HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21035, 10 February 1940, Page 15 (Supplement)

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Cricket, Bowling, Swimming, Rowing, Tennis, Yachting, Polo, Amateur Athletics, Gun Club Shooting .

Glen Hook, the former Auckland Rugby and cricket representative., who has represented Wanganui in both sports, also has been transferred to Tokomaru Bay and has taken up his residence there. Hook, who was one of the All Black trialists and who is a very sound cricketer, will materially strengthen the Poverty Bay cricket and football representatives if he continues to play. O'Reilly s 200 Wickets

opponents have piled on hundreds of runs, have often complained aboui | over-prepared pitches and that sev- j eral decades ago the bowlers had a much better chance. Mr W. Hawkins, of Hamilton, a well-known figure at all cricket games in Hamilton and who represented Auckland on its southern tour in 1889-90, states that the wickets in his day were just as good as now. It is exactly 50 years ago since Mr Hawkins commenced his eight years’ association with the Auckland representatives, and he was very pleased with the team’s performance in Wellington j when he witnessed the game this season. Tilings had changed from his day, however. Then, led by Herbert Kissling, the team voyaged by ship from Onehunga to New Plymouth and overland to Wellington ; from Taranaki, returning by boat from Wellington. Players paid their own fares and the crowds were not huge. Players were in the game for the fun of it, and if they performed a great deed only a few knew of it. Bowling at Stumps In those days overs were of five balls. The art of the finger break had not been discovered. Fast bowlers, slow bowlers, left-arm bowlers, right-hand bowlers, in fact all sorts of bowlers only had one idea: to at- , tack the stumps and knock them ! flying from the ground. Not even \ the fast bowlers used the off theory. ; Fields were set in orthodox fashion , and only the most uncouth batsmen j used the pull stroke, which is now j one of the heaviest scoring strokes in j the game. Every batsman was taught to meet every ball with the j full face of the bat. Mr Hawkins j admits that today there is more variety in bowling, but then the old | hands were very'good trundlers, and j could peg away with a good length until further orders. The wickets, I then, he asserts were as good as they i are now. He has in mind the Auck- I land Domain wicket which was given j the most constant and skilled care. ' Bowlers had to work very hard on it to get any success. Tour of Bowlers The forthcoming tour of Waikato bowlers to Wellington on February 24 promises to be an outstanding success and already a large number has expressed their intention of , joining the party. The party will spend a week in Wellington and the Wellington Centre has completed entertainment arrangements. On Wednesday, February 28, there will be a bowlers’ social evening in the concert chamber of the Wellington Town Hall, while on the same evening the lady members of the party j will be entertained at picture the- ! atres. Bowlers wishing to make the i trip are advised to get in communication with the secretary of the South Auckland Bowling Centre immediately.

Y.M.C.A. Swimming Club A spectacular and varied programme has been arranged for tonight, when the Y.M.C.A. Swimming I Club holds its annual carnival at the 1 Hamilton Municipal Baths. Among j the highlights are the Waikato Banner relay, the interhouse relay and New Zealand championship standard ! dives. Also a special mystery nov- j city event is being staged by the senior members. Entries in all events ' are very good, and representatives of all South Auckland clubs will be competing. K. Williams, Auckland and New Zealand intermediate 220 and 440 yards champion, will also be seen in action. Diving, for which the Y.M. club has long been famed, has received special attention this | season, and the scientific execution ;of some of the national championship ; standard dives will be a thrill in store for all diving enthusiasts. Under the system of grade swimming now in operation, a great night and good finishes are expected. Need for Leaders Reports of the activities of the Area Recreation Officers of the Fhysical Welfare and Recreation j Branch operating in the Waikato, i Wellington and Southland areas | show that the system of training i leaders who will in their turn act as I a network of local instructors, ex- | tending all over their districts, has I been launched thoroughly. The Waikato area is a good sample of what |is being done. The area was div- | ided up into five districts, and poten- ! tial leaders for physical welfare and recreation have been recruited partly as individuals interested in the work and partly as representatives of various organisations. Their training will be as thorough as the area instructors, Mr Lance Cross and Miss Rona Stephenson, both widely experienced in this type of work, can make it. Recreational games, modern physical education methods, dancing and general keep-fit work are being taught. The local interest shown in these activities was recently evidenced at a sports carnival given by the Morrinsville men’s leaders class. Gymnastics, indoor basketball, fencing matches and a dance made up the bulk of the programme, and no fewer than 570 people paid for admission. In all, the Waikato people have potential leaders running into hundreds under training in their area. Mayor’s Tennis Victory Apparently inspired by the tennis exhibitions they saw in the Bledisloe Hall on Monday afternoon when the visiting Australians played in Hamilton, the Mayor, Mr H. D. Caro, and | the deputy-Mayor, Mr F. Findlay, played a singles match on the exhibition court one afternoon this week. After a splendid game, in which there were many long and brisk rallies, the Mayor proved the victor in two straight sets.

W. J. O'Reilly on Saturday made his tally of wickets in Sheffield Shield cricket 200. He is the first New South Wales bowler to perform this feat. Mailey, with 180, previously led the field for this State. Others to get 200 or more are Grimmett (South Australia), FleetwoodSmith (Victoria), Ironmonger (Victoria), and E. Jones (South Australia). Junior Tennis Players

The victory of the young Victorian, Miss Joyce Wood, in the Australian junior singles championship was her third in succession in that event, and earned for her permanent possession of the trophy. In 1938 she won the treble—singles, doubles, and mixed. Last year and this year she also won the doubles, but on each occasion was runner-up in the mixed. Miss Wood will be eligible to compete as a junior next year. Australian Tennis Titles Adrian Quist beat Jack Crawford in straight sets—6-3, 6-1, 6-2—in the Australian singles championship final at Rushcutters Bay. Quist played inspired tennis. Crawford was brilliant, little below his form against Bromwich, but he was up against an opponent who rarelymade a mistake. After losing the first set "trailing 0-3 in the second, Miss Nancy Wynne (Victoria) recovered brilliantly to beat Miss Thelma Coyne (New South Wales), and recover the women’s singles title. Quist*s Performance

Quist, who won the title in Adelaide in 1936, when Crawford also provided the opposition in the final, pressed in every game. He took the net whenever possible and his ground shots and volleying were well-nigh perfect. Crawford seldom ventured to toss, as Quist dealt with those that came his way in devastating fashion. Crawford went for his shots every time, playing hard and fast to the comers, or driving deeply down to the base line. Although Quist won in straight sets, the match was actually much closer than the scores indicated. Cricketer’s Memories

Bowlers of the present generation, and captains of teams that have had to field for several days while their