Sports and Sportsmen

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 79, 12 March 1931, Page 7

Sports and Sportsmen

The international Rugby match between France and Ireland on New Year’s Day developed into a regular Donnybrook. The French forwards, who do not seem too particular about their line-out methods, precipitated the trouble by their bunching tactics in line-outs, but an English writer comments that the irishmen were well able to take care of themselves. T. H. Vile, the man who penalised Porter almost out of existence in one of the matches played by the 1924 All Blacks at Home, had his work cut out to keep the teams in hand. His people in Sussex, England, recently received news of the death, through a fall, in the Canary Islands, of Guy Lintot, a Cambridge University graduate and well-known amateur athlete. ,At his university he won distinction in golf and other athletics and it was expected that he would get his Blue for both. Ip a motor accident, however, be lost his foot, by amputation, and this cut short his athletic career. In spite of this disability he remained a scratch golfer. British golf authorities arc finding the huge entries for amateur championships an increasingly difficult problem. Qualifications of players are now being more strictly* overhauled. Those who have not competed in a recent championship will find it necessary to qualify by gaining a revised national handicap. The object is to ensure that only golfers who are on scratch in their respective clubs will be entered, “Seeding” has been advocated as a remedy for overcrowding.

When W. H. Sobey returned to England, he stated that as a result of the operation to his knee performed at Sydney, he hoped to be able to turn out again by Christmas. This hope has not been fulfilled. Sobey has decided not to risk any play at all this season, but hopes to play again in 1921-32, when the Springboks will be in England. Possibly the absence of his old partner has caused R. S. Spong to have a lapse in form.

England has a new centre in Burland, of Bristol. Among the British team’s forwards, Rew and Black were the only ones chosen for the Probables in the final trial. Kendrew had been given a chance, and then passed over. Martindaie, Wilkinson, Prentice and Hodgson have either been passed over or are not available.

The kings of speed are sportsmen. When Malcolm Campbell recently established a new world’s record on Daytona Beach, Florida, the first to cable him congratulations was Wizard Smith, who, as a result of Captain Campbell’s feat has another 14 miles an hour (245.733) to beat before he can claim the coveted world’s title. On receipt of Smith’s cable, Campbell immediately sent a very cheery reply wishing the Australian all the luck in the world for his attempt on the record on the Ninety Mile Beach in April.

The British women’s golf champion, Miss Diana Fishwick, and four other English associates, will take part in tournaments in Florida this month. Miss Fishwick, in her 20th year, defeated Miss Glenna Collett, American champion, in the final of the last British championship. It will bo interesting to see how she fares against the American stars in their own sphere.

Remarkably few of the British Rugby team which toured New Zealand found places in international trial teams after their return. O’Hara O’Neill and M. J. Dunne were not selected for Ireland in the Now Year’s Day match against France, the only tourists chosen for the Irish side being G. R. Beamish and J. L. Farrell in the pack, and Paul Murray in the three-quarter line.

Ken Greig, Scottish amateur champion, gave a lesson in the economic use of clubs at the St. Andrews golf course x’ecently. He won a tournament, in which the competitors were limited to five clubs. Greig selected a brassie, a number three iron, a mashie, a niblick and a putter, and he went round the famous course in 75. How many players could improve on that score with a dozen clubs or more?

T. G. V. Stephenson, a younger brother of the famous Irish threequarters, G. V. and H. W. V. Stephenson, was the star in a recent Rugby match between English and Irish public schoolboys. Like his brothers. T. G. V. is a centre three-quarter, and though he is of comparatively tender years, British critics are already predicting for him the “wearing of t he green” in due course. Scouts are at present roaming the length and breadth of Britain in search of aKheavy-weight boxer with something like a chance of giving Camera a run for his money. Camera, who has earned £IOO,OOO in the last 12 months, has improved out of all knowledge, and many overseas critics consider him unbeatable. The first professional fight for four years will be staged in Timaru by the South Canterbury Boxing Association to-night. Alan Campbell, holder of (lie heavy-weight title, and Lachie MacDonald, ex-middle-weight champion of Australia, will be the principals. Joe Stewart will be third man in the ring. O. Ollivcr, well-known AH Black footballer, was the outstanding competitor at a floodlight athletic meeting held at Taihape last week. He won the 100 yards, 220 yards and 410 yards handicaps.

Noel Ryan, the young Sydney swimmer who toured New Zealand last season, and later went to the Empire Games, did the fastest 440 yards swim of his career when lie won the 440 yards championship of New South Wales last week. His time was 5 min 3 3-iiscec, which was 3 4-ssec. outside Andrew Charlton’s Australian record.

