HOCKEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12407, 27 August 1918, Page 4

HOCKEY.

NOTES. (By " CENTRE-HALF.”) , Practically all competitions were finished on Saturday, tho Third Grado being the only one requiring any further matches.

The Senior,competition was closed some time ago, Solwyn winning with 10 points ill ten matches. The Junior Grade competition was closed, and a, fresh competition formed with tho teams regraded, Sehvyn and Ohmtohurch being promoted from Hurd Grade, and Cranford going down to Third Grade. Sydenham won the first competition, and at tho close of the first round in the second competition, which ended last Saturday week, they tied with Technical, both teams defeated once. In tho play-off last Saturday Sydenham had an easy win by three goals to nil, thus winning both Junior competitions. Christchurch won the first Third Grade competition with six wins in six matches, Sydenham A and Technical A being second with 5J points each, in seven and six matches respectively. Christchurch were promoted to Second Grade for the second competition, and in the second competition Oxford Terraco, are loading with 4$ points in five matches, but Sydenham have 3J points in four matches, having 1 a match to play against Technical B, which will give them a chance of tying with Oxford Terrace. This match will be played at Sydenham Park on Saturday next at 2 p.m., to allow tho players time to go to the representative match afterwards. Should Sydenham win there will be .a play-off with Oxford Terrace to arrange. In the Fourth Grade Selwyn won with 5i points in .six matches, Sydenham being second with 3 points in six matches. A good deal of discussion is taking place in regard to tho status of school players, and there appears to_ he some confusion as to what constitutes a duly qualified player in the Fourth Grade, or schools’ competition. From what I can gather the trouble has arisen over the dropping of one grade ou account of lack of entries.

Whon the schools’ competitions was inaugurated it was the Fifth Grade, or schools’ competitions, and tho Fourth Grade competition catered for the hoy who was attending a secondary school for his second or third year. But now that, tho Fifth Grade has been dropped the Fourth Grade has developed into a mix-up between tho original Fourth Grade competition and the schools. At thejg commencement of last season a monon was placed on tho books of tho association to the effect that hoys playing in tlie schools' competition must play for the school they attend, and therein lies the trouble. Tinder that motion a boy may be attending a suburban primary school and he attached to a club for one or two years, hut when ho pains his proficiency and goes to the. Technical College or any secondary school he must leave tho club that has practically brought him into the hockey world and play for the school against his old club. To my mind the motion is ridiculous and is calculated to drive a lot of useful and promising lads into other branches of sport. The secondary school side of tho question has also to he considered, as it is hardly fair for the schools or colleges to provide playing areas for boys who are only going to play for the school when it suits them. However, I believe the matter will he thrashed out shortly and a decision will be arrived at that will satisfactorily settle the question. Now that the selectors of the representatives to play against Auckland on Saturday next have made their final selection, tho usual crop of know-alls is coming up, -and it is amusing to hear some of the would-be experts explaining their reasons for not naming their particular, fancies before. Ignoring all critics and others, there is no doubt that the A team, as played in the socoud spell on Saturday, showed bettei hockey than any team that we have seen so far,_ even granting that one of tho hades in the B team was not. a solid trier. W. Bell was tho change made in tho front rank, he taking Smith’s place as left inside, where he played such a good game that he made one wonder why tho selectors had not put him in before. I, with many others, no doubt, held tho opinion that he was too young for a representative team, and also I doubted if he could keep up the pace right through a good hard fast game. However, he played so well as to justify his selection. H. Bell played better than he had done previously, but ho has uot tho ginger of tho rest of the line. Many favour S. Morris in tho centre position, but I am inclined to think that he would weaken the combination. Still, there ’a no disputing the fact that Technical were the nmners-np in tho Senior Grade competition, 'and Morris was reckoned as tho best in tho forward line. His main trouble is that he is too eager to keep in the game all tho time, instead of letting the inside, men do their share. Holland and Patrick, tho left and right wings respectively, played a fine game, and the centring from both sides left the question of getting goals an easy matter. Morris who was the doubtful party in the half line, was an improvement on his previous play, and his feeding was more heady than usual. Duffield and Pascoe are past masters in the art of back tackling, and they held up tho opposing forwards time and again. Ri x and Soper make a good pair of backs and 1 think a fast game will suit thorn. Tho selectors made a mistake in not shifting Robb to the opposite goal if only for the sake of giving him practice, as he, had little or notliimr to do as it was. “