SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 644, 23 December 1932, Page 11

SPORT and SPORTSMEN

r J , HE WESTERN boundary of the Hagley No. 3 ground is somewhat of a farce owing to its shortness. For a right-handed batsman a clout to leg at the south end or a cut from the north end has no trouble in going over the line. A hit for a six is far too easy for first-gradie batsmen. Umpires are a hardy race and knocks are apparently all in a day’s work. In the Old Bcys-Riccarton game last Saturday batsman A. W. Roberts sent a hefty drive shoulder high straight down the wicket. The bowler could not get to it and the umpire could not get out of the road in time. He managed to turn his back and received a solid smack between the shoulder blades. Park Equipment Improved. Extensive alterations have been made to the old members’ stand at Lancaster Park, and in consequence the equipment of the park has been considerably improved. A board room, and a committee room with wide balcony windows overlooking the oval have been built into the roof, and the players’ dressing room accommodation has been extended and improved, with new water and shower systems installed. The whole work has cost about £550. The first meeting of the Lancaster Park Board of Control was held there last eveping, members firs’t inspecting the building and expressing themselves as well satisfied with the arrangements. Votes of thanks were passed to Messrs W. H. Winsor and W. L. King, who have supervised the work. A very hot Saturday at the Hagley Park cricket ground usually produces some bright idea in the way of cooling methods. Last Saturday saw the appearance of a man with oranges and he did good business. Orange peel scattared over the grass by spectator purchasers did not improve the appearance of the ground, though. The old axiom that in cricket the best form of defence is attack has been proved more than once this season by Old Boys. That first-grade side on too many occasions has pottered about in the first innings with disastrous results and then in the second knock, with little handing on the total, has proceeded to hit the cover off the ball. A case in point was provided last Saturday when Armstrong and A. C. Harris slammed the Riccarton slow bowlers, Rix and Kyle, all over the paddock. In the first innings these two bowlers were treated with exaggerated respect but with the right methods the two batsmen mentioned hit them for frequent fours and lifted them for sixes.

@ es a s s e tg g @ a a ig gj g a ig a gj gg g Lancaster Park’s History. Some details of the early history of Lancaster Park were given by Mr W. H. Winsor, who presided at the meeting of the Board of Control last evening. Referring to the recent death of the Hon W, Pember Reeves, Mr Winsor said that it was to him and to Messrs F. Wilding and A. M. Ollivier that the acquisition of the ground was due. These men found Hagley Park (where cricket practices were then held) rather far away from their homes in Opawa and made the first move towards the acquisition of the new ground. It was named Lancaster Park, after the Earl of Lancaster, part of whose property it was. Mr Ollivier was the main mover in the purchase. The park was opened in 1881 with a frontage on Stevens Street. Later the area known as the “ frog pond’’.was purchased. It was decided at the meeting last evening to approach Mr Wilding and others for details of the early history of the park, in order that something might be compiled for record purposes. The inter-club swimming competition will be suspended until some time in March as the Saturdays succeeding the holiday period will be taken up with the prospective visit to Timaru on January 14 and later with inter-club carnivals at the various outdoor baths. The New Zealand championships to be held at Napier commencing on February 18 will also interfere with the competition. The suggested visit of two American swimmers to the Dominion will not materialise. Canterbury and Wellington would take respectively two ar.d one appearances, Otago were not in favour of the visit owing to expense and Auckland were of the opinion that the dates of such a tour might not be Under the circumstances, negotiations could not be undertaken. The Americans may be available for a week in Auckland later in the season. In the Wrong Bach. A rude awakening was the lot of two members of a local surf club who had leased a bach at the resort they frequented. Given the number of the house by a land agent, they moved in and found what seemed a palatial dwelling at £1 a week. Comfortable rooms and fittings topped off with a gramophone completed the home away from home. Two days were spent in the lap of luxury, but at midnight on the second day the owner of the place appeared to throw out the intruders, who had set themselves up in the wrong bach. The pair had, through mistaken numbers, found themselves in the place next door to that which they had actually leased. The parties reached a gentlemen’s agreement, -however, and the “bachers" moved out and into their rightful domain on the following morning.

