SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20476, 30 November 1934, Page 11

SPORT and SPORTSMEN

West Australian girl cricketers first to meet the English women’s team now touring Australia have substituted long flannel white trousers for divided skirts. a « The second series of inter-club athletic events will be conducted at Lancaster Park South to-morrow by the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Centre. A further half of the Canterbury championship programme will be got off, and the standard of competition should be even higher thai\ that witnessed on the opening da}* last Saturday. ti « J. Patrick was one of the most impressive of the W T est Christchurch slow bowlers during the match with Sydenham at Hagley Park last Saturday. He spins the ball well and his off-break is difficult to pick. Curiously enough—his slow bowling is a recent acquirement—he is probably one of the fastest trundlers on the side, and when relieving Smith towards the end of the day’s play his first ball to Oliver completely deceived this batsman for pace. Had the delivery been on the wicket it is certain that this formidable batsman would have been dismissed. Patrick is a cousin of the Sydenham player of this name, and, like his cousin, he has practised diligently at A. W. Thomas’s net and is now beginning to reap the benefit of his work. Matthews' Good “Mile." It was a pity that C. H. Matthews, the Technical Amateur Athletic Club’s distance runner, was presented with a track 110yds short of a mile at Lancaster Park South last Saturday. Matthews was in good form, and easily outstripped the field in his section. Running well within himself and with

judgment, he covered the distance set him in 4min I2sec. On that figure he should have gone the mile in 4min 30sec—a splendid effort for his first run of the season in open competition. Matthews appears to be striding out a bit better, but could well afford to lengthen his stride to a greater extent yet. The best of the other milers was A. H. Wayman, who went round the track in 4min 4&sec. Wayman is a member of the New Brighton Club. k w H. D. Smith, of West Christchurch, came through a heavy afternoon’s work with credit, and, bowling in splendid style, gave a convincing display. After the dismissal of Wallburton, w’ho scored heavily for Sydenham in the opening stages of the game with West Christchurch, Smith came into action from the north end at Sydenham and bowled with remarkable steadiness, penning the opposing batsmen up. His stock ball seemed to swing in a trifle with the easterly wind, and occasionally a delivery would turn from the off or leg side. The ball which gave the batsmen most concern, however, was a well-disguised slower delivery which the bowler seemed to hold back without any apparent change of action. In view of the fact that Canterbury will be short of tried bowlers this season. Smith’s display with the ball was as welcome as it was reassuring. X « « Some Good Performances. In the women’s cricket competition a number °* players who failed to “ get going last year have struck useful form. Miss Grace Mortimer, of Argyle House, is renowned as an apostle of brighter cricket.” Playing Harewood, she rattled on 54 of her side’s 66 runs. Miss Irene Tullett (High School Old Girls) impresses as a first-year allrounder. On Saturday, when Old Girls were in a precarious position with three wickets down for as many runs, she

played a fighting innings for 42, tackling strong Mai Moa bowling with confidence. Miss Tullett also has something of a reputation as a bowler. After three matches she had taken twelve wickets for 33 runs, her best performance being seven for 20 against Spreydon. She will attain greater success when she conquers a tendency to overpitch, for her delivery, left-hand medium-paced, though accurate, is somewhat erratic in length. *'• Si «£ Tribute to Oldfield. In a farewell broadcast, W. M. Woodfull paid a fine tribute to his wicketkeeper, Bert Oldfield. “On one occasion, Woodfull said, “I noticed two byes in a score of 475 runs. So I said to Oldfield: ‘What’s the matter with you, Bert?’ Oldfield makes it difficult for any other .wicketkeeper to approach his high standard. Constantly throughout the English tour this year I sought his advice. He has had a longer experience than anyone else in first-class cricket to-day and his judgment was always sound.” The New Zealand Rugby Union has sounded N.S.W. regarding the visit of a Maori team to Australia next winter. New South Wales has decided to ask other States if they are agreeable to take the side A suggestion was made at a meeting of the N.S.W. body to hold an all-States carnival at Sydney next season.

