SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 15

SPORT IN BRITAIN

ATHLETIC TEAM'S VISIT TO COLOGNE KATIN IN ALL EVENTS [From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, August 24. ATHLETICS. The A.A.A. vice-president, who tried so hard to get the Germany v. Great Britain match cancelled, would have been greatly surprised if he had accompanied our team to Cologne last Saturday. Nothing could have exceeded the warmth of its welcome. They were given a civic reception, and not for one moment during their stay could one have imagined that the countries of Europe were in a slate of tension which might at any moment lead to war. As for the match itself, this proved an out-and-out triumph for Germany. We have been taking part regularly in international competition since the early ’twenties, and no other country, not even the United States, have given our athletes such a drubbing. Nor can any excuse for the fact that we did not win a single event outright be discovered. We were beaten on our merits, for without exception our athletes performed as well as ever they have done. We were, however, without S. C. Wooderson and D. 0, Finlay, but otherwise the team was as strong as possible. It was disappointing that D. B. Pell could, not win the 1,500 metres. His time was equivalent to a mile in 4min lOseo—a feat which Pell has not yet accomplished. The young Herne Hill harrier had not intended competing at Cologne, but was persuaded almost at the last moment to do so. At the same time he would not break a. promise he had given to run half a mile for his club in a relay race on Saturday. One wonders whether the effort in that event did not male just that bit of difference to Pell which meant his losing the 1,500 metres by inches. Somewhat surprisingly neither A. W. Sweeney nor C. B. Holmes was the equal of the German sprinters, and Holmes meeting with a slight mishap in the 100 metres was kept out of the 200 and the relay races, A. Pennington ran his' best race at 400 metres, but it was not good enough for the allconquering Rudolph Harhig. The German jumpers and throwers made our field evenl y representatives look very small beer indeed. BOXING. Tommy Farr, feeling, perhaps, that it is a mistake to sit idle too long, has consented to meet the Hartlepools heavy-weight, Jack London. The xorkshireman has been yearning for a very long time to meet Farr. So far as skill goes, London would hardly claim that he is the equal of the Welshman, but skill does not always win fights, and London has a most terrific punch, indeed it is doubtful whether any boxer in the British Isles or the Continent can put so much power behind his blows. Hence Farr should beware. Dne punch may well decide the issue, so if the fight goes the full distance the ex-champion should win on points. Eric Boon’s forthcoming fight with Dave Crowley for the light-weight championship of Britain is awaited with very great interest. The supporters of the young Londoner claim that he was much below par when Boon beat him for the title last winter, and that he will give a very different account of himself at the-next meeting. Before many months are past, the champion will he called up for his six months’ service under the militia. He still has his eye on the championship of the world. Since Lou Ambers has somewhat. surprisingly beaten Henry Armstrong for the title it Will be the former that British promoters will attempt to induce across the Atlantic. The last time such an effort was made (Ambers was champion at the time) his terms were so high that it was impossible for them to be considered. Perhaps he will moderate them for the opportunity of meeting Boon. CRICKET. That famous wicket (or infamous siccording to the point ofvmwlat the Oval has produced another test matcn draw. From the moment when young J B. Stolmeyer and his dusky companion, G. A. Headley, made that fane second-wicket partnership m the West Indies first innings, no other result seemed probable, although it is true English supporters had some anxious moments when their representatives began their attempt to knock ol! a deficit of 146 runs. Somehow one gathered the view in the early stages of tup match that some, of our players were already imbued with the idea that three days would prove quite -insufficient to finish the game. Their batting seemed listless and more than one gave evidence of having had a trying and exacting period of cricket. For all their greatness men like Hammond and Hutton cannot go on playing in season and out of season, and it is small wonder that the English captain has declined to make one of those to visit India. Perhaps,, too, he was desirous tkat the man under him at the Oval should only make enough runs to enable the match to be brought to a definite concldsion. A total of 352 certainly gave prospects of this, but the tourists soon showed that they, too, could appreciate the run-getting qualities of the wicket. The running-out of Headley when he looked Set for another of his big scores was a tragedy, and it was just as well for Victor Stolmeyer’s peace of mind that he was able to contribute such a useful score as 96 to the total. The left-hander, Weekes, did gome merry hitting in his century, but it was Constantine who contributed the real fireworks of the innings with 79 scored in 70 minutes. As he had taken five wickets for 75 runs in England’s first innings, the cheery negro can look back on his latest test efforts with considerable satisfaction.

