SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18187, 21 June 1927, Page 9

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Reports show that the tickets for the Old Boys-Christchurch match next Saturday (Charity Day) are selling freely. A ticket will entitle the holder to admission to either Lancaster Park or the Show Grounds, where the game between Albion and Merivale will be played. R. Coupland, of the New Zealand Tourist Department, has been transferred from the Melbourne office to Wellington. lie is at present in Christchurch, where he formerly resided and played for the Lin wood Football Club and the East Christchurch Cricket Club. While in Melbourne, Coupland rose from junior grade cricket to senior. He was also one of the leading lights in the formation of the Kiwis Rugby Club, composed entirely of ex-New Zealanders. It was this club that gave the Rugby game such a lift in Victoria. Coupland reports that it is now making good headway. An ex-Canterbury man who saw the match between Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa on June 3 avers that the issue in their second meeting will not be in doubt. He stakes his faith on the Hawke’s Bay forwards, whom he says will carry the day. A lot of people in Canterbury will hope he is right. Sportsmen generally will regret the death at a comparatively early age of Mr J. R. Olliver, editor of the “New I Zealand Referee.” Although connected I mostly with racing, Mr Olliver found ! time to follow up the Rugby game and ' also to take more than a passing interest in cricket. He was very keen on Rugby and was a very good jtidge of a player. According to English papers just to hand, the reason why S. Duleepsinhji did not play for Cambridge University against the New Zealanders was because he was suffering from a chili. Commenting on Page’s innings of 134 for New Zealand against Cambridge University, the London "Times' says:— "The outstanding event of the day was the really great innings of Page. For three hours and twenty minutes he played with all the watchfulness and restraint of an experienced class batsmani suiting his methods to the need of tne moment. The New Zealanders have -him to thank for a good start. Various changes were made, but all to no purpose. Page continued to playbeautiful cricket, his strokes being made with the absence of effort that marks a class batsman. Referring to Dempstef’s knock of 79 in New Zealand’s second innings against Essex the London “Times” says,-—"Mr Dempster, who had gone in overnight in place of Mr Dacre, played the innings of a really good batsman. He is a man of small build, with good strokes on the off side of the wicket. Sometimes they lacked power, but the skill undoubtedly is there. Mr Dempster played all the bowling with perfect ease, and even when he was not scoring it was always worth while watching him make his strokes. He cut and drove with a gentility which almost suggested that he was afraid of any un due recklessness.” Evidently the fact that the New Zealanders are amateur players entitles them to be addressed as “Mr” in the Old Country. It must sound like music to Cunningham to be called "Mr” after the “Plain Bill” he is accustomed to in New Zealand. 1

The New Zealand Cricket Council decided last evening to issue an invitation to a South Australian team to tour the Dominion in February and March next. Provided the team contained the Richardson brothers and Grimmett, it would prove a big draw. In the Canterbury Rugby League competitions Hornby lead in the senior grade; West Coast the junior; Hornby the third; Woolston the fourth, Addington the fifth; and Marist A the sixth, a very even distribution of honours. The South Sydney Rugby League forwards are the heaviest the club has ever had, their weights in football garb being H. Cavanagh 14st; G. Browne 13.9: A. O'Connor 13.4; E. Lapham 13.2; E. Rook 12.13; E. A. Carr 17.7; notwithstanding their weight they are all exceptionally fast. « The proprietor of the Thistle Hotel has donated a handsome silver cup to the Auckland Rugby League, which has allotted it to the team in either section of its senior competition scoring the highest aggregate of points in the second round. This it is claimed will have the effect of encouraging “ lagging ” teams to “ buck up,” as there will still be an opportunity of their winning honours. K X * The Auckland Rugby League now has an official masseur who gives advice and treatment free of charge to all league players. SS X X Discussing the New Zealand cricketers' bowling strength an English paper states;—“The New Zealanders, it is clear, are limited in their bowling resources. There is variety, it is true, but the quality of it has yet to be pro\‘v ed, and it is to be feared that until a better conception of length has been acquired the team will have many long days in the field. While the bowling at times was good, there were far too many deliveries sent down short of a length. As several of the bowlers were disposed to leave a wide, open space between the outfield behind the bowler and deep square leg the pull stroke was very much in evidence, with remunerative consequences. Both Mr Blunt and Mr Merritt showed that they can spin the ball with some judgment, while Mr M’Girr maintained a good pace, and may prove a source of trouble to English batsmen. Mr Lowry adopted a policy of quick changes, and by the early afternoon had tried no fewer than eight bowlers.” (The Essex match was the third of the tour). Dempster s slip catching in the Essex match won him praise from an English critic.—“ After scoring 70 in an hour and twenty minutes, and hitting eight fours Russell was bowled by a very good ball from Mr M’Girr. The filth wicket partnership realised 74 runs in 40 minutes, but at the saxne total two more wickets fell, largely through the agency of Mr Dempster, who made two plendid catches in the slips off Mr M’Girr’s bowling. First, Mr Douglas was caught off the second ball he received, and then Mr Moms was caught first ball, the fieldsman taking the bail iow down with one hand and rolling ver in making the catch. Mr M’Girr lad then taken three wickets in four oalls, and a little later in the innings he secured two wdekets with successive balls.”