ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

UNFORTUNATE FOURTH TEST.

CRICKET ABANDONED IN RAIN. , (Special to Newe.) London, July 31. The fourth Tost match was favoured by only two fine days, and it had to be abaridoned without even England’s first innings being completed. Truly Manchester, which was once described by Gilbert Jessop as “England's inland watering place.” lived up to its reputation. So the rubber is still in doubt. Each team has one victory to its credit. But the fifth and final Tgst will definitely settle the destination" of the Ashes, for it is to be played to a finish, nor matter how bad the weather may be, or how long it drags on. I believe the Australians regard the position as favouring them. They fancy themselves in a game which has no time-limit,, and throughout, the season they have shown that they are more adaptable to this kind of cricket than English players. The match at Old Trafford, famous fpr many historic encounters with the Australians during the past 40 years, underwent niany changes, and at the finish the visitors held a slight advantage. They scored 345, and, when stumps were drawn with the pitch hopelessly soaked by rain,- : England had replied with 251 for the loss of eight wickets. As they stand as the final record of the match, I think these figures are a. little misleading. For instance, on the third day the match was : resumed for three-quarters of an hour when the. conditions were inot fit for play.’ But the ground had been full from early morning, and 1 am certain that it was only to reward the patience of the spectators ' that the umpires were persuaded to let the game continue. Not only was the pitch in a wretched state, but the light was very bad; and the batsmen were seriously handicapped. In the circumstances, it was not surprising that three were out for the addition of about thirty runs. I Without this short day’s play/. the match ran on fairly even lines. At the same time, the display of England' was disappointing, inasmuch as they built up a very Strong position, and failed to hang on to, it. For once young Don Bradman failed. Against the ordinary, type of bowling he had been supreme, and the experiment of introducing to. him the young Oxford Blue, lan Peebles, a leg-break bowler who commands the googlie, was astonishingly successful. Bradman, with the ball turning, was a very different batsmen from the one we had previously seen. He was immediately put on the defensive, and he could make little of Peebles,’ puzzling deliveries. The result was that he was out for 14, and his speedy dismissal reacted in a very marked way on the Australians as- well as on Chapman and his. men. Eight men were.out for 247, anti it was thought that the “rabbits” to come would not add many to the total. .STRONG IN -THE TAIL; But Grimmett and Fairfax, playing extraordinarily well, put on 87, batting for two hours, and the final score reached 345. It was 70 or 80 more’than could have been expected, and it meant that, if England were to have a chance df winning, they would have to force the pace. In making the attempt all went well with Hobbs and Sutcliffe, who were associated in their eleventh century partnership for England. Sutcliffe was brilliant. He went out to Grimmest, and knocked' him off, and no other batsman had succeeded in doing that. ' Hobbs was. completely overshadowed. When the Yorkshireman reached his 50, his partner’s score was only thirteen. But Hoobs had been struck in the stomach by a rising ball from Wall, and this, no doubt, slowed him down. Later he, too, joined in the hitting, and it was in having a go at a bad ball from Wall that', he was caught behind the wicket. Soon-after, with his own score? at, 74, Sutcliffe was out to another long'-fibp from the fa'bt bowler, which he tried to yhit for six. Unfortunately, the ball did not quite carry over the boundary, ,and he was caught on the edge by Bradman. Still another reverse followed, when - Hammond played on to Wall.' Thue three wickets fell for eleven runs, and the fine beginning was completely ruined. Duleepsinhji and Leyland had to 'start all over again to try and put England on top. The young Indian batsman played just as brilliantly as' Sutcliffe, but, as the score began to move along, he became ■ less cautious, and had to pay the penalty. England undoubtedly played the correct game to give them a chance to win, but it was not the safe one, and what the: result would.have been, had the match been played out without interruption, it is hard to say. But the Australians would be bound to derive . a deal of satisfaction from the run of the play, and encouragement as well that for once they were not dependent on either, Bradman or Grimmett. . As I have said the former made few runs, and Grimmett did not take a single wicket. The rubber Test is to take place (it the Oval, which for many years has always been exceptionally favourable to run-getting. I think it is largely 1 on this account that the Australians are so very hopeful. BOXING AND BOXERS. SCOTT’S SORRY FAILURE. . It is difficult to write about Scott’s sorry failure against Stribling (writes Eugene Corri; without*appearing to b® harsh. But plain-speaking is demanded after'the wretched fiasco at Wimbledon. Scott has very definitely put himself out of the running for a second contest for the world’s championship. I have ever been conscious of the limitations of Scott, but I never dreamed that they were so marked a* they were shown to be last Monday night. It was hard to realise that Scott was of championship rank, and that he in .any sort of way appreciated the importance of his fight with Stribling. He came into the ring without any show of confidence. From the time that a fighting attitude was struck, one could tell by a mere glance at the men that there was an enormous difference in favour of the American. Stribling simply revelled in fitness. It was as though Scott had taken the ring at shortest notice. The result was inevitable. It was no match, and we must again confess that boxing, as it has home to be done by our heavyweights, is unbelievably poor. It seemed to me that, eo eoon as Stribling really unloosed himself, he had Scott in his pocket. Gone was the defence which we have for so long said was Scott’s long suit. It was incredibly easy for Stribling to take the inside position, and the very first blow that Stribling drove to the body had Scott crumpled up almost entirely. He either 'saw stars the first time he was punched, or he was utterly unable to attune his mind to his job. I do not propose to enlarge upon details. You are, no doubt, well acquainted with them. It is enough to say that there was no more than 5 minutes 35 seconds of actual fighting, and in that short

apace of time Scott did not land a blow on the American that really mattered. I almost suspected that Stribling felt that he could end it all 60 eooii as he pleased, so ridiculously easy was it for him.Whether Scott was actually badly hurt, he himself may best be able to decide, but, as I saw things, I am bound to say that I was surprised that our champion turned turtle as quickly as he did. He' did not seem to have the least stomach for body blows. And, though I would never be cruel, or in any way unjust, I feel it a duty to my readers to say that in my opinion Scott was far from being physically fit. TOO SUSCEPTIBLE. If he was, then, for a fighter of his standing; he is most susceptible to blows which were nothing like the ribsnorters you expect from a heavyweight of high degree. The result of the fight, if fight it may be called, was poor recompense to the thousands who paid.their money to see it. It was, in fact, no recompense at all. Ou the contrary, it made one feel that the swift termination of the fight, and the character of it, must hurt boxing in this country. We who are wedded to the ring are disposed to philosophise, and accept all that comes more or less as a matter of course. But there is a tremendous public for boxing, and, if there does not soon come an end to the travesties perpetrated by those of -the big brigade, people will lose their interest t in the game. I ■ People arc not going to pay pounds to witness something that is remote from fighting, as fighting, is popularly understood. There is cer-taiiily no room for surprise that heavyweights are judged to be the poorest specimens of the°riug.- If I were to write from now until : Doomsday, however, I'doubt that I should be able to convincel the big brigade-of their deficiences. They have got the notion firmly planted that they need but show themselves to be paid what, in liiy more youthful days, would have 1 been considered to be a handsome fortune. ■ ' i : : . jn my articles by- way- of anticipating, the fight at Wimbledon, I stressed the- fact that in meeting Stribling Scott' would find in him the best heavyweight he' had ever encountered, and that the need for a long and rigorous preparation was vital. Nothing will convince me that Scott took long enough to get thoroughly keyed up. At the most he allowed himself a-fortnight to get' into trim. Which was to pay no sort' of compliment 'to' Stribling, who, from the first time he came into the business, has seen to it that he was as near as possible always in perfect fighting shape. I cannot for the life of me understand from what angle Scott approached the fight, if he thought that by his defence he would - wear down '-Stribling, he was entirely ignorant of the kind of man with whom he had been matched. I saw enough, when Stribling fought Camera, to be sure that, when the American was all out, he was the most formidable Of present-day heavyweights. There is no more crafty big fellow. And, if he is given a chance, I do not see how he can fail to win the title which Max Schmeling claims as his very own, Jeff Dickson is, of course, using every effort to get Stribling and Schmeling matched at the earliest opportunity. He is prepared to pay handsomely for a fight between the pair, but somehow I■ fear that the German will be a difficult man to get into the ring. There is‘some(talk of .- the possibility of Stribling and Camera fighting at Madison Square Gardens on August 13. Stribling will not mind in the . least taking another crack at the Italian, but it is necessary for a mountain - of trouble-.to he removed, before ,a fight, having a definite bearing on the title ipay- be staged. . . STRIBLING’S FUTURE. . The obvious thing, of course, would be. for Schmeling to fight Stribling, but, from what I am given to, understand, the last word will be-with the manager "or managers of the German. How these managers do make for difficulties! Stribling, on the 'day following the Wimbledon'fiasco, was not for shaping any plans for the immediate future, buf it may be taken pretty well for granted that, if- Schmeling will not toe-the line, he will be in action again before little more'than a month'has gone. •’ As for Scott, he is, at the moment of writing, all for retiring. Without meaning any offence, I'am sure thal would 'be the best thing for him to do. As fighters go he is no chicken, and he will not deny that he has had many and generous opportunities. Considering all, things he has, in a financial sense, done more'than passably well. Most of us would count him to be well off. For one whom nature has so richly. endowed he ha missed the boat in a very surprising fashion. If his morale has not been irreparably hurt by his failure at Wimbledon, . then he is a very extraordinary man. I feel it has, and, if I am right in my deduction- it would: be more than tragic to see him striving for that which he may never achieve. You will have seen, or read that Joe Beckett, who was at the rjngside last Monday, declared , his readiness to'fight Stribling. Of course he Will not be taken seriously. Joe may be said to have come to the end of his tether when > he passed out in almost record time in his second fight with Carpentier. I sincerely hope that neither Beckett nor yet: any of the Has Beens will be resurrected. We want no repetitions of the Wimbledon happening. What we do want is a heavyweight champion of real ability, and one who means to fight, without ceasing, until he has rer.ched the top of the tree. I hope we have seen the last farce of all. The fight last Monday has- left me sad. It was, from our point of view, top pitiable for words. THE DAVIS CUP FINAL. FRANCE DEFEATS AMERICA. France first won the Davis Cup in 1927, and is still in possession of it, having once more successfully repelled the strong challenge of, America. As I expected, Tilden could not resist tne appeal miade to him to come out ot his retirement and assist in the attempt to capture the trophy. It was the only way to give America chance. But, before he would agree, the authorities had to suspend those restrictions wtnc:i, had he accepted them, would have prevented him following his profession as a- journalist. “If I play I shall write,” said Tilden, and he had his way. It was believed that the result would be decided by the meeting of Tilden and Cochet, but France made victory certain before it wag the turn of these great rivals to go into court. Tilden played his part splendidly by winning the first match against Borotra, and, again as was expected, this success was counterbalanced by Cochet winning his match. Then came the doubles, and in this America relied on J. Van Ryn and W. Allison, who had retained their championship at Wimbledon, and as a pair were rated champions of the world. Theyswere opposed by Cochet and J. Bruguon, and the Frenchmen rose to thc occasion in great style, winning the first two and the fourth sets. This gave France an unexpected lead, and Borotra drove it home by overcoming Lott in the third single. This match was played on a Sunday, and with the prospect

