SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 7

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Mark Nicholls is on the down grade, and nobody realises it better than Mark himself, but he affords very valuable stiffening to the Petone backs, and occasionally flashes out into something like his old self (says a Wellington Rugby writer). If his play has slipped, the same does not hold good with his goal-kicking. On Saturday, against Eastbourne, he placed three beauties — as good as anything he ever did in his prime. There was a strong breeze blowing diagonally across the ground, yet he placed a wonderful goal from a try right in the corner and crosswise to the wind. One penalty he kicked from just inside the half-way mark, and the other was right on the half-line. His line-kicking also showed excellent judgment. If he had been adequately supported early in the game, and once later in the second spell, when he broke through, Petone may havo pulled the game out of the fire. In defeating Hutt at Wellington last Saturday, the Poneke backs played far better football than they have in recent games, and gave their forwards just the support that was needed to win success. Their tackling was sure and certain, and it was noticeable that Lilburne found himself fairly well bottled up whenever he got the ball (says the “ Dominion ”). The Australian Tennis Council has issued the annual ranking list for the year, and it contains one or two surprises. Crawford is number one, but Hopman is promoted to second place vice Moon, who is third; Cummins is 'fourth and Turnbull fifth. Among the women Mrs Crawford has been put ahead of Mrs Buttsworth, a rating which does not meet with unanimous approval in New South Wales. The Queenslander, Mrs Molesworth, is third, but not everyone will agree with the placing of the South Australian championette, Miss Kitty Le Mesurier, eighth on the bill.

!®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®[| British workmen are busy on the great motor speedway which will stretch, when completed, fifteen miles in a straight line along the coast of Lincolnshire, and will be unique of its kind. The track, which will be double, permitting a return journey, is being constructed on useless land flooded at high tides, and the first job is the building of a retaining wall. The speedway proper will be 200 yards wide, and concreted, and when completed it is probable that all existing land speed records will go west. In addition to this track there will be another twelve miles long for road-racing events, and a six-mile canal for. motor-boat racing. An aerodrome is also included in the layout, and the provision of grandstands, etc., will excel anything yet seen in Britain. One of the most interesting things in “ Wisden’s Almanack” concerns lan Peebles, the English googlie bowler. Peebles is the only cricketer who started at the top and didn’t have to work his way there, like the W. G. Graces, Trumpers and Bradmans must needs do. Fresh from Glasgow Academy when he was nineteen, and before he had played in a match of importance, the schoolboy bowler was chosen to represent the Gentlemen against the Players a*t the Oval, and the North against the South at Folkestone. A few months later he had played in four test games in South Africa without ever having appeared for an English county. Not until the next season did he turn out for Middlesex. lie was twenty-two when he went up to Oxford, certain of his blue, of course, and almost in a class of his own on his performances, and even if he didn’t win his side the match against Cambridge, he showed himself the best bowler on the English side in the last two tests against Australia. Several applications will shortly be received by the Canterbury Rugby Union for financial assistance for footballers who, though unfinancial with their clubs, have been injured while playing. A statement to this affect was made at the meeting of the Management Committee of the union last night, and the general question was referred to the Finance Committee for a report. The matter was brought up through an application for assistance being made by a player who, it was stated, registered as unemployed last July, since when he had been able to secure only six days’ work. Broken ribs suffered while playing football had deprived him of two days’ relief work. A 1 Karasik, Tom Alley, Pinto and Demetral are due to arrive at Auckland on Monday, and the second batch of wrestlers for New Zealand will arrive at Wellington on June 29. It will cornprice Kara Pasha, Bob Kruse and Bursch. When it is considered that i' already in New Zealand there are such ! wrestlers as Lurich. Scottv M'Dougall, I Limutkin, George Walker and Higgins, it can be seen that some great battles j are in store for wrestling fans in the

eiEiilSllßSßEilSiiSi course of the next month or two. Kin| Elliott, the Auckland policeman, is expected to arrive with one or other of the overseas teams. It is interesting to know that, for the contests in which be engaged under the auspices of the Dominion Wrestling Union last year, Kara Pasha received £1719. Next on the list was Tom Alley, who received £950. ♦.* j,* *.• A London paper of May 6, commenting on the New Zealand cricket team, said:—“ These lads are not afraid to hit in front of. the wicket, and against the Maori club Dempster played a delightful forcing game in scoring his 51. Dempster, who hit nine fours, was the batsman who did so well here in the previous tour. Though on the small side he is very muscular and again promises to get a lot of runs. Mills, the left-hander, was his opening partner and these two men, who have already created a New Zealand record for the first wicket, against the M.C.CI in New Zealand, will again lead off in England.** In the pavilion at Worcester Park I saw a little cabinet which looked oi\ a first glance to be a portable gramophone (said a London cricket writer last month). It was actually the emergency medical case which the New Zealand team will carry about with them all through the tour. Dr Alfred Thomson, practising in England, is the donor and he told me yesterday that this case had also been used by the South Africans and the Australians during their last tours in England. The case contains boric and plaio lint, oil silk, adhesive plasters, bandages* splints, camel hair brushes, safety pins—in fact, every requisite for casualties on the field. “ I have not yet found the best firstaid man in the New Zealand team, but dear old 4 Fergy * is pretty useful and the team will soon find out his worth .’* The doctor was referring to Mr Ferguson, the scorer and baggage man, who has acted in a similar capacity for Australian teams in England.