BOATING DAYS ARE GOOD DAYS

NZ Truth, Issue 1198, 15 November 1928, Page 17

BOATING DAYS ARE GOOD DAYS

iimimiiimiiiimiiiiiiiuiiiiiimmiimiiimmiiiiiuimimimimimmi iiiiimimiimiiimimitiiiiimiiiimiiMiimiiim iiiamiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiimiiimimiiiiimi iimumii iiiniuuiiiii WHY ALL THAT HURRY?

The English Tennis Tour Was Arranged Too Early (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Tennis Correspondent.) , v One thing emerges from the pond through which the British tennis team waded on its way over New Zealand— the visit was made much too early m the season.

THERE could have been no sharper '1 lesson for the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association than that read them by the weather during the visitors' stay. The Motherland's first four arrived m perfect weather, but jaded by the hearty entertainment of their first day they had only a' few hours on the Wellington courts. In Christchurch they spent six days, mostly at the excellent summer sports of billiards and bridge. After five days of will-I-won't-I-rain behavior on the part of the weather, they took the court against the South Island. A few hours on Wilding Park's damp surface and some social tennis m mixed doubles at Cashmere constituted their preparation for the first match of i the tour, • Back m Wellington, they spent two days renewing acquaintance with the old familiar raindrops. Then they left for Auckland. • It says muoh for. their quality that after California's heat, the long voyage over the Pacific and one day's real practice at Auckland, they gave New Zealand one of the biggest hidings that thp Pominion has suffered m a Test. Every raindrop which fell during the term of the visit should have drummed a message into the minds of the controlling body. And it is this: Don't have anything to do, with the fag-ends of Australian tours. The N.Z.L..T.A., inspired more by enthusiasm than by common sense, took it upon itself to ask the team to this country. It did not even consult' the provincial associations as to whether they wouid desire a visit and what they would pay for a mateh — it just went ahead. Striking a virtuous pose, it points to the fact that it was sure to lose money on the tour anyhow. The high terms of the\ Lawn Tennis Association,, of London, says the Dominion body, made the tour an act of grace on the part of the N.Z. Association. But it was less an act of grace ■lllllllHMllllillllllllilllllilllUllllllllltlilllllilllllllllillllllllllllllilllllHUllllllllillllllll

than a gamble, and a gamble that did not come off. Certainly there would' have been croakers who would have blamed the New Zealand Association if it had allowed the team to pass by. But no one m the possession of his senses would choose October as a time to bring an international team into the country. For one thing, even if the best cf weather had favored the Britishers, our own players wer.e simply unfit. The only man to come through the Test match with added lustre to his reputation was Noel Wilson, the national mixed doubles champion. He did so for the plain reason that he was almost the only New Zealander ready to stand up to hard tennis. Wilson's failure at the end of the third set against Collins has been put down to his lack of condition. But there was no fitter man m New Zealand at tha£ moment. The reversal of form was due to Collins fighting powers and to a sudden attack of nerves on the part of the New Zealand player. „._-.' The visit is; likely to prove expensive, to the associations which, were unlucky enough to be loaded with it. At Christchurch there was a good gate, but how the Canterbury Association will stand after it has paid over the high guarantee demanded by the N.Z.L.T.A, is, far from certain. Seventy per cfent. of the gross gate goes to the New Zealand Association, and- there are a lot of expenses to be met out of the remaining 30 per cent. Wellington, of course, showed a dead loss, since they had to return the money to those who booked seats. And at Auckland, according to report, there will be little margin, if any, when the English Lawn Tennis Association receives its 50 per cent, gross, without which the team would not have played here. * There is only one motto to be adopted by the N.Z. Association. It is: "Never again." . uiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiu