WORLD OF SPORT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17572, 24 June 1925, Page 11

WORLD OF SPORT.

CRICKET AND TENNIS. “ A SERENE GOLFER.” (Special io the “ Star.’ - ) 1.0.N00N, May 21. There was a fear that the cricketers who had been to Australia would be tired and stale when they resumed the game at home, but AYoolley has already made a double century in his mo-st dashing style, Hobbs has twice made a hundred, J. IV. Hearn® has played a splendid innings for Middlesex, and Tate is getting wickets in his old facile manner. The one batsman of Giliigan's touring side who has so far failed to find his form is Sutcliffe, th© Yorkshires, an. who was the hero of the Test matches in Australia. Hobbs's batting lias been the outstanding feature of the season to date. "When other men have been troubled by the turning ball on the rain-affect cd pitches, lie lias exercised his masterly command over it, and has scored runs freely and consistently. The Surrey crack has still one ambition to achieve. 'J his is to beat the record of centuries set up by AV. G. Grace. The Grand Old .Man made as many as 1*26, and Hobbs has now 116 to his credit. So lie requires eleven more, and though it is a considerable number, provided his health remains good, ho has undoubtedly a good clianco of setting up a record that may never again he approached. It, is no secret, that every time h© goes to the wicket, Hobbs has a century in view. His latest, was against Warwickshire at the Oval, and it was significant that, as soon as he reached three figures, he began to flog th© bowling and take risks as though lie were ready to return to the pavilion. Already there is evidence of the unfair working of the championship. Lancashire have only played two games, winning one. and drawing th® other when bad weather prevented them forcing the game to a definite dDnclusjon. Though they were not responsible for the circumstances, th©y are penalised as much as 20 per cent. Compare th® experience of Yorkshire. Tlieir match with Glamorgan was ruined by rain, but, in this case, after they had got their opponents out cheaply, .’and they had begun their own innings before rain started to fall, with the result that there was no further play j u the match. Thus the fixture was ignored in the championship. and Yorkshire, having won their other three games, maintained their 300 per cent record. Surrey and Kent have the same record. Middlesex made full atonement, for their unexpected defeat by Essex at Lords, in the return gam© at Leyton. The wicket was taster than nny‘that had previously been played on, and the Essex batsmen were all at sea in timing the bowling of Durston. Thus, when they were expected to make a good score, they were all out for lIS.

Durston. who kept up a. splendid pace, captured live wickets lor twelve runs. Middlesex, on the other hand, iouud runs easy to male©, and though they lost on© man quickly. G. T. S. Stevens, who had the distinction ol playing tor tho Gentlemen against i he I ’layers at tho ago of IS. and .1. TV. Tien,no c-ot-huod tho boiling and raised the score io tr.or i ivo hundred, lit'"' amateur making 113 and Hearns 94. Altogether Middlesex compiled 372 and Essex were beaten by an innings and 20 runs. INTERNATIONAL I.AWX TENNIS. jnnvn tennis is heating all records as an international game. On one dnv this week as many as ten nations were taking part in Davis Cup matches, 1 tt terms repi sss nnng < < - Britain, Poland, Holland, taec.mSl.teakia, Belgium. India. Ireland. Austria. Sweden, ami Sniper and I ndy has the gam© spread its frontiers.. over the world. h nhapptly, the o is no prospect at present ot our eliampiona regaining their supremacy owing to the war having retarded toe ptogvcs.s of th© young players. Iml. the outlook is more encouraging than it was two or three years ago. when the veteran had to ho relied upon. )liremarkable growlh of hard-court._ play lias undoubtedly improved tho position, and, though we may liavo U> wait some time before another I>oh<M t\ ’s discovered, th© voting players arc advancing. The first of tho grass court tournaments is now in progress; and it is to b© a very busy season. in addition to the championships at Wimbledon, there is to be a match octween England ami America at Eastbourne. And besides that, there is already a team of Australian ladies her®, and they also arc to bo met in a match. Before these two fixtures arc plaved, British representatives are to take part in tho French championships at St Cloud. Baris. The players rhoson are (’. G. Eamcs. G. R. O. Crol© Bees, Miss K. M’Kanr, Mrs MTlquham, Alias E. J.- Culver, and Miss E. H. Harvey. At tho end of th© first-class tournament season, an English women’s team is to visit Canada. and America. Two players already selected for this tour arc Airs Lambert Chan-biers, who will bo the captain, and Miss AUKane. TRIUMPH OF MISS A YETI 1 EKED. America sent her best woman golfer

to challenge for tlie British championship. .Indeed, Miss Glcnnn Collett, has been' proclaimed the cleverest girl player America lias so far produced. But there was strong faith Iliac Miss' Joyce Wcthcred, even though no one else intervened, would keep tho cup safely in this country, and expectations have been realised. Miss Collett, a charmingly modest girl of twenty-one. opposed the British champion in i lie third round, after having ilrawn a bye in the first, and she was defeated, after a most plucky struggle against an obviously superior goiter, by four and three. ' No nmtcl. in tinlong history of tlie championship has made :u bigger appeal to public imagination than that between the lady champions of the. two chief golfing countries. .People flocked from all parts of Scotland in the Troon links, whero it was decided, and, when tho first, ba.II was struck, fully five thousand u ere present. It. was something of an ordeal tor M is.s Collett, who, though not lacking friends h©rc, cranio to this country alone. Mis Wethcrcd, on tho other hand, might have been setting forth on a triendlv game, the result of which did not mai.ier. She ' reats all her opponents with c old indifference; and one of her match-win-ning assets is undoubtedly the influence winch she exercises over them. A SERENE VICTOR. There is no doubt, that, the American girl can© und©r her spell. She took tlie. lead at the. third by holing a two yards putt, but she did not long retain it, and the further sli© went tho greater became the mental strain. Sho was only one hole clown at tho iurn, but then, came something like a. collapse before the magnificent play of her opponent. Miss Wet here.l played tho first nino holes in 37, a score which Walter Hagen, the American crack, did not beat in winning the championship two years ago. He, of course, bad to play from tens considerably further back, but th© golfing difference was not very great, and Miss AN c the red’s scoro represented a game that any man, professional as veil as amateur, would have been delighted to play. Having knocked out 1 ho American. contender. Miss AAethered is well on th© way towards retaining the tiile. Miss Cecil Leitch is also playing very well, and :it. is anticipated that these two keen rivals will moet. in the final. Significantly enough. Alisa Leitch has never iron since mho was firs*;-, beaten by Miss AAethered, and it will bo a. surprise if she turns th© (allies on tins occasion I her© was a. fear that, ih.o champion had lost, some of her zest for th© game.. Indeed, at one time there, was a good deal or doubt whether she would defend her 1 itlo. But it was evident Hint sho had at least mad© up her ir - v uphold the .supremacy o) Ln t isli women s golf ove r America’s and, having achieved this, ii is probl able that, sho will now go all out io ' VIU Prize for ih.o ihird i i,im