WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1940, Page 8

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

N.Z. TOURNAMENT WELLINGTON WIN A SECTION. AUCKLAND BEAT WAIRARAPA (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. August 29. The Dominion women’s hockey tourney was continued today in wet weather, when the final section rounds were played. Wellington won Section A. Canterbury and Auckland have to play off to decide honours in section B.

A section: Wellington 3 (Lamason, Yeatman, Sundgren); Ashburton 1 (M. Donaldson); Auckland B 1 (Spiers), Marlborough 1 (Botham). B section: Canterbury 7 (Dickey 3, McNabb 2, Archer, 2); Wanganui 0; Auckland A 3 (McCutcheon 3), Wairarapa 1 (Mills). Section play concluded today and the final points gained by the competing teams in each section were: —

Section A: Wellington 7, Auckland B 5. Ashburton 4, Marlborough 3, Akitio 1. Section B: Canterbury 7, Auckland 7. Wairarapa 2, Wanganui 2, Rangitikei 2.

The final will be played between Wellington and the winners of the Auckland A v Canterbury match, to be played tomorrow, or Saturday afternoon.

TOMORROW’S REP. GAMES

STANDARD OF WELLINGTON SENIOR TEAM. WAIRARAPA'S CHANCE OF SUCCESS. (By Les M. Murphy, Wellington Hockey Critic.) The annual representative ladies’ hockey matches between Wairarapa and Wellington senior B and junior teams are to be played at Lansdowne tomorrow afternoon. Not knowing the quality of players selected to represent Wairarapa in the senior grade I must confine my comment to the Wellington team with which I am more conversant The standard of hockey in the grade from which the team has been selected has been below that of previous seasons, and as a consequence the task of the selector was made rather arduous. Unfortunately a few of the outstanding players in the grade vVere not available for selection. My own opinion is that the team, though below the standard of past representative sides in this grade, is probably the best that could be selected from the material available. The team might perform much better than I expect, but I feel sure that if the Wairarapa team is of a reasonably good standard in all departments Wellington might find it hard to repeat the success of last season.

Of the Wellington team, the goalkeeper, Miss A. Anderson showed good ’keeping standard during the season. She uses her feet to good advantage. The full-backs, Misses L. Stroud and M. Rutherford appear to be a reliable defence. In Miss Stroud the team has a back who should prove a thorn in the Wairarapa attack. Coming to the half line, Misses D. Cummings, D. Clements and Mrs R. Adams, will need to concentrate more on positional play and not leave clear runs for the opposition wings and inners. Mrs Adams, the captain, has previously represented Wellington against Wairarapa. She is most reliable. . Though the forward line, Misses E. Auckram, A. Tidswell, F. Young, B. Scott and L. Holden appeared to perform fairly well last week, the members did not reveal that anticipation, positional play and snappiness in the circle expected of a representative attacking line. An improvement in this respect can. however, be expected and given the necessary support the line might go much better than anticipated. The cleverest player in the line is the right wing, Miss L. Holden, whose stickwork and splendidly manoeuvred in-passes are well worth' seeing. Presuming that the Wairarapa selector has an excellent team to carry his confidence, it will- be seen that the local team's chance of snatching a win from Wellington tomorrow appears brighter than many thought. The Wellington team will leave for Masterton tomorow morning at 9 o’clock and should arrive shortly after 11 o clock. The party will return home aftei the matches.

Mr Murphy had intended visiting Masterton for the matches, but is now unable to make the trip.