PLAYING THE GAME AGAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 198, 24 August 1935, Page 4

PLAYING THE GAME AGAIN

VARIED SPORTS JOTTINGSREMINISCENT, SPECULATIVE INTERESTING AND CRITICAL

Brothers Captains. It is somewhat unique to find three brothers occupying in the one year the position of club captain in golf clubs in different parts of Now Zealand. Mr. H. J. Preston holds such office at North Shore, Mr. S. S. Preston, at Awamutu, and Mr. A. S. Preston at llarcwood, Canterbury. Ji -L A Football Enigma. Although the football team reached the Rugby League Cup final, Huddersfield (England) Cricket and Athletic Club lost £1286 last season. A profit was made on the athletic festival, bowling green, and cricket sections, but there was a loss ou the Rugby League football section of £402. Success on the field, in this case, did not balance the budget. 4-- -K -rCotton Did Not Try. » Henry Cotton, who won the British open in 1934, finished seventh in this year’s event, but declares that he could have finished higher up in the list, but, realising that he would be unable to win, dd not try over the concluding stages. In a rather remarkable interview, immediately after being beaten in an event for which he was regarded as a certainty, he said: “A golfer in a championship watches his crowd. It is his index of success. If it is big, he knows, even if he is playing badly, that he is doing well compared with the others. If he sees another fancied player going by with a thin following, he is heartened. “He cannot know all the scores, but the crowd tells him all he needs. “Well, on the last round of the championship, T saw my crowd trickle away until it was about a quarter the original .size. That is what makes you feel it is all no good. “For mo this time nothing went; right. When you cannot putt, ns I could not. it makes the whole ’thing seem hopeless. “Every time you go 1o the toe to drive for a new hole, you think how futile it is. How even if you make a good drive, it will be wasted when you get on the greens “Y on begin to think you arc not such a good golfer as you thought you were. You begin to look for omens. “The first hole of the last round my ball absolutely hung on the edge of the hole. .1 saw it swinging to and Tro Some people say that if 1 nad st <>< 1 away' the wind would have blown ii in. “I thought my luck was out alter that. My position—seventh in the final list—does not really mean anything. 1 could have finished higher. “But as I could not be first. 1 did not care at all to be second or third. ] did not try on the last eight holes.” Ferry 's Mannerism. Fred Perry’,s court mannerisms have 1 biought him, a good deal of criticism from tennis followers in Britain this; season. The champion has an irritating way of bouncing the ball several times before serving, thus keeping his opponent and the crowd on tenterhooks. Another thing Perry has been noticed doing this season L shaking his finger reprovingly at the movie cameramen because of the slight noise made bv their machines operating. Then, when a point has been called against him. in his opinion wrongly. Perry will Lum to the umpire protesting! v, look at the scoreboard ami then shake his head pityingly. Spectators at Eastbourne, when the British learn played Austra lift, were very amused to hear Perry addressing a ball boy. The boy had nervously thrown the ball a little short, and Perry had to walk about a foot to pick it up. “B c careful, boy, don’t you know .1 have to play in the championship final next week,” he said re-

Great 440 Yards Runners. The New Northern. Counties (England) record for the quarter-mile set up by W. Roberts (Salford A.C.) at the N.C.A.A. championships recently, displaces the previous best time recorded by the Norfolk gentlemen farmer, C. G. Wood, of the London A.C. and Blackheath Harriers, so long ago as 18.87, when the race was one of the N.C.A.A. • events at the Manchester Royal Jubilee Exhibition at Oid Trafford. There is a great contrast in the build of Roberts and Wood. The last-named stood sft. Ilin., and weighed .13 stone, and was one of the fastest runners evhr of his size from 100 yards co the quartermile. Wood, in 1886, won the English A.A.A. quarter in 49 4-ssec. Foberts is a Sal-ford-born runner, and his N.C.A.A. record is 49 3-lOsec. Olympic Games Pageant. On the evening of August 1. 193'3, the date of'the inauguration of the, < levcuth Olympic Games in Berlin, 10,000 performers will enact n pageant depicting those qualities of eternal youth, gaiety and beauty, which the ancient Greeks delighted to feel were enthroned on Olympus. This festival play, which has been composed by two young Munich artists, shows how the natural human bent for sport and play attains in time to artistic, outlet in dancing. Sword and victory dances will be executed by the pupils of Harold Kreutzberfi, the young German dancer who has attracted con siderable attention by his orig-nality of choreography during recent tours abroad. Mary Wiginan’s group will then perform a death dance. This will be followed by the singing of Seii'Hcis’ “ Hymn to Happiness” in the musical setting taken from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The festival play will bc produced by Dr. Hanns NiedeckenGebhard, who was for Iwo years stage director at the Metropolitan Opeui. New York. He produced the annual Handel Festivals in Gottingen, and tho first Cologne and Heidelberg Festivals in 1933 and 1931 respectively. England at Cricket. .England failed rather feebly to force tho victory which yesterday’s change of circDmstunces put before them like fruit ripening on Hie wall, commented tho Manchester Guardian witli regard to the third cricket test against South Africa during the middle of July. A dazzling innings by Hammond gave the England captain scope for a declaration; the declaration actually made was scarcely inspiring. 'Twice at least after lunch England enjoyed opportunities of tin 1 kind which when they arc declined spell ruin for those who lack lhe heart or vision to seize them. South Africa not only escaped; the final scores suggest divided honours -for Barber’s dismissal of Cameron a few minutes before. Mose of play was merely a joke mutually shared. The match was lost by England by lack of leadership ami some tomfoolery by Ilic accredited leader at the pinch. A Test match should be fought out Io the bitter end; this one certainly was not. Hammond was at last the Hammond of yore, who as a young man winning his spurs cut ami drove ami hooked Me Donald all over Old 'Trafford In half an hour Hammond made 36 ami hit or dictated seven fours, lie proceeded Hi drive Langston over the long-off boundary for six. and when Wade, perhaps a little bereft, recalled Yincent, this time to the stand end, Hammond crashed him for a boundary to lhe off, a swooping stroke quick and ruthless, and cut him with the fiery sword. The crowd roared in rare ecstasy; here was the trim Hammond, free and lovely, easting his chains r-Liicin-r in liberated