FROM FIELD. FLOOD. AND RING .

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18617, 12 July 1930, Page 16

FROM FIELD. FLOOD. AND RING .

Referring to the Maori boxer, Pickrang, a Sydney writer says:—"He lacks Initiative, and his brain is simply incapable of snapping a message to his fists. Of course, I realise that he is little more than a novice, and on that fact his salvation may rest. I think there is the makings of a fighter in him. My advice to him is to immediately place hiself in the hands of a competent tutor. Dave Smith would be an ideal man. A couple of months with the did master might easily start Pickrang climbing to the Australian heavy-weight throne. At present he is using a football set of brains in a game where there are no scrums—or forward passes.”

According to the "New Zealand Referee,” Reg Trowern fought like a little champion against Wally Hancock at Wellington, and reproduced all the brilliancy he was capable of showing in the days gone by when he and Purdy fought their battles in various parts of the country. He is still a great little fighting machine and a real crowdpleaser. It may be added that is now seems very much on the cards that some association will endeavour to stage a bout between Trowern and Hay for the welter-weight title, and another bout between Morgan and Trowern. The last time Hay and Trowern met, Hay won on points, but in view of Trowern’s return to form the issue now would probably be very open.

Hornibrook’s success is a strikingly severe comment on the hastiness of expert critics in Ehgland and the incompetence of expert selectors in Australia (says a Sydney writer). These carefully-seeded selectors, critics, and experts are, in my opinion, the worst trustees that could be chosen in the true interests of the sport—cricket in this instance. Here is Hornibrook, proviously despised, now confounding the critics and experts who rejected him in his prime. What a tragedy was enacted when Hornibrook, Kippax, and V. Richardson were omitted from the 1926 team! Cricket’s recording angels wept! But precisely similar treatment was meted out by experts to many others from the days of Syd. Deane, Albert Trott, and ‘Sunny Jim” Mac Kay, not to mention Frank Johnson, J. F. Giller, E. F. Waddy, R. K. Oxenham, and others. Public opinion selected Clem Hill, V. Trumper, and J. J. Kelly, after non-selection by their associates and peers.

Max Schmeling, the new world's champion, is 24 years of age, 6ft lin in height, and weighs about 13.8. He went to America in 1928 without flourish of trumpets, having previously lost a decision to Gypsy Daniels. But Schmeling won almost instant recognition in the States when he defeated two such experienced fighters as oekyra and Johnny Risko. Later, he decisively defeated the tough Basque fighter Uzcudun, and so satisfied were the authorities of his quality that they promised him a fight with Phil Scott, the winner to meet Sharkey for the title. Trouble with contending managers robbed Schmeling of his chance against Scott, but the Commission

agreed to match Scott and Sharkey, with the understanding that the winner meet Schmeling for the title. Of him. Tommy Loughran says: “Let it be said for the Black Uhlan that he has one of the best right hands in the game, but his left has not yet been developed to the proper point. He is not quite at home at infighting or along the ropes, but this will come with experience and the proper sort of teaching. Schmeling has youth, ruggedness, a deadly punch, ambition, and fighting instinct. Besides this he has Dempsey’s weaving, bobbing style, which makes him hard to hit. There are none among the younger contenders within recent months who have as much natural ability.”

Swimming has never been so popular in Victoria as it became last season. New , modernly-constructed pools at Brunswick, Footscray, and the improvement of the Melbourne City Baths, plus the enthusiasm qf Secretary A. W. Fawcett and Melbourne Councillor Frank Beaurepaire, were responsible. During last season trophies to the value of over £I.OOO were competed for, and the crop of young swimmers coming on augurs well for Victoria’s prospects of regaining the Kieran Shield next season. Since his election as a Melbourne city councillor, ex-world’s champion. Frank Beaurepaire, now a successful business man. has done wonderful work for his favourite sport. Thanks to his endeavours, much money has been spent on the construction of new pools and the remodelling of existing pools, and to-day Melbourne swimmers are far better catered for as regards up-to-date baths than those of any city in Australasia.

"Why do boxers have managers? They seem to be a useless lot of things,” asked Mr Justice Charles, in the King's Bench Division, recently. Harry Mason, the welter-weight boxer, who was giving evidence, replied. ••Usually people think that boxers are just an ignorant lot of men; that they are all just "boobs.” and we have no business heads at all. A boxer can’t do two things. He can’t do his business and fight.” This was one of many interesting sallies in the course of the hearing of the action brought by Joe Morris against Harry Mason, arising out of Mason's fight with Jack Hood, the welter-weight champion, at the Royal Albert Hall, on March 20. Mor-

ris claimed an injunction restraining Mason from entering into engagements not procured for him by Morris, until January 11, 1931. without obtaining his sanction, and damages for breach of agreement.

The West Indies cricket team has a few remarkable batsmen, the most extraordinary of whom is G. Headley, who made four centuries in the four tests against the M.C.C. team, aggregating 703 runs and averaging 87. Headley is only twenty-one years of age.

