisting of two senior members and two youths.

A prophecy that’s coming truer every day! When Lord Craigavon visited this country, years and years ago now, he of course sampled our toasted tobacco, and pronounced it good; and he added that in his opinion it had a great future before it. Since those days toasted has made such astonishing strides that it has outstripped all its competitors, and actually got on level terms with the imported article! Everywhere throughout New Zealand, from the farthest North to the farthest South, from the East coast to the West, you’ll find ‘ toasted ’ on sale. There’s a rare charm about this beautiful tobacco which differs from all others, not only in flavour and aroma, but in its comparative harmlessness, due to the toasting of the leaf and the consequent elimination of the nicotine in it. This ingenious and efficient process is the manufacturers’ own. The only genuine toasted brands are Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, Pocket Edition, Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold. If you want pure and wholesome tobacco, smoke toasted! It will never let you down.—19