Badminton

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 152, 15 July 1937, Page 13

Badminton

'Drop Shot")

HASTINGS v. NAPIER Choosiiig the Representative Team RANKING LISTS

(By '

The Hastings club team, which visited Napier last Thursday, although weakened by the absence of several "ranked" players, secured a comfortable victory. Of the probable Hawke's Bay representatives engaged in the match, R. Orr, Hastings No. 1, proved too good for his opponents, and won all his matches in straight sets. As Orr has had even less practice than usual during the past month he has retained his form remarkably well. The second Hastings man, Collinge, after winning his single and men's doubles, lost' his combined double in straight sets, but in this match the Napier pair, Hall and Miss Bradley, played extrecnely well. A much-improved player since last year, Miss Bradley returned a lot of Collinge 's best shots. In a women 's double ahe and her sister, Mrs Mawson, combined well to defeat the Hastings pair, Miss Macdonald and j Miss Carr. The winners of this game | had a marked advantage in quickness j about the court. ' Among the Hastings women. Miss j Lassen played noticeably well. She j and Orr each returned with a "poss* j ible ' ' of four wins each. Miss Lancaster, winner with Miss Lassen of three women 's doubles, shared with Collinge the unexpected defeat by Hall and Miss Bradley. Miss Macdonald as usual displayed good strokes and a sound knowledge of the game, but for a player of her standard she is surprisingly slow on her feet. The Ranking List. In view of the coming inter-provm-cial contest at Palmerston North the form shown by the first two Napier men, Mawson and Hall, was not reassuring. It appears likely that in this tournament Hawke's Bay will be represented by the flrst six men on the re-cently-published ranking list: Wilson, Orr, Oollinge (Hastings), Bowlands (Methodist), Hall and Mawson (Napier). If Noel Wilson is unftble to play he will be replaced by Leo Vesty, a member of two Hastings clubs, but Vesty 's low ranking is hard to understand. If given the"^chance he could prove that he is a long way ahead of j several of the men ranked above him. j It is generally agreed that the rank- j ing list contains the right men, but I are they in the right positions? Before last winter 's tourney at Palmerston the Hawke's Bay selectors arranged several singles matches as guides to the abilities qf likely representatives, and as a. greater number of players are, available this year this practice should. be repeated. If there is still time for similar elimination contests, the strongest possible team would eventually be selected, and in this writer's opinion the six men would come from fche clubs in Hastings. At Napier last^ Thursday, MaWson and Hall were fully extended in a men's double by Bracken Wilson and Sharpo, of Hastings, who would have little chance agamst such players as -Eead and Cowan, of the same club. ! Women 's Ranking. In tennis the Tepresentutxve players pick themselves by performances in the open tournaments which always preccde the inter-provincial matches, but at the present timo there are no such' -• .... u jui'ni of Eadimnton ulavo: s. If the women 's team is picked on thB ia. kmg list Miss C. Taylor, of the 'iapust. ci-uj, Will be .at No. 1 position, As neubei Miss Glenny nor Miss Macdonald played iu lasc year's Hawke's Bay tourntunent, in which Miss Taylor .. uii. j.er singies title, tlie selectors have Vj proof that the latter player is as good as some of those radked below her.*«* Nortji Island Championships. , The enthusiasm of the Hawke's Bav Badminton Federation has been rewarded by tho allocation to this' district of this winter 's North Island championships. While exhibition matches are popular enougk, the compeihjvc elemdnt in tournament play ex.cifcing for spectators, and iocal enthusiasts should welcome ine cliance to see somo of the best pmyers in New Zealand.