Jack Haines, the Australian boxer, who was seriously injured in his contest with Ambrose Palmer some weeks age, was recently discharged from hospital in Sydney. He intends to have a month’s holiday and then obtain medical advice before lie returns to the ring.

CRICKET NOTES

(By “Swerver.”) Competition matches being over and no other matches of an official nature having been arranged for last Saturday, most of the clubs in the South availed themselves of the opportunity of playing friendly games with one another. Two such games were contested on the spacious Hawera ground, in one of which Hawera, a sound batting side, tried conclusions with Okaiawa, while in the other, Stratford opposed a combined eleven selected from the two Hawera Old Boys clubs. Unfortunately, shortly after live o’clock, rain, which had been threatening all afternoon, began falling steadily, and consequently cricket had to be abandoned for the day. Hawera were then waging a losing battle with Okaiawa, but the Old Boys v. Stratford encounter had a very open aspect.

In compiling the excellent score of 19v, Stratford’s batting form was the direct antithesis to that revealed in the match the previous week against Okaiawa. Though the bowling of the latter team was probaly superior to that of Old Boys, yet the Stratford batsmen were confronted with an attack led by Day, H. Barker and Moioney, of good quality, and one wherein any deficiencies in variety were more than counterbalanced by steadiness. Opening batsmen Dormer and Hamilton quickly scored 28 for uie first wicket before being separated, but Lay's fast-medium deliveries tneu met with success and four wickets were down for 52. Sandford and Hall thereupon cemented a solid partnership before tne former was run out. 'file advent of Wilson was the signal for some entertaining and powenul hitting by both lie and Hall, and it was not until the pair had added 80 runs that their association was broken. Though blessed with a measure of luck, Wilson demonstrated the efficiency of long-handled methods when the sheen has been removed from the bowling. It was Hall s innings, however, that was the uominant feature of the Stratford innings. After a careful start, he later punished the bowling severely, utilising with marked effect a pleasing variety of clean and forceful strokes. In attempting to force the pace toward the close of the innings, he skied a short breaking ball which he tried to pull, and thus closed an invaluable innings which included one six and six fours.

More especially in the first few overs, Lay’s bowling was decidedly troublesome. With an exceptionally good ball he effected the dismissal of Dormer, but he received such scant assistance from the held that he emerged from the fray with but four wicxets for 51 runs. Moloney maintained a consistent length, but was rarely dangerous. H. Barker and Moloney opened confidently and briskly for Old Boys, but rain soon caused the cessation of play for the day.

To be played on the Hawera ground next Saturday, beginning at, in a.m., the annual representative match between South Taranaki amt Rangitikel should he productive of interesting cricket. Towards the close of the 1929-30 season Rangitikei successfully challenged Mauawatu for the Hawke Cup, but their retention of the coveted trophy was of short duration, as Waikato’s challenge early in the present season could not be denied. If Cameron, Burke and Lowry accompany the team to Hawera the batting will be very strong, and the l task of dismissing a side so capably equipped in the batting department will tax to the utmost the skill of the South Taranaki bowlers. To oppose Rangitikei Messrs. Lay and Syme, selectors, have assembled a team of possibilities. The claims of Stratford tor representation therein have been splendidly recognised, no fewer tbaii four-of the eleven being members of the local side. Wilson and Sandford are included primarily for their bowling, while Hall and Dormer will have batting reputations to uphold. It can bo truthfully asserted that all four have earned their places.

The victory, meritoriously earned, of the Country Association premier team, Tarurutangi, over the New Plymouth champion club team, Old Boys, occasioned no little surprise when the news was received, even though Old Boys fielded a weak team, as it was not thought that the standard of cricket prevailing among the Country Association clubs was so high as to permit their engaging any of the New Plymouth clubs with any hope of success. However, Tarurutangi apparently won on its merits and is to be heartily congratulated on its success. Stratford cricketers sincerely hope, nevertheless, that the wisdom embodied in the adage, “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,” is apparent to the countrymen, and that having destroyed the aspirations of Old Boys to provincial championship honours, they will be content to rest on their laurels, and not endeavour to mete out the same treatment to Stratford when the two teams meet for the club championship of Taranaki on March 21.

Of intense satisfaction to all local cricketers and supporters of the game in the district are the tidings that the final against Tarurutangi is to he played at Stratford. Customarily an all-day fixture, the match will probably start at 10.30 a.m., and though the wishes of the visitors will have to he given consideration, at this juncture it appears practically certain that the game will he played on a matting wicket. A New Plymouth team such as Old Boys would he distinctly handicapped by being forced to play on matting owing to five fact that matches in New Plymouth are played on turf, but as Country Association teams play on both types of wicket, their team would not. bo so handicapped.