SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20285, 20 April 1934, Page 11

SPORT and SPORTSMEN

under a football photograph in the last number of the wellknown London magazine. “Field”: “ Fry, the English wing-fcrward, harassing the Welsh half-back.” Can anyone explain why the N.Z.R.U. bothers about the rights or wrongs of playing a wing-forward? *.* ♦.* W. W. Kay, the St Clair golf professional and father of Miss Oliver Kay, Xew Zealand’s leading woman golfer, who. is at present in England, has been appointed coach of the Hawera Golf Club and will take up duties at the end of the week. There is a possibility that Miss Kay will reside in Hawera on her return. « Slaughter Not 'Wanted. Appealing to players, referees and sub-unions to insist on the elimination of the rough football which prevailed last season, Mr H. T. Haseldine, retiring president, at the annual meeting of the Waikato Rugby Union, said the public did not want organised slaughtsr, but clean, open football. " If we are going to have gladiatorial combats, let us advertise them as such,” he said. “ Those who want bloodshed will come; those who don’t, won’t. If players get fit and keep fit theie will be no rough play.” M' 55 55 Arthur Holden, now a school teacher at Edendale, has definitely given up Rugby. During his career as an active player Holden represented Otago, New Zealand, and the New Zealand University. At the top of his form from 1926 to 1928 Holden was among the first flight of half-backs turned out in New Zealand. He was a member of the Southland team which won the Ranfurly Shield from Wairarapa at Carterton in 1929. 55 55 55 " Exploited?” LONDON. April 12. The Australian cricketers are evidently to be subjected to the usual attempts to exploit the advertising value of a team of touring sportsmen. The “ Sunday Dispatch ” contains an amusing story that before they sailed from Australia an advertising agency sent a man to sign them up for an agreement to be photographed wearing a particular make of suits and to patronise certain commodities in return for “ gifts.” Mr David Wax, who tailored the team of 1930, is said to be determined to renew his association with the Australians. Hd told the “ Dispatch ” that although he was net represented in the Orford he would have influential friends “ in with the team.” “ I do not wish to make capital out of dressing the Australians," Mr Wax said. “ Each of the players took 15 or 16 suits home in 1930. The Australians are gentlemen. They won’t sell themselves.” Mr F. E. Kahane, director of the Imperial Advertising Agency, said that he was not attempting to “ cut in on ” Mr Wax, but was determined to prevent the Australians being cheapened and exploited. 55 The ex-Otago ana All Black forward, Alex. M Donald, will this year again coach Wellington College Old Boys’ team. .This team won the senior A first division championship last year. 55 « England’s Davis Cup Pair. LONDON, April 12. The “ Evening News ” sa\'s that Perry and Austin have been extensively practising together, with a view to pairing for England in the Davis Cup doubles. Perry considers that the combination is a good one, but the experts suggest that it may prove a tactical blunder and result in over-straining Britain’s singles hopes. If the matches are close, each player might have to play fifteen sets of nerveracking tennis in three days. Although ranking 1 and 2 in English tennis, Perry and Austin have never been considered as a doubles pair Since 1931 Hughes has been regarded as the leading doubles player in Great Britain, and he has represented his country when available in every Davis Cup doubles match during the past three years. The pairing of Perrv and Austin in practice suggests that the British selectors have lost confidence in Hughes, although he demonstrated on his visit to Australia that he is an ideal partner for Perry. In view of the trouble that the British authorities have taken to conserve Austin’s energy in the past, it seems strange that they should now entertain the idea of playing him in both singles and doubles. He will surely have to play in singles, for, apart from him and Perry, England has no outstanding player. Lee, the next best, was no match for the Australian* 55 Cricket Newcomer. Northamptonshire will be much disappointed if a good deal is not heard during the coming cricket season at Home of its new player, Len Cullen. The newcomer hails from Johannesburg. He is described as a fine bat and a new bowler of the greatest promise. 55 55 :: Tennis Teaching. An entirely novel and effective method of tennis instruction has been thought out by a Swedish tennis instructor, Mr John Soderstrom. His system consists in tracing out on a felt stretched on a wall the perspective of a tennis court with the net standing up from the floor. Marked out on the floor are the correct positions for the feet when making different strokes, both forehand and backhand. As the bounce of the ball can be arranged in whatever way is desired, the same bounce being reproduced as often as required practice for in any particular stroke, the beginner can be taught the proper footwork for each stroke, and the more experienced players are enabjed to correct any faults they may have. The system also teaches the “ smash " by means of a ball projected in the air by a little cannon. The system is so simple and novel that it has aroused keen interest in all countries interested in the “ white sport.”