Australian tests always loom large in English eyes. So it was natural that the performances of our representatives at the Oval should be mainly interesting from the angle of the field of choice for the tour of the Commonwealth in 1940-41. The batting was all right. There, however, the ideal partner for Hutton has still to be found. Keeton may have.been unlucky to play-on before he had scored in the first innings,

but he never seemed fully at ease in the second venture. Oldfield, with a classic 80, passed successfully through the fire of his first test, whilst Hardstaff held on steadily while the later wickets were falling, and would assuredly have reached his century if he had been able to get anyone to stay with him. Hutton was Hutton. The hero of that innings of 364 against Australia last August must really appreciate the Oval. It was an achievement to celebrate the anniversary of that record with scores of 73 and 166 not out against the West Indies. This was the Yorkshireman’s tenth century of the season. Altogether in the year’s teste he hae scored 480 runs, with an average of 96. His stand with Hammond, who incidentally has now scored one more century in tests than his great Australian rival, Bradman, passed the previous third wicket record for teste by two runs. One can find little satisfaction about the bowling. Perks was easily the most successful, though Nichols, ever a tremendous worker, cannot be said to have been bleseed with much good fortune. The wicket was quite unsuited to either Goddard or Wright, though one can easily recall bowlers, if they could not take wickets in such conditions, were able to bowl a length consistent enough to keep down the runs. The 1940 season may unearth a couple of bowlers of world-beating class. If not our team will have some very unhealthy scores hit against it in Australia. There is no slackening of interest for the struggle for the county championship. Yorkshire cailnot yet be hailed as winners of the honour. Time was when the Tykes found the easiest of victims in Essex. Latterly the East Anglican side have held their own. Their latest performance in winning by an innings and four runs despite having to put a weakened team into the field and even allowing for the fact that Yorkshire had to bat on a damaged wicket, was most creditable. The champions had not suffered a defeat by an innings for more than two years. It was just as well for their prospects that on the same day Middlesex lost to Gloucester, who, though they have lost all chances of the championship, are determined to finish third in the tables. Some fine bowling by Sinfield, six wickets for 48, on a worn pitch put the final touch to Middlesex’s defeat. It i,S refreshing to record > the fact that almost without exception they have been able to take advantage of the absence of rain to complete their fixtures.

Derbyshire have been able to credit themselves with two victories, the first, after a most exciting finish by a solitary run over Gloucester. On the same afternoon Essex failed by only 5 runs to tie with Middlesex. Unfortunately Eastman, for whose benefit the match Was played, was so lame when he went in to bat last that he got himself out Ibw. Butler has gone to the front as a bowler for Notts; against Hampshire he performed the hat trick—the eighth in first class cricket this year. An even more noteworthy achievement in the howling line was that of Watts, of Surrey. His speedy deliveries were all too deadly for Warwickshire, in whose second innings he captured all 10 wickets for 67 runs. It is 18 years since a Surrey bowler performed this feat. It had already been done this season by Smailes, of Yorkshire.

GOLF. There is no more popular professional than Alfred Padgham, and he was the subject of innumerable congratulations when he accomplished the extraordinary score of 64 over the 6,842 yards course in the second round of the.. £I,OOO tournament at East Brighton. This remarkable display of Padgham’s followed a fortnight’s' holiday by the sea, when his principle diversion was the playing of bowls, and golf was taboo. It left Padgham just one stroke behind S. L. King, who had had rounds of 68 and 67 (the latter was a course record until Padgham beat it). Reginald Whitcombe stood third with a 141. The promise .of a close finish on Friday was soon dispelled, for Padgham, in great form from the start, went round in 72 and 71, which-gave him the very fine aggregate of 279. His victory would not have been so emphatic but for some most erratic putting by King. The ball simply would not go down, and after » final round of 78 King’s chance of first prize of £250 had practically vanished. He ultimately took fourth place behind Percy Alliss and W. J. Cox, who tied with 284. If ever there was any doubt about Padgham’s inclusion in the Ryder Cup team, it was dispelled by his display at Brighton. His name duly appears amongst the eight who have been selected. The others are Henry Cotton (captain), J. Adams, R. Burton, S. L. King, D. J. Rees, C. A. Whitcombe, and R. A. Whitcombe. Two places were left unfilled, and this number has been increased to throe by Charles Whitcombe’s announcement that he finds himself unable to endure the strain of such keen, competitive golf in the American climate. Six of the seven, selected played in that disastrous defeat at Southport two years ago. Those to be dropped are Percy Alliss, A. J. Lacey, W. J. Cox, and Alfred Perry. It is, of course, quite possible that the three vacancies will be _ filled, from these liayers. A decision jvill not be made in all probability until after the match play championship over the St. George’s Hill course next week.