THE LADIES TAKE A HAND

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 20, 9 October 1944, Page 19

THE LADIES TAKE A HAND

Inter-Service Basketball Championships

The spirit of friendly rivalry and competition between the three Services finds expression from time to time on the field of sport. This time the ladies took a hand, and teams of Waacs, Waafs, and Wrens from Northern, Central, and Southern Districts met in the Inter-Service Basketball Championships. On Saturday, the 9th September, while Auckland was showing Wellington a thing or two about Rugby football at Athletic Park, nine teams of servicewomen met in Homeric contest beneath the shadow of the Carillon. Not that the Carillon was casting much of a shadow on the day in question : the sky was overcast, with a light but keen wind blowing transversely across the Mount Cook School courts. It was actually a good day for the players, though a trifle chilly for the spectators. The New Zealand Basketball Association co-operated with the Combined Services Sports Committee in running the tournament. Trentham Camp supplied a loud-speaker system, and the Navy provided an announcer, whose official impartiality was maintained only with great difficulty in the face of his partiality for his home team. The Y.M.C.A. provided afternoon tea for all comers. The first draw resulted in three teams being placed in each of sections A, B, and C. Army Central won section A, after a close game with Air Force Northern, the score being 6-5. Section B was won by Army Southern with a pair of crushing victories over Navy Northern and Air Force Central, the scores being 18-4 and 16-3 respectively. In section C, however, the teams were more evenly matched, and each team lost one game and won one, thus gaining

two points each. The round was decided by a knock-out competition of fiveminute spells, in which Navy Central defeated both Air Force Southern and Army Northern, thus winning the section. Round 2 began with section D made up of the winners of sections A, B, and C, section E of the runners up, and section F of the losers. Section D competed for the championship, section F for the wooden spoon, and section E just for the love of the game. Section D, as may be imagined, was keenly contested, and resulted in a win for Army Southern, Army Central being runners up and Navy Central third. Both Army Southern and Army Central played magnificent games, with plenty of good, clean passing, and excellent combination. The wooden spoon went to Navy Southern who, though outclassed from the start, went down fighting in true naval tradition. The finale of the tournament was a North v. South match played between teams selected from each of the three services. This was possibly the most exciting game of the day. Southern gained a slight lead, were overtaken by Northern, then proceeded to reduce the advantage. The final score was 14-13 in favour of Northern, by which time the players were exhausted and the spectators hoarse. The spectators, incidentally, ranged from officers of the three services to stray privates, “ erks,” and “ matloes ” with “ sister-in-arms ” in one of the teams. All agreed that the ladies had carried on the traditions of Service sport in the finest manner. Good Show, Girls.