A Sydney exchange, in referring to the visit of the All Blacks to Australia, says: “In the near future the All Blacks will be receiving the Springboks and touring Great Britain. Il' they can they will use Australia as the chopping block to mould another team of ‘ Invincibles.’ ” Lawn Dennis Jubilee. It is interesting to note that this is the diamond jubilee year of lawn tennis, which was invented by Major Wingfield, an officer of the Ist Dragoon Guards, his object being to provide a much less expensive equipment than was required for the original game of tennis. Little could he have dreamed of the popularity the game he had invented would attain, not only in Great Britain, but among the nations of the globe. Originally the court was narrower at the net than at the ends, and the men played in white knee-breeches. Shorts are not so original as we imagined. The Tennis Committee of the M.C.G. was the first controlling body. They gave the game to the All-England Croquet Club at Wimbledon, which is still the home of the game, though it has long had a governing body of its own. “Glue the Eye On It.” Ilarrv Vardon at the height of his career knew no superior in the art of hitting a golf ball, and yet bis finish flatly contradicts the theory that requires “ hitting against the left side,” which is just tinkering with the stroke, says an Australian writer. If the eye maintains its place during the swing, the whole process of despatching the ball is simplified and the action of the left side is natural and automatic, provided it is allowed to act of its own accord. But should there be any dereliction of duty on the part of the eye, then the left side must be controlled in order that it shall not give way before its proper time, because, if it does, a quick hook occurs, or, if the player looks up with flagrant anticipation, he will slice or perhaps just touch the ball with the toe of the club, and it flies off to cover-point. Harry Vardon, probably without knowing it, always kept his eye glued to the ball, and a quick hook or the more disastrous slice was an accident, which he went for y T ears without striking. “ More Big Cricket.” “ One hears a good deal of criticism and talk about our New Zealand plavers going Home,” remarked Mr C. G. Wilson, a former chairman of the Wellington Cricket Association, when speaking at the farewell to K. C. James. “ I regard it as a great compliment to New Zealand, as it shows that we must be able to play cricket. And I say this: We have got the men and all that they want is the opportunity. What we do want is more big cricket. The configuration of this country is such that the young men have not the opportunity to show their ability.” Mr Wilson believed that those who went away would realise more than ever that this Was “ a glorious little country,” arid they would cofrie back. *’ And,” he added* “ if thev are of the right bit of sthfi they will then take up the cudgels and let others gain froth what they have learnt in the Old Country. And, make no mistake about it, they will learn a devil or a l ot there ” Grimmett the Hope. LONDON, April 12 Mr Neville Cardus, better known as “ Cricketer,” Of thfe “Manchester Guardian,” said in a special interview to-day that, given a dry season, he regarded the Test matches as 50-50, with Australia’s hopes resting in Grimmett, and England’s in Clark, the Northants fast bowler. “ Australia need not worrv too much about losing the Tests if Bradman is in form. He will score sufficiently in normal conditions to prevent defeat,” he said. “ People are realising that Bradman was a greater batsman against the unorthodox attack of Jardine’s team than even the Bradman we saw in England, so some fine Bradman exhibitions are anticipated. “ But Grimmett is Australia’s hope of winning. “ They tell me Clarrie’s arm is getting lower and lower. What does that matter r The lower he swings the more dangerous he is. When Grimmett is so old that he is forced to bowl underarm he will be unplayable! “ If the season is d'ry and Clark out of form, I shall not be optimistic about England’s chances. If it is wet, I believe Verity will win the rubber for England. “ It will not be satisfactory tor the team to come thousands of miles and, perhaps, have a draw in four matches because of the weather, or huge scoring, and then, again, because of the weather, find the Ashes lost or won by a chance victory in the fifth Test. I would rather see only three Tests all played to a finish.” Apart from the obvious choices of those who visited Australia and India, Mr Cardus believes that Iddon may force his way into the Tests. He says the more he studies the Australian team the more he respects its ability. Fortune in Tennis. Ellsworth Vines, who expected to make as much as £IO,OOO in his first year as a professional lawn tennis player, appears to be well on the road to doing so, says London "Sporting Life,” He amassed the sum of £5200 in the first month in which he was playing exhibitions with IV. X. Tilden throughout the country. According to Bill O’Brien, co-pro-moter of the Tilden-Vines tour, the first seventeen matches between the two players attracted 10G.557 spectators and £20,242 in gate receipts. The organisation, he said, collected On the average about 65 per cent of the gross receipts for each engagement, which was split 40-40-20 per cent among the players and O’Brien. Owing to the unsettled conditions in Europe, Mr O’Brien said that plans for a tour there by Vines, Tilden, Cochet end Plaa had been temporarily shelved.