The North Beach Surf Club, in response to an invitation, will send a lifesaving team to Timaru to give an exhibition on New Year’s Day. Critical remarks over the women cricketers being permitted to play on the Hagley No. 1 wicket last Saturday were heard from a number of first-grade cricketers. Such an outlook was certainly not justified, however, for the wicket was not in use, and as an exhibition for one Saturday only the women’s game certainly proved an attraction. There was nothing stodgy about it—the girls were out for a hit, and had short but merry lives. To the average spectator the bowling of Miss Te Rangi was really interesting, for she was sending down a fast ball, with a remarkably fine length. Pitched well up, her bowling had the opposition in trouble all the time. As a novelty the women’s game had a bigger gallery than any «f the men’s matches. Swimmers for Timaru. It has been finally decided that a party of Christchurch swimmers will visit Timaru on Saturday, January 14, to take part in a carnival to be held by the South Canterbury Swimming Centre. The handicap events will include men’s and women’s 50yds, 100yds dual relay, dives and 220yds invitation handicap. In the last-mentioned race D. P. Lindsay, who started his recordbreaking career as a youth in Timaru, should be seen in action. The Timaru officials are also hopeful that Canterbury will be able to send down two teams of water polo players to give an exhibition, as the sport does not flourish there. In the event of the polo teams paying the visit the CanterburyCentre will probably be given 75 per cent of the gate takings. Anyone who desires to make the trip should notify the Canterbury Centre secretary (Mr V. G. Spiller). Mr Spiller, whose address is 118, Hereford Street, and telephone 38-096, would also be glad to hear of anyone who may be able to supply cars for the trip. There seems something unnecessary about the Otago protest against Wellington’s inclusion of Dempster, M’Girr and Lambert, on the grounds that not more than one professional should be included in the side. Even though the letter of the law does not specify that the professionals referred to are imported men, it surely would be -unsporting to suggest that Wellington should not play men who have learnt their cricket in the province, and played for it regularly in past years. It would almost mean that a stigma would attach to New Zealand players who undertook coaching work.

J. S. MacDonald, of the East Christchurch Swimming Club, has been showing good form this season, and gives promise of developing into a useful man over 100yds. He has been covering 50yds in consistently good time lately, and he swam a fine race in the 50yds invitation scratch race on December 14, when he came third to M’Conville and Symes. He should prove use ; ful to the club in the Harris Cup. They Play In The North. A number of old Christchurch cricketers are seen in action each week in Wellington. Monteath, an ex-Christ’s College player, made an auspicious opening for Wellington Club in a recent competition match. University would be all the poorer for the loss of C. Harrison, the ex-St Albans bowler, who has been showing good form this season. In minor cricket, two other players of note are Jim Brooks, exRiccarton, and “ Tubby ” Welch, exTechnical Old Boys, both of whom will play for the Wellington Mercantile League representatives against Wanganui during the New Year holidays. Brooks has been in fine form with the bat. He represented South Canterbury against the last Australian team that toured New Zealand. Welch, who is a fine senior Rugby football forward, is a very promising wicketkeeper. He was selected in competition with men like Condliffe, ex-New Zealand, and Swiney and Alec Martin, ex-Thorndon senior wicketkeepers. ?; i* v: There are two men in the Auckland eleven to meet Canterbury to-morrow who, should they get going, will give the spectators something to remember. Dacre, the Auckland coach and Gloucestershire professional, is one of the breeziest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced, and has played one or two magnificent knocks on Lancaster Park. There will be those who remember with satisfaction the wav he once hit a magnificent six off Everett, the Australian express merchant. Vivian, the voung left-hander, bats in a fashion no less attractive. Two seasons ago, when the two provinces staged such an exciting game on the Oval, Vivian attacked the Canterbury bowling from the start of both his innings, and scored in a delightfully free manner. If the pair master tjie bowling in this match, it. will be bad for Canterbury, but it will be a thrill for the onlookers. Water Polo Draw. - The Water Polo Control Committee of the Canterbury Swimming Centre has announced the following draw for the first round which will take place at the Tepid Baths on Monday, January 16, at 5.45 p.m.:— Senior Grade—Christchurch and United A v. East Chrstchurch. Elmwood v. Christchurch and United B. Junior Grade—Christchurch and United v. Sydenham and Somerfield. Elmwood v. East Christchurch.

The Christchurch United Swimming Club is holding two inter-club carnivals this season, and the first one will take place on January 18 at the Tepid Baths. Events include a 66 2-3yds men’s handicap, a 33 l-3yds women’s handicap, with a three-man relay, as well as the four-man surf club relay for the Tomkinson Cup. New- Brighton are the present holders, but North Beach, with such swimmers as A. Dalton, J. MacDonald, J. O. Hattersley and D. H. Symes, should provide formidable opposition. This should be a great race. The championship events include the 440yds open men’s championship and the 100yds women’s championship. The club is inaugurating a new system whereby the club having the most winners in the heats as well as the finals of the handicap events is donated 10s. It Depends on Bradman. LONDON, December 11. Neville Cardus, writing in the ‘‘ Observer,” says that the Test rubber is England’s uriless Bradman quickly returns to his commanding and prolific form. England’s success will be not so much due to her strength as Australia’s weakness. “ Even if Bradman completely recovers his mastery, he cannot surpass his performances in the 1930 Tests, which were of such magnificence that if a writer of school stories made his hero similarly successful his youngest reader would tell him to draw it mild,” he writes. “It is uncharitable to worry Bradman to death because of a brief sequence of poor scores. If Australians wish to see their greatest batsman recover his health and confidence, they had better realise that he is human and fallible. “ I would advocate that Tate and Brown be included in the Melbourne Test, but it is most important that Larwood should remain at his swiftest and strongest.” j.j j.j A remarkable cricket bowling performance was put up in Taranaki recently by Simpson, a primary school boy, who took eight wickets for 1 run. The match was between the Primary Schools’ North and South representatives. Simpson’s fine bowling was chiefly responsible for dismissing south in the first innings for 8 runs. With the exception of one batsman, who made 5, the rest of the team failed to score, the remaining three runs being extras.