Sport and Sportsmen.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18615, 17 November 1928, Page 5

Sport and Sportsmen.

A correspondent writes asking when W. Dailey played wing threequarter for Canterbury. It was in the Ranfurly Shield match at Napier in 1923 when Canterbury were beaten narrowly by Hawke’s Bay by eight points to nine. Mr E. C. Beale has practically completed arrangements for the tour of bis team for the 1928-29 season. The first match will take place against Marlborough, at Blenheim, the second against Nelson, at Nelson, the third against Westport, at Buller, the fourth against West Coast, at Greymouth. and the fifth against Taumarunui, at Taumarunui. This itinerary has not yet been finalised, though it is practically certain to be adopted. The team will probably leave Auckland on December 23, and will be away from eighteen to twenty days. Mr Beale looks well ahead and for his tour of 1929-30 arrangements have been made for games to be played at Invercargill, Timaru, Ashburton and Christchurch. a a It is stated that N. Sturt be partnered by C. E. Malfroy in thewew Zealand Tennis doubles championship this year. A. Stedman will play with J. Charters, the promising Whangarei player. These two will probably visit' a number of tournaments together after participating in the New Zealand championships. N. R. C. Wilson will pair with Goldie. E. L. Bartleet and J. Laurenson will be defending their title, which they won at Christchurch last year.

Bert Brown, formerly of Hamilton, who is steadily climbing toward the premiership, in the feather-weight boxing division in America, was most unfortunate in not being awarded the decision in his great fight with Billy Townsend, according to the Vancouver newspapers. One paper says the decision of a draw was amazing; another in large headlines says, “New Zealander piles up points in nine rounds.” Following is another opinion of the Hamilton boxer—“ Brown strips like a pocket edition of Bob Fitzsimmons. Most of his weight is above waistline. Slim-legged and long-armed, he is a formidable foeman. Townsend gained a lot of prestige by his showing against the classy New Zealander. It speaks well for New Zealand boxing that it can produce not only a contender for the world’s heavyweight title, but also in the featherweight class one w’ho is fighting against some of the leading title contenders." a a u

“Babe” Ruth, the famous baseball star of America, is to play cricket in Great Britain next summer, according to an announcement by Mr Christy Walsh, of the Christy Walsh syndicate, who is now in Paris with a party of American sportsmen. Mr Walsh states that he has arranged with one of the finest cricketers in Britain to coach the “Babe” in Britain’s premier game. He declares that British sportsmen are keen about the idea, as they know that “Babe” Ruth is a great drawing card. “Babe” Ruth’s earnings are colossal. He has the biggest retainer of any baseball player in the world, and is reported to have made nearly £15.000 after the regular baseball season closed last year by playing exhibition games. He has a big income from journalism. Mr Walsh expects that the champion’s wonderful eye and his powerful arms, which have earned him his title of “Home-run King” in baseball, will prove great assets in cricket. *sl SC

Many players are asking why the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association has seen fit to adopt a different make of ball from that used by most of the provincial associations throughout the Dominion (says a critic in the Auckland “Herald”). The writer holds no brief for any make of ball, but it does seem ridiculous to defer final choice as the parent body did, and then when it was seen what the provincial associations were doing, to go and do differently. After all, the New Zealand Association is supposed to be comprised of delegates representing the provincial associations, so there seems to be lack of cohesion somewhere. Players who have been accustomed to playing with one make experience difficulty in producing their strokes with a different make, so why not have uniformity, whatever ball is chosen, at least as far as the major associations and the parent body are concerned? It would be interesting to know how the delegates voted on this controversial question and how many of them received instructions from their associations.

New Zealand cricket has sustained a loss which it can ill afford to bear all in one season (says the “N.Z. Herald I ''. At the annual meeting held in Christchurch recently, Messrs D. Reese (chairman) and J. S. Barrett (ex-chairman) of the management committee, both declined nomination for re-election. The defection of these two gentlemen was in itself a big blow to the game. Mr Reese has been so wrapped up in cricket since boyhood that it was impossible for him not to devote a tremendous amount of business time to the government of the game, and his sound judgment was always a guidance to his fellow members on the manage ment committee. The withdrawal of Messrs Reese and Barrett was bad enough, but news of the sudden death of the secretary, Mr J. F. Peake, creates a gap which will take a great deal of filling. Mr Peake’s successor will have no easy task ahead of him to maintain the books and correspondence of the council in such methodical and accurate manner as w’as the custom of the late secretary. Not so well known as a player as Mr Reese, Mr Peake put just as much heart into the management of cricket as his chairman, and the game in New Zealand is very much the worse for his untimely departure. This will become more apparent as the years roll by.