Sport and Sportsmen.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18642, 20 December 1928, Page 9

Sport and Sportsmen.

Australia’s misfortune in losing the services of Gregory, Kelleway, and Ponsford, recalls a similar train of bad luck that attended Collins’s team m England in 1926. Ilendry scarlet fever and played no cricket for three months; Collins himself, owing to an attack of neuritis, was kept out of the field for a month, and Ponsford suffering from tonsilitis, had to rest for three weeks. A more serious matter for the team was Gregory’s leg trouble which kept him out of several matches and prevented him from bowling for long spells. On top of all this bad luck the Australians experienced wretched weather for the greater part of the tour. Jack Dempsey has appeared on the screen and now he has made his bow from the stage to a New York audience. He is appearing in a boxing play called “The Big Fight.” The caste also includes his wife, Estelle Taylor, the movie actress. Critics say that the old champion has a fair amount of stage talent. The play has had an enthusiastic reception. k « :« Dr A. E. Porritt, the well-known University athlete, has been successfully operated on at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, for a displaced cartiiege in the knee (writes a London correspondent). The injury, which was caused at football, has severely handicapped Dr Porritt’s participation in sport. F. Iloar (Wairarapa) has accepted the position in the Wellington cricket team in place of N. Gallichan (Manawatu) for the Plunket Shield matches with Otago and Canterbury. The Wellington team is now as follows:—T. C. Lowry (captain), C. S. Dempster, H. Foley, F. T. Badcock, H. M. M’Girr, IT. Lambert, K. C. James, J. Lamason. G. A. Rotherham, M. Henderson, and F. Hoar, with L. V. Browne as twelfth man. This selection is for both the Otago and Canterbury matches. The Otago match commences on Monday at Wellington. X X 35 Evidently keen efforts are being made by officials of the Rugby League at Home to attract players to the code. Under the heading of “Warning off the Scouts,” an English writer says:—“l admire the stand which the North Club intend to make against the scouts of the Rugby League, but how they are to keep them out of the ground I do net know. Talent spotters, as they are called, will be able to pay their money at the turnstiles, just like everyone else, and they will not require any disguise to pass through. Welsh Rugby clubs have, undoubtedly been hard hit by the poachers, but there is no way to prevent players being approached and offered tempting baits to turn pro fessional. There is, of course, the same trouble in amateur Soccer, but in this case there is some control and a player can only be approached through his club, after due notice has been given.” The attitude adopted by the authorities at Home towards barrackers. is strikingly illustrated in the following comment by an English critic:—“An amazing suggestion has been made that spectators are within their right in barracking footballers. I do not think this need be taken seriously, but in discussing the matter an official of a Soccer club said to me: ‘At the first sign of it on our ground we shall act. We shall post detectives in the crowd, and those who try to “get at” the players will go out like a rocket Would they permit barracking at a theatre? There is no difference sc far as football is concerned.’ ”

The Sanders Cup sub-committee has recommended to the Canterbury Sailing and Power-Boat Association that Colleen should be selected to represent Canterbury at the contest in Akaroa next February. Mr F. Morrison was recommended as skipper. The committee will confer with him this week in regard to the selection of the crew.