SPORT AND PASTIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25734, 4 January 1945, Page 3

SPORT AND PASTIMES

Otago Disappoint* Again The Otago team deserves credit for its showing in the first innings against Wellington, because it was undoubtedly handicapped by the state of the wicket, but when wickets began to fall on the final day it must have been felt that there was really no one upon whom reliance could be placed to stem the tide, and this view proved to be correct. Some of the batsmen, notably G. H. Mills, L. Milnes. C. D.'Toomey, and A. W. McDougall, did endeavour to exhibit that confidence which was necessary at that stage, but none of them stayed at the wickets long enough. The Wellington attack was admittedly fairly strong hi the case of the two faster bowlers, J. Ashenden and A. M. Matheson, but it was not otherwise a particularly dangerous one, and the Otago representative side should have been able to withstand it sufficiently long on the third day to save the game. There was cause for satisfaction in the improvement shown by the home side in fielding compared with the display in the Canterbury match, but here again a marring feature was the erratic throwing in. Many of the returns were made wide of the wicket or pitched at the foot of the wicket-keeper, who had a far from enviable job. A. N. Lawson, however, performed well, and it was a noteworthy performance on his part to allow no byes in Wellington’s first jnnlngs total of 208. Lawn Tennis Successes

The Otago competitors in the Canteibury Lawn Tennis Association’s tournament in Christchurch last week won more than their share of the events. In the Open Championship Ladies’ Doubles Miss M. Kerr (Otago) and Miss T. Poole (Canterbury) defeated Mrs McVey and Miss Fernie (Wellington) 6—3, 7—5 in the final, and the final of the Men’s Doubles was won by J. Robson (Otago) and O. Bold (Wellington), who defeated S. Painter and R. W. Robb, of Wellington, 7—5, 6—l. The juniors were equally successful. Misses Y. Rudd and M. Robertson (Otago) won the Girls' Doubles Championship by defeating Misses Elsom and Hughes (Timaru) in the final 7—5, 6—3. The final of the Boys’ Championship Doubles was won by A. Scott (Otago) and J. A. Adam (Timaru), who defeated B. R. Penfold and E, D. White 6—4, 6—2. Further honours came to the wearers of the blue and gold colours through the efforts of Robson, who easily defeated J. Bushell 6—l, 6—o to win the Intermeditae Championship, and then of A. Scott in the final of the Boys' Championship. Scott lost the first set against G. Mexted (Wellington), but fought back determinedly to win 3—6, 6—l. 6—4.

New Year Golf Tournament The New Year tournament held by the St. Clair Golf Club was concluded on Tuesday, when the finals in both sections of the Dunedin championships and other events were played. The course was in first-class order, and during the three days’ golf the 72 competitors who took part in the well-balanced programme were favoured with ideal weather. The Alex. Sime Cup for the best gross aggregate over 36 holes was won by T. B. Ferguson (Balmaccwen), with two excellent rounds of 77 and 76. He finished three strokes better than J. N. Sams, who filled second place with 77 and 79. Ferguson, whose record shows that he produces his best golf in medal rounds, has been in good form this season. He plays off a 2 handicap.

Referee’s Unusual Record Accompanying the Wellington cricket team to Dunedin at the week-end was Mr Harry Hatch, who at 64 is still a keen follower of the game and president of the Midland Cricket Club. Years ago in Canterbury he was a playing member of the St. Albans Cricket Club, but he is perhaps best known for his long association with men's hockey. He played in Canterbury before the formation of a Men’s Hockey Association, and later 'played in both Thursday and Saturday competitions. He subsequently took up refereeing, and retired only four years 'ago after establishing a record as a referee which is believed to be unequalled in hockey in any part of the world —43 years as ari active referee. During that period he had the distinction of controlling games in which practically every provincial team in New Zealand appeared. As a national referee he officiated in games between New Zealand and Australia and New Zealand and India between 1922 and 1927. His services to the game were recognised when he was presented with a blazer by the New Zealand Hbckgy Referees’ Association, and his name has been perpetuated by the award of the Hatch Cup for competition by primary school representative teams in the South Island. Mr Hatch recalls the days when hockey matches were controlled by only one referee, and he believed there were fewer disputes than to-day, when the game Is controlled by two officials.

