WHEEL KINGS

NZ Truth, Issue 1214, 7 March 1929, Page 15

WHEEL KINGS

{Tom O^Brien Reigns ' ( Iri Canterbury From "N.Z. ''Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) Tom O'Brien put it all over the Christchurch cyclists at English Park on Saturday njght, when he did the hat trick m the invitation cyole race of three distances. IE won the •half-mile' iri 69 sec, the 1 mile m 2.7 4/5, and the mile and aalf m 3.1. His riding throughout was marked with good judgment, and m each ..finish he had sufficient speed m reserve to carry him across the Mine at the head of the field. He is entitled ,to rank as the pro[■nce's best all-rounder on the wheel. Though . riding well on v his visits jross the Straits, Frank Grose retains under . a cloud -on his home round, and O'Brien, Angus Mackie nd Lariibertbn seems to have the sign n him. Two thirds was his. share of the ivitaii6rt"race.':yy'--; yyyy The spill Frank had training with Doug, Gray and Jack Standen appears to have left its mark, and he would be well advised to lay off till 'next season^

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the match on the Friday, the conditions were ideal. Burns, the Canterbury 'keeper, was right on the job, and had accounted for Blunt, Shepherd and McMullan when the score was only 88. 1 Newman and, Merritt were sending down some tricky - stuff , and wickets commenced to fall at regular intervals, j of about 15 or 20 runs. Gal land- and. Cavanagh, however, staved off a rot, and m a solid I partnership which contributed 32 ' and 78 respectively, carried the I score past the two hundred mark. ' Roberts was responsible for breaking the-partnership, and followed it up by cleaning up the tail of the innings, and thereby returning an average of three wickets for four runs. Hamilton, Page and Roberts •were all m- good fettle when Canterbury stepped out to compete- Otago's 273. The home side's bowling was nothing out of the ordinary, though the fielding was excellent, and runs were not easy : to. get.