HIGHLIGHTS OF HOCKEY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1935, Page 10

HIGHLIGHTS OF HOCKEY

VISIT OF INDIAN TEAM GAME ALLOCATED TO ELTHAM. AN EARLIER TOUR RECALLED. (By “Sticks.”) It is not often that the Taranaki public has an opportunity of seeing even inter-provincial hockey games, apart altogether from those of national standard. For that reason the visit of the All-India touring team on July 4 will be the central event in hockey circles this year. The fixture, if the weather favours it, should prove an education, with permanent effect on Taranaki play. It is unfortunate from one point of view that the match had to be reallotted from New Plymouth to Eltham. Central and South Taranaki have a strong following in hockey and the north badly needs the extra fillip of interest that a first-class game would give. Jn spite of obvious advantages of holding the match at New Plymouth, however, the hockey coterie there did not feel justified in- accepting the conditions imposed by the New Zealand association, which asked a £5O guarantee. Guarantors were not lacking, but in view of the match being scheduled for a Thursday and of the doubtful nature Of ' its' reception should the weather be wet the New Plymouth centre, which is far too small a group to rely for support entirely on. its own membership, felt it the better part of valour to refuse the allocation. Though Taranaki may r.egret that the contest will not be staged at Pukekura Park, the centre could scarcely adopt other than the prudent course. The last visit to New Zealand of an Indian team was in 1926, when three, tests were played against the Dominion representatives. Though the visitors lost the decision it could not in all fairness be attributed to their inferiority. New Zealand grounds, even the best of them, are slow and rather rough compared with the-best overseas. Accustomed to fields ; with surfaces hard arid true as a billiard - table, the Indians never completely settled down to the complete reversal in tactics that was necessary if .they were to | triumph over the altered conditions. Nevertheless to those who were lucky enough to see any of them the tests must remain the highlights of New Zealand hockey. The Indians were artists on the field. There was riever a red tunic out of position and scarcely a hit went further than 10 yards. Short, quick passing between eleven men who moved as a perfectly co-ordinated machine was their speciality, and their stickwork was so polished in conception and so neat in execution that they often seemed more like conjurors than .hockey players; One ball in every two was taken- and hit in the air, caught by the next man'and tossed' down the line. ' " ■' ‘..; ' Again and again the red line of forwards opened up and raced down the field. Again and again heroic individual. work on the part of the New Zealanders broke up the attack and a crashing 'hit sent the ball momentarilyopt of danger. each time the tenuous red ' line reformed and came back, .The All Black opposition ■ fought' magnificently but it played not at hockey but at hitting. The brains and finesse were with the Indians.