Sport And Sportsmen.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 8

Sport And Sportsmen.

Tom Miles, of Queensland, former holder of the world’s professional sprint championship, has suffered a leg injury and will not compete at the Melbourne Motordrome on Saturday in the big athletic event. Don M’Len nan, the New Zealand representative, has arrived and is in good condition.

First definite move to secure the inclusion of Australia in the Wightman Cup, which is the women’s Davis Cup, wall be made at this month’s meeting of the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association, when women delegates will urge that a recommendation to this end be forwarded to the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. Women tennis officials contend that their branch of tennis has progressed so rapidly in recent years that their claims to an annual international contest are justified. They point out that since women players were emancipated from the trailing dresses of old days, the standard of play has considerably improved. Freed of this physical hazard, women make their strokes with ease and from any angle, and, although some of the older players persist in the “back of the court” game, the majority of the present juniors play an aggressive fast game. :*: Presiding at a luncheon of motorcycle track racing promoters in London, the Master of Sempill hoped it might be possible at the end of the present season to send a strong team of dirt-track riders to Australia to compete in a series of test matches for the speedway “ashes.” The Australians could return the visit the following year. The Master of Sempill pointed out that ten millions attended the British tracks last season despite the prohibition of betting. Rugby football enthusiasts will be interested in the Waikato Union’s choice of Mr J. R. M’Kenzie as selector, in view of the fact that Mr M’Kenzie was at one time an Auckland representative. Mr M’Kenzie had a brilliant football career. He learned his football in the Petone school, under that famous coach, Mr James Lynskey, who was a North Island selector in 1919. He later played fo* Petone and graduated into the Wellington representatives. He earned All Black honours by being a member of the 1913 team for California, and in 1914 played for Auckland and was included in the eighth All Black team to visit Australia. Mr M’Kenzie enlisted for service in the war and was badly wounded. Upon his return he became licensee of the Hamilton Hotel, lie is now’ farming near Matangi. A Sydney message says:—The New South Wales Rugby Union, at a council meeting, decided to reduce the number of State selectors from five tc three. Messrs T. H. Bosward, Harald Baker and A. S. B. Walker were elect ed from seven nominees. Messrs Bos ward (chairman) and Walker were elected as the New South Wales representatives on the Australian selection committee. 55 Wellington Club have carried off senior championship honours in Wellington for the season. The team w T as fortunate this year in securing the services of such an able all-round player as A. M. Hollings, who, by his consistent batting and smart fielding, particularly in the slips, had much to do with the team’s success. But the club was even more fortunate when E>. Blundell, the Cambridge Blue, on his return to the Dominion, elected to throw in his lot with the old club. Blundell might have played with Old Boys had it not been for the fact that F. T. Badcock at that time was in the Old Boys’ eleven, and Blundell wisely decided to join a team which was not so well off for trundlers. It is not too much to say that Blundell is one of the best bowlers the Dominion has produced. Before leaving for Cambridge he proved that he was a most promising bowler. In England he had the advantage of coaching from that experienced trundler, Aubrey Faulkner, who, about twenty years ago, was one of the outstanding members of the South African eleven when that country was at the zenith of its cricketing strength. % Discussing the choice of twelve men to go into training prior to the final selection of a New Zealand crew for the Empire Games, a Wellington writer says:—“ln passing over a number of experienced oarsmen, the selectors have decided to give a trial to men from junior ranks. No fault can be i'oxind with this policy, so long as it is not carried too far. Thompson, who has had a fine record in junior rowing for Avon this season, is an instance where the selectors have made a very wise choice. He is a powerful oar, who must improve with experience, and his style was the subject of much favour able comment at Picton this year, when he rowed in the winning junior pair and junior four crews. Gilby, the other Canterbtiry man chosen, does not appear to have so many performances to his credit, and his inclusion is rathei a surprise. Ross is another man whose selection was unexpected, and M’Donald’s regatta record this season was by no means unbeaten. The latter, however, is a solid man who gets a good grip of the water.” The old joke about “giving up busi ness for golf’ has really happened in Sydney. Selected for the Kirk-Win? deyer Cup games, S. A. Keane was unable to obtain holiday leave from his firm, and as a result resigned. Keane is only a youngster and is keen to visit] New Zealand.