ANGLO-COLONIAL SPORT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 9, 30 August 1911, Page 9

ANGLO-COLONIAL SPORT.

CHAMiMON’H LONG-DISTANCE CHAMA PLUCKY VICTOR. LONDON. July 21. wiy HE appearance uf the New Zealand jl| < rack, M. E. Champion, and the ’| 1 West Australian King s Cup wlnI ' ner in opposition to T. S. BatJL terahy, the holder, and Hemy Taylor in the Long Distance Swimming Championship, decided last Saturday eveu--2l\ g rt ve the race more than usual interest. Those "ho took the trouble to follow the swimmers over the tive miles ami sixty yards of water between Kew Railway Bridge and Putney Pier were rewarded by witnessing an exciting finish, in which the indomitable pluck of the New Zealand champion triumphed over physical difficulties which threatened to cause his retirement. t\r the race a representative entry of 30 was received, and 28 started just before the clock struck G p.m. As soon as the competitors had spread iemsflves out, It was seen that Champion w..- making the pace, followed by Batters.l iiii.iy, Taylor. Giles, Blatherwick, and iiiuish. At 300 yards Taylor passed Find a little later took second place, they swam for perhaps three-quarters <.f a mile. when Finlay retired. Champion <’V.l led Taylor by a few yards at Grove Paik (Sin 18s), Taylor being third, five wf.-uis behind, with Giles fourth, and the rest of the field strong out over a distance vf a-qnarter of a mile. From this point the times became slower than for the two preceding years. At the ? ! II < 1 (11m 475) ('hampion still led, f.iv r I .mg a couple of yards behind, with r •'! y a few fort away. A couple of ■ I yards further on Battersby took i i and so they swam to Barnes . which Champion#reache<i in 19m yard ahead of Battersby. with 7 ? •'. -hopping away, third. Melhulsh and Blatherwick and Giles in close company not far away. Fr-mi this point Champion, who kept an admirable course, began to draw steadily a. Ai Chiswick Church (32m 5s) —practb.. half-way—he held a 30 yards’ lead of l'i"-rsby, Taylor lying third, nearly lo> ynr<l> off. with Melhulsh fourth, fully 12S yards behind Taylor. Champion continued to gain, and by the t!:: • had negotiated Hammersmith Bridge (Hniin 34see) he was nearly half-a-mlnute ahead of Battersby. Taylor being over two minutes behind the New Zealander. Off Hr: <L Battersby made an effort to close the gap between him and the New Zealander, and bit by bit reduced it to 4‘.‘ yards. Champion being evidently in trcublf. Ilalf-a-mile from home he swam * ■' his pilot boat, and It seemed as if he was about to retire. Instead, however, he merely stopped, and, after rubbing his h-r for a few seconds, struggled on again. Meanwhile Battersby had got to within 25 yards, but though Champion was again seized with cramp In the legs in the last fifty yards, Battersby could only reduce the New Zealander’s lead by feet and Champion struggled home a gallant winner by less than 20 yards in Ih Gm 11 3-ss, amid great cheering. The moment he had passed the post champion was taken out of the water, and promptly attended to. He was ’’done to a turn. ' and Battersby was in little better fix, his efforts In the last mile having taken fill the steel out of him. Taylor finished third, Im 38s after Champion, Melhulsh fourth, Gibs fifth, and Blatherwick next. Of the 24 who finished behind Champion, eievon got standard medals for getting home ■within 10 minutes of the winner. The p sitions and times at the finish *er e follows:—

t .i. r I ': on s New Zealander to ►bi:. , in t,le L'nig Distance Championthp . the third winner hailing from •r The first was Percy Cavlll, aid i ?. ' ■ t\ ho w . Ott 1,1 lso7 in lh Gm 355, in 1/^l H ‘“*Kfield, of Brisbane, won made > ?‘ Thp r< ‘ , ’°rd for the race was ho , ■ s Battersby lawt year, when On s.k.'? 1 thp ‘Hstance in 63m 12 2-58. i »” ay * t ’ lle Wi,s sluggish, and b0t1... tl... * , r,les Bridge and ChUiwlck Church Wh *! ' ' ,' vaR VP, y “popply.” It was Cham,. th,s <»f water that in s i.' > '“ , ‘ u, ‘ e d the lead that stood hl in 1* in i , MeiUl when trouble overtook ronch v He went through the tenjhv ’’“"h better than either Bat- * oi lay lor. ’ •’'MI lON and THE CHANNEL. tr ylug to ' tVinnf 'oi y ’ t,ult • Onu ‘ people are l ur • r nHH (’ h "X I C J u ‘ m P |on f O h!,v <- « try tun .. hcuourH ’ bnt h t* to be be mil nut be persuaded to do

