SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 24648, 21 January 1942, Page 2

SPORTS BUDGET

INTERCLUB TENNIS MATCHES The Southland Lawn Tennis Association’s inter-club competition m the B and C grades were continued last Saturday after a break of five weeks. In the B grade it was unfortimate that Southern was under strength for its meeting with Rugby Park, the game being won by the latter by 13 sets to 3. Bluff gained a good win over Invercargill and, having still to meet Rugby Park, which stands one point ahead at the top,of the ladder, is not yet out ot the running for championship honours. In third place Southern now stands level with Waihopai, which had a runaway win over a weakened St. Mary s team. Southend recorded its first win of the season by 11 sets to 5 over Waikiwi, while Kennington was unable to field a team against Tisbury.

C Grade Matches In the C grade Rugby Park and Central I maintained their lead by securing good wins over Clifton and Collegiate respectively. Moana beat Wallacetown by 10 sets to 6, and St. Mary s accounted for Central II without the loss of a set, thereby also opening its tally of wins. St. Mary’s is to be congratulated on the way it is carrying on under extreme difficulties, the recent mobilization having left it practically denuded of men with the result that it has to rely on schoolboys to complete its teams. Bearing this in mind, its win is all the more meritorious. Bowls Championships

The Southland Bowling Centre has decided to coduct the annual championships as usual. One provision has been made in the shield rink competition—a minimum entry of 14 rinks. The competition will be played on the two-life system and the opening rounds will be played on January 31. It is expected that entries will be received from the nine city clubs, and from at least five of the Wesetern District and Eastern district clubs. Entries close next Tuesday. Low Scoring

The scores in the senior cricket matches in Invercargill on Saturday were just about the lowest in what has been a low-scoring season. The state of the wickets was largely to blame. They were soft and tricky after the frequent and heavy rain during the week. Bluff’s first innings score of 23 was the lowest of the day and also the lowest of the season. As the total included nine extras it meant that 11 batsmen scored only 14 runs between them. However, Marist’s first innings score of 46 does not appear much better on analysis. N. Forde scored 18 and there were eight extras so that 10 batsmen made a total of 20. ApplebyRailway’s score of 37 did not include a double-figure total. These low scores do not, however, call for any critical comment, because apart from the state of the wicket all the senior teams on Saturday included a number of junior and even third grade players. The main thing today is to keep the game going for the sake of the younger players and so long as this is being done results do not matter a great deal. Cheap Wickets

H. W. Fraser, of the Old Boys senior cricket team, had one of his most successful games this season on Saturday. In two innings he took 11 ApplebyRailway wickets for only 39 runs, and thus considerably improved his average for the season. To date he has taken 35 wickets for 311 runs, an average of 8.88. < A. Sharp (Invercargill) found a wicket that suited him on Saturday and his six wickets for seven runs in Bluff’s first innings was easily his best bowling performance this season. His average now is a neat 11, 54 wickets for 275 runs. No Drawn Games

In the championship tables for the lower grades of the Southland Cricket Association’s competitions published the other day it was noticeable that there was not one drawn game. A decision had been reached in each case, either an outright win or a win on the first innings. In the junior B grade all but one match was won outright. This absence of drawn games is probably a measure of the greater freedom that generally characterizes lower grade cricket as compared with senior. Auckland Regatta Two hundred entries from sailing craft are expected for the Auckland anniversary regatta on January 31. This is very satisfactory in the conditions prevailing with so many Auckland yachtsmen serving overseas. Young skippers have been nominated in many cases and quite a large proportion of the crews will include young women who are taking their brothers’ places. Not one race has had to be cancelled and only two classes have been amalgamated. Dunedin Cricket Rain again caused the abandonment of cricket fixtures in Dunedin on Saturday. This is the sixth out of 11 Saturdays set down for competition matches that such a course has been necessary. Club executives are also having an anxious time drying to raise teams to put in the field when the weather does allow of play, and there is a move on the part of certain clubs in the direction of amalgamation of forces in order to keep the senior grade .competition going. One suggestion is that the two Carisbrook teams should combine aqd that the Albion-Y.M.C.A. and University teams might also amalgamate.