Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1936. Volume 7. Number 4.

Tennis Club or Bat and Ball Society? — Eight at Practice

page 4

Tennis Club or Bat and Ball Society?

Eight at Practice

With Tournament now only a week away, it is possible to judge to some extent the chances of the various teams. Swimming is the strongest for years, athletics will make an effort to lose a wooden spoon, basketball seems strong. In the men's tennis there is a definite weakness. With players like the McCarthy Borthers and Morrison at V.U.C. it is surprising to say the least to find that little or no effort has been made to select a stronger team. B. McCarthy's name was submitted to the Delegates, and Morrison is included by a long-standing rule. In J. McCarthy's case it seems that a gross injustice has been done and that the Tennis Club have failed in their duty to endeavour to pick the best team possible. We agree that McCarthy's eligibility is uncertain but by what charter has the Tennis Club the right to say that he is ineligible. The Tournament Delegates of four Colleges are the judges and if they want assistance in matter of this nature they will ask the Tennis Club is developing a partisanship such as existed when Roussell left the Club some years ago.

The Tennis Club's duty to itself and to the College is to select the strongest team possible, not to usurp the work of others, and not to leave it to those who have the interests of the College at heart to make representations to the proper quarters.

Rowing.

The Eight has now been selected and training commenced in earnest. Over the week-end the boat was taken to Petone where it will be housed till Easter. The crew are getting fit, but more attention to training is necessary. An essential to physcial fitness is rest and early nights and no cigarettes will play a large part.

Hansen is setting a good stroke, and the crew is swinging along very well, despite a tendency to roll. Gibbons, the best oar in the boat, is rowing excellently at 7. Barnes is probably the fittest of the crew and is swinging well. Bullock is rowing well but when under stress is losing his slide, a fault which he should overcome. Brown at 2 is skying at the catch and should concentrate on eradicating this evil. Bow is rowing well, but looks a bit worried.

All through the boat the handwork is a trifle slow. The hands should be "got away" quickly, and in this respect, bow should take more care. It would be as well if more devil was put into starts. At present the starts are a bit slow. Concentration on starting will enable the crew to get the length's lead at the beginning, and as we all know it is easier to keep ahead than get ahead.

Though the chances of victory are improving, it should be remembered that both Auckland and Canterbury will be hard to beat, but with plenty of boat work, the V.U.C. eight will be well up.

Cricket.

Last Saturday again saw some good performances put up by Varsity teams, and unless next Satruday is spoilt by rain, we should bring home several wins.

The Seniors, who require an outright win over Petone to avoid finishing bottom of the championship were in the field all the afternoon but in that time Petone could score only 196 runs. Bowling for Varsity, Vietmeyer 2 for 14, Stevens 2 for 14, and Trickebank 2 for 42 took the wickets. In all, over 80 overs were bowled. It was unfortunate for Varsity that Petone scored so slowly, as it left no time for our team to bat, and the chance of an outright win is now well high impossible.

The Second Grade competition is now finished, but in a friendly match against Karori, Varsity scored 148. Lunn, who made 73, batted very well and put up his best score of the season. In reply, Karori have made 80 for the loss of eight wickets. Masters, bowling excellently, has taken all eight wickets.

In the Junior B1 Grade, Stop-Out made 189, and Varsity have now lost five wickets for 123 after having five down for 46. Shaw, batting aggressively, is 49 not out (including four sixes) and Turnbull is 31 not out.

Playing against Midland, the Junior C team got their opponents out for 164, and in reply have 140 up for the loss of four wickets.

The Junior D's made 236 against Kilbirnie, who in reply have two down for 51. richards who has been batting well of late, scored 52, gifford 42, and Simon 40.

The third Grade team who were playing Petone, the leading team in the grade did not fare so well. Batting first Varsity made 98, of which Johnstone got 42-a good innings. In reply, Petone made 165 for five wickets declared. In their second innings Varsity collapsed and suffered and outright loss.

The Harrier Club.

With the Wellington Harrier season comencing this week, the Varsity Club is now on the lookout for new material. since it was formed in 1933 the Club has made wondedrful progress, and this year with crowd of energetic-looking freshers at Varsity, a successful season is anticipated.

Many people regard harrier running as a rather futile pastime. Whether there is any truth in this assertion depends on your attitude towards different sports. If you care to analyse such games as football and hockey, they become equally futile, unless they are regarded as an opportunity for relaxation or the working off of superfluous energy.

Others are frightened at the prospects of running at full speed over hilly country; but if they only came out for a few runs they would soon discover that this is not always the procedure. In the Varsity Club there is a slow pack inwhich running is merely a secondary consideration, and who are only at rare intervals prompted by their consciences to break into a jog.

For the more ambitious, there is the fast pack, usually misled by the notorious Mr. Bagnall, whose chief hobby is breaking the existing course record.

One must not forget the invitation runs at which it will be observed that the Club Muster has increased rather remarkably.

Whether you intend to accompany the fast, slow, or medium pack, you should come along to the annual meeting on Thursday night.

Inter-Faculty Athletics.

On Saturday afternoon, the Inter-faculty meeting was held at Kulburn Park. After the rain of the previous day, the track was heavy and this is shown by the slow times. Some good prospects for next year have been brought to light in particular Ekdahl and Bowyer, both of whom will improve.

The best race of the day was between Bowie and Milner of C.U.C. Bowie won by two yards in 16 secs., excellent time inthe circumstances, and should take the 120 yards hurdles title.

No outstanding performances were shown in other distances. The 100 was won by Bowie in 11 1-5 secs; the 220 yards by Freeman in 24 1-5 secs., a good time on the day. The 880 yards by Black in 2 mins. 5 secs., the 440 yards by Oram in 56 secs., and the mile by O'Connor in 4 min. 47 1.5 secs.

These do not give much hope. Boot will monopolise the mile and half mile, and Watt of O.U. will be a difficult man to beat in the 440. However, if Clarke, who pulled a muscle on Saturday, runs, there event.

Birks won the walk easily, andis probably another winner for Easter.

In the field events there is a great lack of talent, and it seems as though V.U.C. willbe hard pur to find an entry. The winners of the shot, discus, andjavelin are noteligible, and with Hackett and Brainsby in the jumps, it seems as though we're in the mud as the classics have it.

In the 440 hurdles and the three miles, Anderson of C.U.C. and Robinson of O.U. will be hard to beat and V.U.C. does not look like a winner in these events.

Unless something extraordinary happens, V.U.C. will win that wooden spoon outright. We dislike this pessimistic air, but frankly, the timesand distances speak for themselves. However, we can put our faith in the representatives to do their best and our parting thought is to wish them plenty of luck.