Wnlington Batsman’s Century W.” G. Bain, who scored 104 not out for Wellington in its second innings of the match against Otago, gave a particularly sound display of all-round cricket and batted with a confidence lacking in many of tire others. He reached his first 50 in 116 minutes and then began to open his shoulders to the bowling. After reaching 90, however, he took another 25 minutes to attain the hundred, although during this period the bowling was being largely monopolised by his partner, N. Chapman. His second 50, nevertheless, took only 71 minutes, and he was at the wickets altogether 193 minutes. Bain made 51 and 9 in the match against Auckland. tfhd is undoubtedly a good batsman. F. H. L. Mooney, the Wellington captain, who was associated with Bain in a partnership which added 151 for the third wicket, batted much more attracitvely in the second innings than he did in the first. He was quieter than Bain, but got in some good forceful drives and leg hits in compiling 78. He gave only one chance and that was towards the ■ end of his innings. In Wellington’s first innings he played a patient and correct knock for 31.

Clubmates Meet Overseas Flight Lieutenant J. S. Shephard, who captained one of the Sunderland flying boats on the recent flight from England, was at one time sports secretary of the Otago Centre. He was a member of the Anglican Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club and one of the best sprinters in the province. While on leave in London, Flight Lieutenant Shephard met a former clubmate in T. Allen, a New Zealand representative at the last Empire Games, who is serving in the 2nd N.Z.E.F. By only a few hours he missed seeing another Anglican member, Keith Morgan, the exNew Zealand Junior shot putting and discus throwing champion. Morgan, who is a flying officer in the air force, was selected recently to represent the South Island in the North v. South Rugby match played in England some time ago, Fine Bowling Figures

With a wicket more suited to the faster paced bowlers on the final day of the match between Wellington and Otago at Carisbrook, A. M. Matheson registered one of the best performances of the match by taking three wickets for four runs' in Otago’s second innings. Matheson bowled with his usual vim and hostility, and' his accuracy was illustrated by the fact that no fewer than nine maidens were included in his 11.5 overs. In the first innings he also bowled steadily, taking two for 36 off 20 overs. Matheson is 38 years of age, and has had a long cricketing career. He went into the Auckland Plunket Shield team straight from the Auckland Grammar School in the 1925-26 season, and figured prominently in the provincial side for the next 11 or 12 seasons. He was a member of the New Zealand side on the tour of England in 1931. He was the only bowler in the side with any pretensions to pace, and after his first match against Hampshire, at Southampton, it was predicted that he' would be a prolific taker of wickets. He then strained a leg muscle, which troubled him '-until the last few matches of the tour. Matheson played part of one season with the Dunedin Cricket Club, and as a Rugby footballer he was a clever centre three-quarter in the University A team, playing six matches for Otago in the 1928 season. He also represented Auckland. Nowadays he is a physical education specialist with the Education Department, his headquarters being New Plymouth. He is also the Taranaki Swimming Centre’s educational officer.

Dunedin Golf Championship The principal event in the St. Clair Golf Club's New Year tournament, the Dunedin Amateur Championship, was won for the fourth successive year by Arthur Lawrence. In the final, played on Tuesday aftemon before a large gallery, he defeated J. N. Sams 6 and 5. Lawrence was particularly effective with his approach shots and the putter. The first hole was halved in 6. Over the next eight holes Lawrence won the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth to be 4 up, and equal to par at the turn. On the homeward journey Lawrence won two holes and halved two, the match ending on the thirteenth green, where he holed out in 4to win the championship 6 and 5. Sams, after playing well throughout the tournament, failed in the final to produce his best golf. The Junior Championship was won by R. G. Hill. In the final he defeated J. O'Donnell 4 and 3.

Athletes in Air Force During the holiday period two wellknown athletes. Alec Barr and Peter Souter. visited Dunedin. Both joined the air force early in the war, but Souter has since been discharged. He belonged to the Anglican Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club, and was a great pointsgetter for his club, being a useful man in any of the field events, as well as a sprinter above the average. At one period he held- the Otago pole vault championship. Barr was a good all-rounder in the Caversham Club, with successes to his credit in track and field events. His strong suit, however, was road racing, his most notable win being scored in the Port Chalmers-Dunedin Road Race.