Miss Mercedes Gleitze, the English distance swimmer, who has announced her intention of attempting to swim Cook Strait, after an attempt at Moray Firth, on the north-east coast of Scotland, a distance of eleven miles, should succeed in her mission. Mercedes Gleitze’6 performances stamp her as one of the world’s most famous and plucky swimmers. On October 6 and 7, 1927, when twenty-four, this splendid English girl gained the distinction of being the first British woman to swim the English Channel, crossing from Cape Grisnez to Chalk Rocks in fifteen and a-quarter hours after failing in eight previous attempts. After two unsuccessful attempts she succeeded in swimming the Straits of Gibraltar, and in her third attempt swam the Wash Lincolnshire from Boston Snettisham, covering thirty miles in thirteen and a-half hours. Miss Gleitze twice failed in attempts to swim the Irish Sea. Although the temperature of the water in Cook Strait is cold, It is not so cold as it is in the English Channel, and the crossing of approximately nineteen miles should be within her powers.

Andrew ("Boy”) Charlton, the greatest distance swimmer of this day in the world, was to have become a sheep station owner, but his plans for this, it is stated, have gone astray. Ever since Charlton came into the limelight it was understood that he was to be sent upon the land by his grandfather, the late Andrew Howard Moore. When Charlton returned from the Olympic Games in 1924 little else was talked of in the family, and among the presents showered Charlton was a pedigree pig from a Tasmanian admirer. Charlton went up to M'Kellar’S station at Gunnedah to learn the sheep business, and only came to the city to complete when his grandfather consented. If his grandfather opposed a proposition, that, it is declared, was sufficient for Andrew. While he was preparing for his races in Sydney with the Japanese champion Takaishi, an American business man made overtures for a rich tour in America for Charlton, which proved abortive. The matter was referred to Mr Moore, who was opposed to it, though the American offered to guarantee as much aS 40,000 dollars (£8,000). Recently the late Mr Moore’s will was published, showing that he left over £24,000, but after all the provisions have been carried out, Charlton, it is expected, will receive only about £9OO.

Basing its opinions very largely on an interview with Harold Gilligan, after his return from the M.C.C. team's tour of the dominion, the ‘Cricketer Spring Annua, anticipates that when the New Zealand cricket team visits England next year it will be team’s form. "The New Zealand batting appears to be strong,” it says, “but the bowling is, at the moment, below international standard, the fielding came in for considerable criticism. That the general standard of play throughout the islands has made an advance there can be little doubt, but, except, in the test matches, the placing of the field was none too good, and the bowlers suffered accordingly. The umpiring, apart from the tests, was only moderate.”

Queensland swimming officials are intensely dissatisfied with the selection of ex-New Zealand champion W. Cameron, now a member of East Sydney Club (N.S.W.), in preference to Reg. Grier, Australian 220yds. and 440yds. champion, and holder of the best by an Australian record if 54 2-s«ec. for 100 yards.

The proposed contest between Hector Leckie and Glen Leslie has been cancelled, and Leckie is still awaiting a fight in defence of his light-weight crown. There is a death of lightweights at the present time, but some of the feather-weight importations may be stacked up against Leckie in the near future, for at the most Hector does not scale much more than a junior light-weight.

Walker’s -wicket-keeping has been magnificent (writes "Plum” Warner). He is regarded in England as equal, if not superior to Oldfield, which is a high compliment.

Among Australian batsmen W. Bardsley has scored the greater number of centuries in first-class cricket—namely 56. C. G. Macartney is next with 52, following by Clem Hill 45 and Victor Trumper 43.

Maurice J. Turnbull, who was a member of the M.C.C. team in New Zealand last cricket season, but who did not show his true form in this country, is now captaining Glamorgan County. He is reported to be a big success as a county captain. In the 1929 season at Home he captained the Cambridge University team.

If the present plans of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association reach maturity Australia will have the opportunity of seeing in action Paavo Nurmi, the famous Finnish distance champion runner (6ays the "Sporting Globe”). Last week Mr H. R. Weir, hon. general secretary, V.A.A.A., was informed through a private source that Nurmi had agreed to visit Australia next track season, provided that an official invitation was extended to him and satisfactory arrangements made. Mr Weir immediately sought the sanction of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia to open negotiations with Nurmi, and if successful to conduct and control the tour of the Commonwealth. The necessary permission has been granted, and so the first step in securing the visit from this superathlete has been accomplished.

From the "Rugby Adviser”:—Taking a rammer to consolidate the soil on one of the tennis courts in the Warwick Municipal Grounds, the superintendent groundsman had a startling experience. The rammer left his grasp and went down a depth of about 6ft. into the ground. As he threw himself backwards the earth collapsed. A cavity was revealed roughly 4ft square, which began only a foot beneath the surface of the 'adjoining turf. How the hole came to be there is a mystery.

Despite the fact that Bonnie Mealing would almost certainly win the backstroke crown where she to compete at the Empire Games at Canada during August, the Australian champion and world’s record breaker is not likely to visit the Dominion, even though New South Wales Ladies’ A.S.A. • be willing to do all in its power to finance the tour (says a Sydney writer). Miss Mealing, who is now a member of the "Referee” staff, has just commenced her business career, and her parents consider that it would be to the young champion’s detriment were she to be so long absent from her employment, so soon after settling down to earn her living. All going well, Bonnie Mealing will be available for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932.