of also seeing Cochet and Tilden in court, amazing scenes were seen at the ground at Auteuil. There was accomodation for 20,000 people, but 30,000 tried to gain admission, and the ai - rangements foi 7 . controlling ,the crowds completely broke down. In the crush women had their frocks almost torn from their backs, and one had her leg broken. In this setting Borotra and Lott- played a sensational match, which was level at two sets all and six all in f final set. Then, however, Borotra broke through Lott’s service, and went on to win. THE DONCASTER ST. LEGER. ENGLISH' THREE-YEAR-OLDS. (By “Centaur.”—Special to News.) London, July 31. The end of Goodwood’s programme almost synchronised with the publication of the weights for the Cesarewiteh and Cambridgeshire, and while the completion of the “Sussex fortnight” brings us to a quiet period of racing, we yet have the slight entertainment of antepost betting on the Autumn double. This state of, affairs'arises year after year, and one. merely reflects upon the . passing of time when the annual demand is made upon one’s memory. There is still the opportunity to refer : to the race for the last classic of , the seaso,n, the St. Leger at Doncaster. True,' this event does not hold *ut any really bright promise at the moment, but for the entertainment of my friends I am appending the betting as now quoted by ante-post layers:—s Blenheim, 6 Diolite, 7 Parenthesis, -10 Rock Star, 100-6 Seer, 20 Raineses the Second, Singapore, 33 to 1 others. Let me at once that Blenheims price is purely a formal one, in that he is most unlikely to go to the post at Doncaster; at least, that is what we haV'e been told. There seems to be no real authority behind the statement, which came about as a result of the Derby winners mishap just before the Eclipse Stakes. In due course the situation will no doubt be made plainer, but it occurs to me that if there is no possibility -of Blenheim being saddled next month he should at once be struck out of the rac' - -■ Assuming, as one is compelled to do, : absence of Blenheim at Doncaster, then the race takes on an .entirely different aspect.. Diolite, for instance, would have very much less to do. As was made plain in the Derby at Epsom, Diolite must finish near Blenheim whenever they meet again, so, if the latter absents in the Leger, the other automatically “goes up one” in the window dressing display. I learn, moreover, ■ that Diolite ’ has- continued to make quite the regulation progress throughout 'the summer, so all going conditions are now ideal—Sir H. Hirst’s colt is assured of firm support bn the day of the race. He must, as already urged, be a good favourite with every justification, if the Aga Khan's colt is not iii the field.. Rock Star, who Won the Irish Derby, is’ known to' be having a special preparation for Doncaster, and, while he is a plain-looking' individual, he undoubtedly possesses the right sort of stamina ■for the job on- Town Moor. What is more,- lie can be exercised with some fine handicap, stayers, and it is impossible - for his Epsoni trainer, W. Nightingale, to make any serious take over his ability. These rough; and ready horses sometimes do well in the St. Leger, and that is one of my reasons for hoping that Rock Star will credit-Sir M Wilson' ('‘Scatters”) with at least a good rim. . ' It is a pity that colts like Pinxit (Sir-C'has.-Hyde) and Press Gang (Lord Wodlavington)' are not' in the Leger, but Parenthesis' can do duty for the stable of the latter.’ There is no doubt about the' bona fide faith reposed in Parenthesis for the last classic, but ev^n'sb, I think lie ' iViIT need' to have trained on quite an abnormal amount to have any chance. At his present price he certainly does not appeal to me. ’ ' Rameses the' Second hails from the famous Manton stable, and at Goodwood we saw him just beat Singapore (gave .10 lb.) over one mile and a half. I realize that Raineses' the Second, a big lumbersome colt, is training on nicely, but still believe that Singapore, in the colours of Lord Glanely, will beat him at Doncaster. Lord Glanely won the Oaks with Rose of England, and, in view of the ability displayed by Singapore at Goodwood, it would not surprise me in the least to see him win the St. Leger. At all events Singapore stands as my latest revised selection for the classic, and as long as he keeps well I am not likely to change it. . < . ■ .J . A BIG AUTUMN HANDICAP. CESAREWITCH PROSPECTS. (By '■Centaur.”—Special to News.) London, Aug. ,7. Early notes on the autumn double arc quite often as. sound as ideas framed when the actual numbers are hoisted on the day of the races,'and, with that contention iu mind, let me . proceed to review the events. For the Cesarewiteh (run on October 15) there is an entry of 115, including three winners of the race in previous years—Arctic Star, West Wicklow and Eagle's Pride. While they are by no means ancient lights, we must remember that no horse has ever won the race twice, and I think there are better ones in the contest this time. Arctic Star, for instance, may not be so good as his . near relation Arctic Light (by Achtoi), who, while he was contesting mile races, earlier in the year, has \now been tried to stay, and is, moreover, one of the most insistent tips for the longdistance race at the time of writing. First of all, therefore, we must keep, Arctic Light in . mind, and in addition there are exceedingly well-founded tips