so. Tie Is, of course, an exceptionally powerful man, and possessed of fine pace and etamina, but the English Channel swim would be sure to find out his leg trouble, and as experience has shown there is generally great difficulty In resuclng swimmers who are seized with cramp. Moreover, it is an expensive business to essay the Channel swim, and the chances of success are very remote, so much depending on the weather, the temperature of the sea, and the run of the tides. To attain success a man must be favoured with a combination of favourable conditions that experience has shown do not obtain once in a score of years. Up to date twenty-three individuals have tried to swim the Channel, two of them being ladies. Between them 75 attempts have been made, Burgess and Wolfe tieing for first place with fifteen each, and Holbein coming third with eight. Of these 75 swims, one has been successful—that by Webb. Dalton and Cavil! asserted that they succeeded, but they were not accepted. The figures given are strong enough to discourage the best swimmer alive. SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR. Two of the Australian Wimbledon contingent repaired to Cardiff last week to take part in the Welsh lawn tennis championships. They were A. W. Dunlop and S. N. Doust, of whom the former managed to get into the final of the Welsh championship singles. Therein he met C. P, Dixon, the holder, who beat him iu three straight sets—G—4, G—2, 7-5. There was only one period in Mr. Dixon’s final match with Mr. Dunlop when the holder’s chances of retaining his cup seemed in jeopardy. This was in the initial set. Borrowing a line from Mr. Roper Barrett, the Australian adopted what may be called the drop-and-loss method. He cut his forehand drives very short, drew Dixon to the net. and then lobbed deeply and well. These tactics were not very exhilarating to watch, but they enabled Dunlop to gain a 4-1 lead. Moving rather lazily about the court, Dixon had not advanced quickly enough to deal summarily with the ’’drops," but he now bestirred himself, and dealt out a sequence of fast forehands, which revealed Dunlop’s weakness on the base line. Five games and the first set were rapidly gathered, the second set secured, and a 5 —2 lead established in the third. Dunlop did not tamely surrender, however, and an Increase of pace on his ground shots and some clever volleying, aided by weak service on the holders part, gave him three games, and necessitated another rally by the Englishman ere he could claim victory. Doust and Dunlop figured in the final of the Gentlemen’s Doubles, but on different sides of the net. Dunlop had for his partner A. D. Prebble, whilst Doust joined forces ■with C. P. Dixon. The match, unfortunately, had to be abandoned at Its most interesting stage. There was plenty Of Hght left, but the exigencies of train service demanded a halt at 6.45 p.m. Dunlop’s generalship had enabled himself and Prebble to win the first set from Doust and Dixon easily. Dixon improved in the second; and the match was advanced to the seventh game of the final set, winning which gave Dunlop and Prebble a 5 —2 lead. They were twice within an ace of the match on Dujnlop’s service In the ninth game, while their opponents only wanted a stroke In the twelfth game; but at 7 all the opponents agreed to a division, and there was a combined stampede to the dressing-room and a perspiring helter-skelter for the Fishguard express. Prior to this match, Doust and Miss Aitchlson had carried off the mixed doubles, the other finalists being Prebble and Miss Booihby. It was a great game after the first set, which Doust and partner lost at 6—3, chiefly for want of a good understanding. That came in the next, but it was not until twelve games had been played that the Anglo Australian couple gained the match. The third and deciding set produced (another strenuous struggle, from which Doust and partner emerged victori ous at 7—5. and thus secured major honours by three sets to two and 17 games to 16. From South Wales Doust went on to Reading, and there had the pleasure of appearing on Wednesday in three open finals, entailing four hours’ hard work under a broiling sun. lie had his reward, for though narrowly beaten in the singles by Mr. J. G. Ritchie, Doust, in company with Mrs. Lambert Chambers, won the Mixed Doubles, and, in partnership with his singles’ conqueror, won the Gentlemen’s Doubles. Doust’s match with Ritchie was remarkable for the unexpected rally of the Australian. After surrendering the first two sets, he seemed a beaten man up to this stage, and his opponent was evidently as surprised as the crowd when a dazzling display of volleying followed. Doust’s running smasher completely paralysed Ritchie In the third and fourth sets. Abandoning lobs, Ritchie took to driving In the final • set, but with scarcely better success, for Doust led 4-2. Doust got very near to the victory, but he was too eager to get to the n»*t on short returns, ami Ritchie saved the match by steady cross drlvea, and won by throe sots to two and 22 games to 21 6 -1, 6-3, 2—6, I—6, 7 5. In the Mixed Doubles Doust and partner beat Mr. and Mrs. McNair fairly comfortably In two straight sots at 6—3, 6 4, ami the final of the Men's Doubles, in which Doust ami Ritchie opposed F. G. Lome ami R. J. McNair, the Anglo-Australian combination won by two seats to one and 15 Kflini* to 10 (6 3, 3 •G, 6—l), after a somewhat ragged exhibition.

h. m. s I'M ’• Champion, Waitchiuta, New Zealand . . 1 6 11 2-5 K Battersby, South1 ft 25 4-5 3—II. I'aylor. Hyde Seal ... 1 7 49 4—XV. • 1 Melhuish. Wooldon 1 10 23 v i1’ Giles, City of London Police 1 11 42 6-S. Rlntherwhk, Sheffield, Attereliffe 1 12 27 Bmkland, Amateur 1 12 52 C G. Stokes, Dorking . . 1 14 13 " E. Mathews, West Central Postal 1 14 21 1- 'ey, Ashford Institute 1 1 1 29 12 I! Delfosse. Zephyr . . 1 15 IO Hale, Hull City 1 10 11