SHORT PASSES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 21 December 1928, Page 12

SHORT PASSES.

It is a curious thing that though the Italians cut a very poor figure among the golfing peoples of Europe, they have bulked quite largely when transferred to the United States. Joe Turnesa, who tied with Bobby Jones for the American open two years ago, is an Italian, and so is Henri Cinchi. Most prominent of all is Gene Sarazen, who won the open in 1922, and is still in the very forefront of American professional golfers. He has had a wonderful run of success during the past year, and has won one tournament after another throughout the long American season, which, starting in the north with the summer, goes south and west till it is time to begin all over again in the north. K X 3S In view of the big scores in the second test at Sydney, the following paragraph from a Sydney paper is interesting:—“ The collapse of the batting in the England-Queensland match in Brisbane—for only villainous catching by the northerners enabled the visitors to at last scramble up a moderatelv good score—is still further evidence' of the fact that the bad-wicket batsman has vanished from among ns, in England as in Australia. Neither side can boast a batsman of t-ha type of Jersop and Maurice Read, or Harry Graham and Jack Worrall, men who were at their top when the wicket was getting in its dirty work. _ The Brisbane match was not an isolated instance. The same thing has happened a dozen times in Australia of late years whenever the pitch has been queered bv rain. That it has not happened more often is due to the obsession for covering the wicket. To that, too, is due the fact that the great majority of modem first-class batsmen are as helpless as primary school kids when they face any decent bowler who knows how to utilise a tricky pitch.” ss se x The marbles championship appears to have become a recognised American sporting event: a photograph in the “ New York Herald ” showed_ a big gallery at the “ grand final ” in Philadelphia. Apparently the Yankee is prepared to support any foolishness for which gate-money is charged; he believes that anythin** he has to pay for must be pleasure. But he likes to make a quick-lunch of it; a real game like cricket, because it is long drawnout. fails to gain any wide popularity in the States. XXX The question of what constitutes an amateur in golf has been receiving attention from the American and British controlling bodies, with the result that the present definition has been practically reaffirmed—that is that no amateur may take money for playing or teaching golf, or be associated with the manufacture or marketing of any golfing material. No decision has yet been reached as to whether the age up to which a boy may carry clubs for hire without infringing his amateur status should be sixteen or eighteen. St Andrews is said to favour the former, and America the latter. The English Rugby Union, which last year laade a profit of £31,000, must by now be about the wealthiest of all sports-governing bodies in England, says the “Daily Mail Year Book.” Its new president, Mr V. H. Cartwright, the old Oxonian, is a strong man. who had a wonderful record as captain of the national fifteen. The demands of the dominions for a bigger voice in the. control of the game may soon lead to a situation requiring very careful handling, and the union is fortunate in having at its head a man possessing the stern qualities and playing experience of Mr Cartwright. x One of the umpires selected by the Auckland Cricket Association to act in the Plunket Shield match between Auckland and Otago at Dunedin at New Year time is A. Downes, the old Otago and New Zealand representative bowler (says the “New' Zealand Herald.”) The cricketers of a quarter o f a century ago will remember the famous Otago pair—*Downes, a slow right-handed bowler, and A. Fisher, a medium pace left-hander. This pair accounted for many representative sides comparatively cheaply. They were a formidable combination and earned much praise from overseas teams. Since his retirement from active participation in the game Downes has given his services as an umpire, and he is one of the best in New Zealand, as. indeed, he should be with his wide experience as a player.

The reason behind Australia’s decision not to send a Davis Cup team abroad next year can be found iri recent reports presented to the Commonwealth tennis authorities. These show that the amount lost on the 1928 tour of the Australian Davis Cup side was £934. while that lost on the women’s team tour was £1250. A nice little plaster!

jg 2C Soccer in England is so bound to professionalism that recent action by the Amateur Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is to be regretted. In conjunction with the International Football Federation, which controls Continental Soccer, a committee has been appointed to inquire into the possibility of permitting payments to amateurs for time lost from employment while playing football. If adopted, the system will inevitably open the door to professionalism as it did in the case of the Northern Union, which originally countenanced broken-time payments only, and was expelled from the English Rugby Union in consequence. In less than two years the N.U. has adopted out and out professionalism. W. H. Ponsford took a remarkably fine catch when he dismissed Sutcliffe at Brisbane in the first test. A highkicking, short-pitched ball shot high off the bat over the wicket-keeper’s head, and soared out toward the sight board, nearing which Ponsford got it at full speed knee high. When he nailed it the crowd’s applause was like a thunderclap. Later in the day, however, he made a weak effort to catch Hendren off Grimmett, a trifle on the off side of straight hit. The ball did not travel very high, but it was very fast. Ponsford at first dwelt, then moved to it, but finally it passed close to him untouched. XXX A new skipper will be leading the English fifteen, states the “Daily Mail Year Book,” owing to the much-regret-ted decision of Dr Cove-Smith to retire from big Rugger, after leading the national side back to a predominant position. Cove-Smith’s year of office was a very brilliant one, all the home nations, in addition to France, being beaten, as as our visitors from New South Wales. The Dominion players will be provided with an early opportunity to “get their revenge,” as we are sending a team to tour New Zealand and Australia in 1930. In view of the importance of expedition, the form of the younger players is being followed with the closest critical interest this season, for the strain of an overseas tour makes the inclusion of veterans, no matter how brilliant, a rather risky business. :: x “We did well, considering all things, to come out ‘all square’ at the end of the tour,” writes Mark Nicholls in his book, “With the All Blacks in Springbokland.” “We went over to South Africa greatly boomed, grossly overrated; in fact the South Africans, from all accounts, expected man-eaters and world-beaters. In the first ten games we did not find our feet, but from then on we improved and played, at times, really good football. Our record, although disappointing to New Zealanders, is one of which any team can feel proud against such worthy antagonists.” x :: G. L. Goodwin, a member of the Grafton Club’s first eleven, has been transferred to Wanganui, and will leave Auckland about the middle of January. Goodwin learnt his cricket at the Auckland Grammar School, and has played for Grafton seniors for the past three years. He is a useful bowler of medium pace, with a nice off-break, while he is not a batsman who believes in allowing the ball to hit the bat. More should be heard of him on the cricket fields of Wanganui. :: x x An Australian pressman writes:— This is going to be a bumper year for cricket, and I want to ask one pertinent question. Why should a batsman be allowed to thump the wicket with his bat in an endeavour to make rough places smooth? If he may interfere with the ground to his advantage, why not allow the bowler to make a few holes in the pitch with his heels, which may turn out advantageous to him ? It seems to me that all interference with the ground by either batsman or bowler should be forbidden. Th e um_ pires alone should . have the right to meddle with it; r There is too much mollycoddling in this cricket game for my liking.