THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 4, 1938.
England's Davis Cup Task
DID NOT
NOT MAKE
PEARCE
PLANS FOR FUTURE ACCEPTS
CONTINGENCIES
Other Nations Produce Champions Before They Are 21
PADDON'S CHALLENGE
Sydney, March 31.
"REVIEWER'S"
SPORTS COMMENTARY
H. R. Pearce has accepted the challenge of Evans Paddon to race for the world's sculling title. Pearce desires the contest to take notice that Mr. A. el Arculli, presi- dent, availed himself of the oppor- place in Canada.
tunity offered by the annual athletic Young Paddon has proved him-meeting of the Indian Recreation Club, self Australia's most outstand-to defend the tactics of the I.R.C. replay with Senior Cham-
ing sculler and should have an ex-Cricket eleven in their
cellent chance of winning the Craigengower, for the title. He is 24 years of age, 6ft There has been a great deal of ink
pionship.
ENGLAND'S hopes of success in the 1938 Davis Cup series are negligible. D. W. Butler, E. J. Filby, C. M. Jones, C. McPhail, R. A. Shayes and F. high and sculls at about 13 stone. spilt over this matter already, but I H. D. Wilde have been chosen to train, with a view shown him to have a match-rac-recting it. It will be recalled that two to Davis Cup selection. No matter who the play-ing temperament, which is a very Clubs in an attempt to settle this ers are selected from this group to comprise the necessary adjunct to
success. team, England's chances of progressing very far in the European zone are very slender.
H. W. AUSTIN, C. E. HARE, G. P. HUGHES AND C. R. D. TUCKEY ARE UNAVAILABLÈ. “BUNNY" AUSTIN AND "PAT HUGHES HAVE SERVED ENGLAND FOR MANY YEARS AS
MEMBERS OF HER DAVIS CUP TEAM, AND THEIR AB- SENCE IS A TREMENDOUS LOSS.
Fred Perry's decision to turn pro. before the 1937 series was a catastrophe for English tennis, and definitely sounded the death knell of England's Davis Cup superiority.
Hughes, as Perry's doubles the leading players of Australia partner, did his share, too, aland America.
NO DATE YET
His two recent victories have make no apology for once more resur- matches were played between the two sculling question of the shield outright. The first game was washed out by rain shortly before 5 o'clock and the second The date has not yet been fixed, was played the following week.
On that occasion, Craigengower batted but, according to the rules, should first and, after being tied into small take place within six months from knots by A. R. Minu, eventually man- the innings occupying just under two the date of acceptance of the chal-aged to scrape together a total of 125, lenge.
hours and 20 minutes. Although Minu About $1500 will be necessary to had bowled well enough, there was defray the expenses of Paddon and certainly nothing in it to suggest that a trainer. This includes the stake it was in any way unplayable. Ac- tually there was far more loose stuff of £500.
serve up.
Mr. George Towns, boat-builder, of Gladesville (N.S.W.), generous ly offered to present an outrigger and sculls to Paddon for the race.
-
More than half of this has al-that this excellent trundler is wont to Austin, as second singles player to the great Perry, establish-ready been subscribed, and the
with However, the Valley batsmen ed a wonderful reputation in Davis Cup matches, and he played no committee feel confident of obtain-one or two exceptions-made no effort to score runs, and for the most .part small part in maintaining England's prestige for a number of years. ing the balance.
to let them appeared quite content come. I.R.C. commenced their innings at about 4.40 and lost S. A. Ismail to Zimmern within the first Francis couple of overs. Nazarin and A. H.- Madar were then associated in a pro- fitable stand and, when A. R. Abbas
after continued the good work,
the Such evidence of junior coaching dismissal of Nazarin, and found the success should have awakened Eng-rails on several occasions with beauti- land to the danger ahead if she did fully timed hooks off Billimoria, the
Indians appeared to be well on top. not follow the same lines.
Then came a rot, Minu and Arthur WELL SPENT
Rumjahn were out in the space of a America has spent, with wonder- few minutes, and when M. el Arculli, than No. 8, started batting, it was evident hope for about two years, and Australia and America are pro-ful results; infinitely more finally the paid ranks claimed him ducing outstanding Davis Cup play-Australia on its tennis "nursery." that he was playing for keeps. It was in the ers long before they are 21 years No stone. is left unturned in their this innings that aroused most of the shortly after its success
of age undoubtedly the results of search for champions, and to-day Challenge round of 1936.
specialised-encouragement-of-such-there-are-28 Davis Cup squads in players at an early age.
various parts of America.
though not in so big a way as the SHOULD HAVE SEEN DANGER redoubtable Austin. Despite the English authorities must have been great support accorded Perry in aware of the future that awaited them Davis Cup play, by Austin and if they did not institute a scheme for coaching their juniors and, what is Hughes, it was apparent that
more important, the more youthful. . Perry's absence would end the
It is obvious that some effort was successful reign of England.
made along these lines, but it is equal- The spectre of professionalism ly obvious that such methods were not
|far-reaching enough. over-shadowed England's Davis Cup
FOUGHT VALIANTLY Consequently England was call- ed
upon to defend the coveted trophy without its greatest bul- wark of defence, F. J. Perry, in 1937.
Austin was the No. 1 player on this occasion, with C. E. Hare the second singles player. C. R. D. Tuckey and F. H. D. Wilde were the doubles pair.
The English team fought valiant- ly in defence of the Davis Cup, but could win only one rubber out of five.
This was credited to Austin, who beat F. A. Parker (U.S.A.) 6-3, 6-2,. 7.5.
Thus the Cup was lost to Eng- land, and it will be many, many years before it returns,
.
NO PLANS FOR FUTURE England has relied too much upon reigning champions, and has not planned for the day when the likes of Perry, Austin, Hughes, etc., would no longer sally forth in quest or defence of the emblem of world's tennis superiority.
Perry, of course, turned pro. at the zenith of his career, but it is most surprising that Hughes and Austin-particularly the latter have managed to retain their form in the strenuous atmosphere of world's championship tennis of to day.
Austin is many years older than
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criticism.
Many maintained that he should have gone for the runs as there was then some 40 minutes left for play. Taking into consideration the fact that three wickets had fallen in the space of two overs, that Billimoria was bowling very accurately, that Craigen- gowers' fielding was superb and that the light could not be expected to re- main good for much longer, I cannot see what other type of innings Arculli could have been expected to play, especially as two of the batsmen to follow were comparatively inexperien- ced. There were 70 runs required when he went in to bat and 40 minutes left to get them not a really difficult task under normal circumstances-but, I maintain, these could not be defined as normal circumstances.
The field was keyed up to concert pitch. How much could be expected of succeeding batsmen if either Madar or Arculli were dismissed? And, after all, if a side feels that the task of scoring a victory is beyond them it is,.. as the President of the I.R.C. said, quite justified in playing, for a draw as so many other teams have done in the course of the season without arous- ing any comment. I repeat, in conclu- sion. that the rearguard action fought by Arculli and Madar, and later by M. P. Madar, was an illustration of cricket at its, best and as such is to be com- mended.
THE present group of English Davis THE
may contain Cup potentialities future champions; but, of this I am ex-· tremely doubtful, in view of their re- cont performances.,
England's future at tennis must be based on the encouragement of promis- ing boys from about the age of 15 or 16 years.
Such players should be taken in hand and glyon special coaching under the control of the English ten. nis authorities. The scheme should be as embracing as is possible, and the boys concerned givon every opportun ity to further their ability.
This method has proved an unquali, fled success in America, and England must put her tennis "house" in order In the same way.