for such as Friendship (second last year), Medarlin (second not long ago in the Goodwood Stakes), Trimdon (a fine stayer from the Manton stable); Rubicon 11. (a bad tempered horse but a good stayerj, Riehborough (in the same ownership as West Y\ icklow). Old Orkney (certain to be near the top of the handicap) and Brown Jack (assured of a top impost). 1 ought, perhaps, to have said that Arctic Light is, to all intents and purposes, in the same interest as Arctic Star, though nominated by a different owner. Lord Derby is the owner of West Wicklow and Richborough, and the “selected” ot this pair —fine, natural stayers —Will naturally not lack friends on the important day.

It was easy for most of us to anticipate the Cesarewiteh entry, and I do so to the extent that 1 accepted 500'to five against Friendship a few weeks before the nominations were known. Maybe 1 have found the winner; more likely not. Yet I fee) certain of a fairish run from this horse (who, by the way, is still a maiden) of Mr. Jack Joel’s. He has not done much since his second of last year, but for that , matter has not been asked to do a lot. One would hardly have expectedly him, for instance, to win the Ascot’ Gold Cup on weight-for-age terms with a horse like Bosworth. Still, as I saw with ray own eyes, Friendship ran really well, and that was my reason for backing him to win the .Cesarewiteh He is a real good-looker, possessing all the attributes of a race--1 orse that stays. i I know very little about the big

French entry, but I suppose they will be whittled down as the weeks go by. Weights are not due for another month from the time of writing. ■ There are 120 horses in the Cambridgeshire, including some of the, best milers in training. One notes, for instance, the One Thousand Guineas winner-Fair Isle, who would assuredly take a jot of beating if she were handicapped/yyitli any sort of chance. Paradine is-another 3-vear-old of much merit, _ w;hose. chance will be widely esteemed if- lie -goes to the post, while another of the. same age in The Recorder (a winner at Ascot and Goodwood) is a worthy representative from the Bcckhampton stable of F ( . Darling. Other early tips for , the' race include Ghost Train, Vatout (who ran so well last year), Midlothian .(a rogue). Palais Royal II- and Racedale.- . It. can be seen that the scope of. backers is tremendous. .