A Smart Sprint

! Early form has been struck by C. S. | Barrell, of the Sydenham Athletic <~lub, and more should be heard of him as the season advances. Competing at the inter-club meeting at Lancaster Park last Saturday, he cantered over the 100yds in 10 2-ssec—splendid time considering the conditions. The field which he led home included G. C. Gordon (Sydenham), the former Canterbury representative. Gordon got out of the holes smartly, but faded out badly after 75yds had been covered. A little bit more training, however, should make him a tough proposition in the sprints. The success of last Saturday’s athletic meeting at Lancaster Park, which opened the inter-club competition, augurs well for a good season. The competition in all events was keen, and the fields, with the exception of for some of the hurdle events, were good. The competitors were got away smartly by the starter, Mr Malcolm Leadbetter, and there was something to interest spectators all the time. Generally speaking, the meeting was run very efficiently, despite the fact that the programme comprised nearly 70 events, with six and sometimes seven races over each distance. It was a tall order for the first meet of the season, but everything went off so smoothly that the last e\'ent was got off well up to schedule. « » « Changes at Lord's. W hile cricket sleeps, preparations for next season are busily in progress (says the London correspondent of the Star ). Though desolate enough in this wintry weather. Lord’s is not deserted these days. Dozens of workmen are engaged in putting up a new stand. The old single-decked stand between the pavilion and the clock tower, usually reserved for members and their friends, has already disappeared, and the foundations have been laid for the large double-decker which is destined to take its place. This alteration will increase the seating accommodation of the ground by several hundred places. It is, furthermore, evidence, that the M.C.C., supposedly the most conservative body in existence, is not altogether impervious to the necessity of changing with changing times. Some very creditable performances were put up in the field events at the inter-club amateur athletic meeting at Lancaster Park South last Saturday. G. M. Tiffen (University) had a very successful day, winning the high jump with oft 6iin, being first in the long jump with 20ft, first in a B grade javelin throw with 137 ft 6in, and second in a B grade shot put. He scored 18 points for his club--a good afternoon’s work. The Canterbury shot putting champion, H. M. S. Dawson, bettered the standard in the event which suits him so well, with a put of 35ft 4in. There were also some good efforts with the javelin by two Technical Club representatives. J. Blakeway was responsible for a throw of 143 ft and D. Herman, a seventeen-year-old B grade competitor, threw 140 ft 3in. X V X Holder of the New Zealand and Canterbury 100yds championship, J. B. MacFarlane is already getting into form to defend his titles this year. Running very easily, MacFarlane won his hekt in the 100 yards at the Tuesday evening meeting in 10 2-ssec. Apparently he only intended to make this a training run, for he did not start in the final. If he goes on as he has started, the champion should be running the hundred in even time before the end of the season./ Geoff. Broadway, the New Zealand half-mile champion, is also getting into training, but his form on Tuesday evening revealed that he is still far from fit. Apparently he has not shaken off the effects of the recent journey to ancl from England. There is a miniature invasion of New Zealand boxers into Australia (says a Melbourne writer). Three are in training— Ray Nicol and Frank Prendergast, at Melbourne, and Maurice Strickland, at Sydney. Prendergast is a middleweight, who has had only half a dozen contests since leaving the amateurs where he had 35. The other two are light-heavies, and each lost to Palmer on the champion’s recent Dominion tour.

M’Cabe’s Injury. ®- J- M’Cabe, whiie playing for Australia v. The Rest at Melbourne on November 17, was struck on the hand bv a rising ball from the Victorian fast bowler, M’Cormick. A bone in his left hand was fractured and it will probably be two months before he can play again. Many Thousands Profit. In the long run the Australian .»ssociations are going to profit by a good many thousands,” said the manager, Mr H. Bushby, at a reception in Melbourne to the returned Australian cricketers. “ You all know that the team won the Ashes, and that money is not everything, but it is very necessary when the Board of Control has to finance such big tours. I think you will find later on that the profits from this tour will eclipse those of all previous tours. That will please some people as much as the winning of the Tests has. The team pulled together splendidly under the leadership of a man in whom the players had implicit confidence.” The treasurer of the team, Mr W. C. Bull, said that the English people had done everything possible to make the tour enjoyable for the players. Proposing the toast of the team, the president of the association. Canon E S. Hughes, said that during the tour a little gang of critics in England had been watching the Australian team for any trivial thing ‘hey could find fault with. They had been only a small section, however, and the sportsmen of England, from the highest to the lowst k had treated the player* handsomely.