TOPICAL TATTLE

Evening Star, Issue 23681, 14 September 1940, Page 1 (Supplement)

TOPICAL TATTLE

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Woman Cricket Coach for Boys,

Ripon Grammar School, in Yorkshire, for the first time has a woman on it® teaching staff, and one of her subject! is cricket. She is Mrs J. H. Brown, who has joined her husband on the staff for the duration of the war. By taking the place of a young master called up recently she has helped to solve the problem that is now facing hundreds of English schools—shortage of masters. The problem has become acute since the age at which masters are reserved from military service was raised from 25 to 30. Mrs Brown is teaching science, mathematics, as well as cricket. And she is a great success. “ Axis Cup ” Tennis.

Italy and Germany are going to hav* an “ Axis Cup ” tennis tournament because the Davis Cup competition can no longer be considered representative of Europe, the newspaper ‘ Popolo di Roma ’ reported the other day. This announcement followed the return of an Italian tennis team from Berlin, where the captain of the squad, Giorgio de Stefani, conferred with the German sports head, Osten von Tschammer. Baseball Entertainment. A crowd of 20,000 -people was expected at Los Angeles for baseball’s most hilarious farce, the annual gamo between the leading men of the screen and the comedians. The honorary captains were Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard. The leading men’s side included Tyrone Power, Gary Cooper, and Fred. Astaire, while stalwarts of the comedians were Buster Keaton, th* Ritz brothers, Fred. Allen, and Jack Benny. English Tennis Star in Canada. Mrs Dorothy Round Little, English tennis star and twice winner of the Wimbledon singles title, arrived rewith her two-year-old. son. affe will live* in Nova Scotia for the duration of the war. English Distances, Out! Suppression of all Italian sport records based on English distances of yards and miles was ordered the other day by the National Italian Olympic Committee. The committee ordered all Italian sports federations to revise and publish all such records in metric equivalents. Merritt’s Field Day. W. Merritt’s work at an Army ordnance depot in England in recent months has had little effect on his cricket, if his recent form for Dudley against Stourbridge in the Birmingham League is any guide. The former Canterbury and NeW Zealand representative had a field day. In a first-wicket partnership which realised 167 runs Merritt scored 108 in as many minutes, and when Stourbridge went in to bat Merritt, tossing down his very best spinners, dismissed three opponents in his first two overs for no runs. He finished up with seven for 28. Dudley won handsomely, due almost solely to the all-round effort of the New Zealand professional. Wellington Soldier Athlete’s Death, Private C. Talbot, whose death'm Egypt was reported the other day, wa» formerly a member of the Petone Amateur Athletic Club (says a Wellington writer). Talbot was a quite fair performer at three miles, and about five years ago lie represented Wellington in the New Zealand cross-country championship. But his greatest monument on the track was not a series of fine achievements, but a splendid reputation (and that, after all, is the only thing that really matters) as a sportsman. He was one of the nicest fellow you could meet in a day’s march. All athletes will regret his untimely death, and will offer sincere condolences to Miss Joyca Crampton, the Wellington provincial women’s sprint champion, to whom h* was affianced. Wellington Premier’s Fine Record. The Athletic Football Club, whoss senior team won the premiership this year, has a fine record in the last five years. The team’s success this year was the third in five years and in th® two years of that period the Atbletio first fifteen were runners-up. During those five years, the team has been coached by Mr Mark Richardson. Of the part played by members of the , club in the war, the president (Mr J. W. Heenan C.8.E.) said that during the first year of the present war 63 members had gone on active service. They included Mr A. V. Fisher, who had been reported killed. During th® last war the club had 67 members on active servee It is interesting to note that the Wellington final this year was contested by the Athletic and Wellington Clubs who in 1914 were bracketed at the top of the senior competition, Cricket During Air Raid Warning, Playing through an air raid warning lasting 45 minutes, a New Zealand team defeated the A.I.F. in a cricke'l match at Aldershot last month. Lieutenant Eric Tindill, New Zealand Rugby and cricket representative, opened with' another well-known player in Sergeant Wareham, the former making 23 and the latter 50. New Zealand made 133 and the A.I.F. 69. For New Zealand Gillespie took throe for 6, Betts threo for 27, and Barker two for 12.