The Oakleys Do it Again

For what must be almost the umpteenth time the spoon has been carried back to Victoria. Thus is another traditional lore observed. If we are not careful our possession of the wooden spoon will become part of our tradition to be retold in the same breath with various demonstrations and bannings. Our teams will try to lose, our athletes will refuse to train, our swimmers, backetball, tennis and other players to practise. There may come the day when the shooting team will tolerate poor rifles.

Fortunately we have not yet reached that stage and our teams still go confident, try mightily and return determined. Nevertheless they probably think hard thoughts about those who refuse to support Varsity Clubs. They must envy the stability of the teams who have better facilities and greater opportunities. On this page their report's tell something of the Tournament including the shooting team's win and Des Dowse's New Zealand University record.

Final Points: Auckland 491; Otago 23; Canterbury 16; Victoria 131/4.

Shooting

Tournament shooting was remarkable for two features, the spirit of the competition and Auckland's organisation. This year, no drawn out arguments haunted the council and the delegates. The one problem which arose over the question of ammunition was quickly settled to the satisfaction of all parties. This was due in part to the splendid work done by Auckland, and by Ron Sheppard in particular, in arranging the shoot—this drive seemed to be infused into the marker who worked with speed and precision all day—in fact, hats off to Ron and all his assistants! Would that the range and the weather had joined in! Ardmore has its own little quirks such as mud and gullies in between mounds. Picture the half soaked shooter going forlornly down to the butts from the 600yd. mound (which is about 100ft. above the butt level) and trying to relate his target to the nearest number. But even a cloudburst in the middle of one of the shoots could not spoil the show.

That the team succeeded in bringing back the shield was due firstly to the consistently high standard produced by all members, secondly to the splendid performance of Tom Howarth (137), who ran second in aggregate to Roy Larsen, of Auckland, and thirdly to the way in which Henderson managed the team. The match was by no means a walkover. On leaving the 300yd. mound Vic. were only one point ahead of Auckland. At the 600yd. mound the lead was increased by another 10 points.

Thanks should be given to Mike Minogue and Alec Wilson, who were of the greatest assistance on the range. Congratulations also to Tom Howarth and Vance Henderson, both of whom received well deserved N.Z. Blues.

Perhaps "resourceful" is the description which might be applied to the team—traffic inspectors, brewers, maidens in distress, etc., all experienced this quality from time to time. We fail to appreciate the somewhat niggly tactics of the gendarmes up there, however, who would expect people to carry unnecessary bits of paper such as licences and warrants of fitness? Similarly, who could possibly imagine that the locals did not keep their beer in the wash-house?

Apart from such episodes the conduct of the team was in the highest traditions of Shakespeare.

J.G.H.

Women's Basketball

Swimming

Copy has not yet been handed in from the Swimming Club. However, Salient knows that Pip Piper, who was to have been a member of the team, had to return to Wellington on Saturday owing to his wife's illness and this would have weakened our chances—particularly in the water polo.

Des Dowse swum up to predicted form and won his events—in the 100 yards breaststroke he broke the New Zealand University record.

Cricket

Our cricket team did not have a win in the Tournament, but this was due to bad luck rather than a weak team. The team fielded was not the same as that which plays in the cricket competition in the City, and there were three replacements from Massey College. The team:—D. McLeod (Capt.), P. M. McCaw, K. Phillips, M. Dunphy, T. W. Turner, D. Dalgety, D. Lewis, and the three Masseys rep.: G. Gibson, J. Garland, R. Lockwood.

The team played two games, one against Auckland University College and the other against Canterbury University College.

We were unlucky to be beaten by Auckland, who put their last man in with 35 runs to make. We missed a few vital opportunities and lost the game. Malc. McCaw hit up a fine 114 and that same batsman in partnership with Dave McLeod came in when the score was five down for fifty and between them they added 71. Gibson, of Massey, bowled well in this game with 37 overs for six wickets and 86 runs.

Against Canterbury we lost by five wickets. Canterbury led by 16 on the first innings and in our second innings we scored a fast 88 and declared, but Canterbury managed to hit up the difference and won in the last five minutes of play.

Ray O'Connor, who laid the foundation for their win with a fast 30, now plays for Victoria.

Three of the team were selected to play for New Zealand University against Auckland: Dave McLeod, who captained the University side, and Ken Phillips and Malc. McCaw. Auckland defeated the team by 37 runs on the first innings in a game which had to be stopped at 2.30.

Tennis

Favoured by the weather, the tennis tournament proved a great success, particularly for A.U.C., who won 4 out of 5 titles. Our hosts are also to be congratulated for the conducting of the tourney. Highlight from V.U.C's viewpoint was the form shown by Pritehard and Edey in taking the men's double title.

After an easy first round win when they edged out Otway and Malsey (O.U.) in three sets by careful, determined play; they had to contend with two capable young opponents, Wright and Glass (O.U.) in the final. First set went to Otago, due to an unusually large crop of errors by Edey. He was right off but Pritehard kept his end up. In the second, a grim battle of lobs and smashes, Pritehard was the most accurate. They managed to scramble out the set at 6/4. Edey returned to form in the last set. He began to find touch with his ferocious overhead and superb volleying, enabling them to clinch the match at 6/4. It was the best game of the tournament, Pritehard displaying sound knowledge of doubles play. He played extremely carefully and shone in every phase of the game except in smashing, where he failed to reproduce his best form.

Lois Holland and Lil Kingdon did very-well to reach the ladies' doubles final. They had a tough game in the first round, but a win the semi-final, but were easy victims for the well-performed Catley sisters in the final (6/2, 6/0).

Pritchard and Lois showed the benefit of a practice knock-up they had on Sunday with Elaine Becroft and her "scratch" partner in defeating their first round opponents 6/1. 6/1. In their semi-final match they failed to reproduce this form to lose to Cliffe and Pat Catley (A.U.C.) 6/3, 6/4. Bacon and Bice Young were brushed aside (6/1, 6/0) by Elaine Becroft and Nicholson (A.U.C), the eventual winners. B. and J. Young went down to experienced Jennifer Dudding and S. McLeod (O.U.) 6/1, 6/3. Jan Young, in losing to J. Catley 6/0, 6/0, was unlucky not to win several games. She played extremely aggressively throughout but could not match the courtcraft of her opponent, J. Dudding was too experienced for Lil Kingdon in the other single.

The men's singles entrants were rather disappointing. Edey was beaten 8/3, 7/6 by Burns (A.U.C), who played a steady accurate game. Reddy took exceptionally long to warm up and just where he was beginning to get a few In, the match was won by his net-rushing opponent Russ Blewdon (C.U.C.) 6/1, 6/0. Jack Benstead and Reddy were a trifle unlucky to lose to Cliffe and Burns (A.U.C.) 6/4, 3/6, 6/4. This matched last two hours.

G. Nicholson won the men's singles by steady and sometimes brilliant tennis.

Outstanding player of the Tournameat was Elaine Becroft, a prominent personality in national events, holder of several titles and the only person awarded a tennis blue. We shall look forward to seeing her in Wellington next Easter. She completely overwhelmed Joyce Catley in the final of the women's single.

—B.H.R.