Sound Batting Double One of the best doubles in the Wel-lington-Otago representative cricket match at Carisbrook was achieved by the Wellington opening batsman, S. G. Rowe, who batted attractively for 50 in the first innings and a slower but none the less sound 43 in the second. His first knock included seven 4’s, obtained from strokes equally well executed to the off and the on. Rowe’s fielding was a feature of Wellington's out-cricket. He brought off three catches during the game, and two of them, in the second innings, were fine efforts. One of these brought, about the dismissal of the Otago captain, C. D. Toomey, who drove a ball from A. M. Matheson hard to mid-on, where Rowe took the catch low down. He was fielding on the edge o£ the boundary when he accepted a chance from Lankford Smith, who had hit the previous delivery from R. Allen on to the roof of the grandstand. Rowe, who is a returned serviceman from the Middle East, has represented New Zealand on the hockey field.

Famous Swim Recalled The feat of the Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku, In swimming 50 vards free style in 22 3-ssec nearly 30 years ago, while on a visit to New Zealand, is recalled by a correspondent in a northern paper, in commenting on a statement that the performance of W. J. Jarvis, of Otago, has stood as a New Zealand record since 1934. The correspondent asserted that Kahanamoku’s time, achieved in the Calliope Dock (Auckland) In March, 1915, was the .record, Jarvis’s time of 23 l-ssec being the best by a New Zealander. Kahanamoku’s swim is not recognised as a record, however, as the conditions under which It took place did not comply with official record-breaking. Kahanamoku was swimming in an Auckland Centre carnival event, the Sergeant Handicap, the winner being a Hawaiian travelling companion, G. Cunha, who had a start of 3sec and was timed at 25sec. Kahanamoku was a close fourth, off scratch, behind G. Lindsay (Bsec) and J. Terepo (7sec). His time of 22 3-ssec was announced at the time as having broken his world.record of 23 2-ssec, set at San Francisco 'in 1913. with one turn. Jarvis's record was established in the Dunedin Municipal Baths. . Lawn Tennis Title Prospects

Lawn tennis followers who have been watching with interest the performances of Otago’s four young players who are to compete In the New Zealand Junior Championships at Auckland, were heartened by the performances of two members of the quartet in the Canterbury Championships. A. Scott produced excellent tennis to win the Boys’ Doubles with J. Adams (Timaru), and Miss Y. Rudd with Miss M. Robertson was a member of the winning pair in the Girls’ Doubles. B. Hellyer and Miss Lemin, the other members of the team, did not compete at Christchurch, but both are capable of performances up to the standard revealed In the Canterbury Championships. The field at Auckland will, however, be much more representative than was the case at Christchurch. Girl’s Remarkable Bowling

After finishing a long innings of 80 not out, Phyllis Blackler revealed a remarkable state of physical fitness when she opened Canterbury's attack against Auckland in the women's representative cricket match at Christchurch last Friday. Throughout the afternoon she bowled practically unchanged for 23 overs, play extending over three hours. On Saturday morning, Miss Blackler resumed the Canterbury attack and bowled unchanged for 16 overs. She finished with the remarable figures of 39 overs, 20 maidens, 38 runs, 3 wickets. Even after 32 overs, she continued to bowl her medium-pace deliveries with astonishing accuracy. Her last seven overs were all maidens. In Canterbury's second Innings she scored 61 In faultless manner. Brabin Cup Match

The Auckland junior cricket representatives defeated Wellington by an Innings and 166 runs In the Brabin Cup match, which concluded at Eden Park on Tuesday. The feature of the match was the brilliant bowling of J. Hollywood, an Auckland Grammar School boy. who took six for 61 and seven for 14. Bowling Scores

Further to last week’s paragraph about tall scoring in bowls, two good Instances are furnished by an Oamaru correspondent. Some years ago in the Meadowbank Club’s Championship Pairs competition. Slater and Hedges beat Smith and Berry by 52 points to nil, and in an Interclub match between Meadowbank and Phoenix, Mitchell beat Calder by 46 points to 7.