Thursday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
July 25, 1940.
Preparation Of Wickets
Commercialised Cricket And Test Matches Demand Durability
Lawn Bowls
OMARS WIN Minu Brothers Trounced In Open Pairs
A. M. Omar and U. M. Omar, Lawn Bowls Champlonship in 1037, clumptonship yesterday when they
winners of the Colony Open Fairs entered the third round of this year's trounced A. R. Minu and A. K. Minu
FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS after cricket's "discovery," the spin of a coin determined not only the right to bat first but also the right to select the pitch. By 1774 a rovision of rules con ferred both privileges on the visiting side. In 181638-9 on the Civil Service Green. the toss again decided the innings and the um-scored a seven on the 9th head to pires pitched tho stumps.
Before 1816 the selection of the wicket was generally deputed to the best bowler,
BREACH OF LAW
It is recorded of one of the experience and essential to those on greatest bowlers of the day that the border line of test cricket. his passion for shooters caused him to choose his ground so that he might pitch on a downward slope. That the turf was not prepared in the manner now familiar is obvious.
1
Only DDG rate operated. The area chosen had to be within 39 yards of a centen, determined by He adversRCÍCH.
LAWS UNTOUCHED
TN New Zealand test wickets are uncovered as is provided for in the laws and wickets are covered
Shield matches-a 111
flagrant breach of the law and of the principles of cricket.
The wickets to-day are considered to be a menace to the game and lkely to deprive cricket of much of its spectacular interest. The critics say that the preparation of wickets has improved to such an extent that OR almost 100 years after the the batsman receives major con-
first laws were published the sideration. pitch remained untouched from be- ginning to eni of the match, In 1849 permission unine for the pitch to be swept and rolled at the start of each innings. In 1883 similar permission was authorised at the start of each day's play.
Strangely enough the wicket was not protected against rain until 1913, over 150 years after the Arst laws were drawn up. Then it was per- mitted only to cover the ends to ensue the bowlers foothold arid the batman standing ground. The cover- of the whole pitch 24 hours bo- fore the match or before the first ball was bowled was authorised in 1925.
To some extent this is correct. Until the end of the last century wickets and their preparation was a mutter of little concern, but over the last fifty years the financial aspect of the game has demanded of groundsmen a inore devoted study of furt conditions and prepurations,
The wicket must be capable of retaining those quaillica best suited to aid batsmanship from. the first to the last hall
Admittedly the bowler receivea little thought except in the sense that the wicket essentially must not allow physical menace.
"Alive"
days.
the bowler to become
The Omurs were at their hest and Recure a commanding lead of 17-3. They led 20-8 on the 17th end and finished up with a burst of 3, 6, 2 on the last three heads. The Minus scored on only seven heads,
A, B. Minu and lieads A, M. Umar and
t. M. Omer
A. K. Allau
Y.
HK. UNIVERSITY GRADUATE'S SINGAPORE TENNIS WIN
Dr. G. F. de Souza, former Hong- kong University tennis champion and graduate, has again won the Singa- Pore-Recreation Club's tennis singles championship. Dr. De Souza is the St. John's Hall, Hongkong University. nephew of E. L. de Souza, M.B., of
note that at Durban the fifth test South Africa v. England ended in draw at the conclusion of the tenth day.
The match had to be aban- doned to allow the English team to catch the boat for home.
USE OF "DOPE"
Nowellthout ample rolling
TO wicket can be turned out
and the use of water. Methods of preparation are governed by local use of "dope" conditions. The
or chemicals) is (liquid manuro not universal; but "depe" is freely ured at Kensington Oval.
EASY AND LIFELESS In England the wicket may be THE wickets of thirty or forty completely coverts on the Sunday in years ago were equally as food n week-end match, the covers to be as those of to-day. Wickets have removed at 7aan, on the Monday, not improved to the extent some wet or fine. Except as provided for would rad un to believe. The dif- in a week-end match the covering ference lies in the fact that present- become casy- after the first ball has been bowled day wickets have must not protect more than 3 feet paced and feless, brought about B inches in front of the popping, through a desire to keep the mutch for the allotted number of LTCase,
WICKET PREPARATION
SCIENTIFIC PREPARATION TN the beginning the preparation of
ALTHOUGH the condition of the
Three months before actual play the pitch was of secondary con- sideration. Natural wickets existed wicket is to-day the most con in the true sense. Commercialised troversial topic at a gathering of in time, the wicket is selected and cricket demanded wickets with true cricketers, it is strange how little is given its first mowing. Germinated nurface and fasting qualities, Methods known of the relentine basis of seed is then planted in spots around. must be of even texture; otherwise of protection to minimise delay gruis-wicket composition and pre- the pitch of the ball as the grass
paration. awing to rain were Introduced, and
Generally an analysis of turf-variety of pace and life would result. Eight days before the match the the artificial drying of the wicket is
berinissible even in the, jealous- wlckel soil contains the following "done" is prepared and placed in a ly-guarded atmosphere of test eric-substances clay counter. de
sand, silt, organie matter. The most tank of water for mixing. It is then
IN
now
finc
the to
wicket overnight The financial aspect of the game important factor of all is the per-applied has not so far robbed cricket of one centage of clay. It is essential that leaving the surface a reddish-brown of tis orcatest charms. The uncer-a turf wicket should be hard in colour), and watered in. tainty of cricket is protected by the order to wear well through four rejusal of the M.C.C. to allow wic-days of hot, dry weather.
The Melbourne wicket, one of the keta to be completely covered at all
best in Australia, has 60 per cent. tinica,
In Australia local rules permit this of clay. Kensington Oval-another to be done in Shefleki Shield cricket. famous batsman's paradise has 07 Many contend that batsmen are de-per cent.
The wicket at Durban possesses prived of the opportunity of playing under adverse conditions, a valuable 66 per cent, and it is interesting to
Twenty-four hours after the ap- plication of the "depe" the wicket is rolled with the heavy. roller for one hour and this is repeated, with the weight being gradually decreased, every day, until fifteen minutes be fore the start of the game, the crease is marked out and the wicket is ready for play,
CHARITY WORKER NEARLY
「
6
Sea Biscuit's Career
Bought By C.S. Howard- Wins 11 Of 15 Races Becomes Handicap King
(Second Chapter)
By Jack Guenther .:
ARCADIA, Cal. (UP),~The life of the cham- pion actually began at four.
Seabiscuit ran for two years under the banner of the Wheatley stable in Florida, Maryland, New York, Mas. sachusetts and Rhode Island and he ran at many tracks. But while he ran 47 races he won only nine of his starts, so he was sold to C..S. Howard with no regrets. He was simply cast off because his owners didn't believe he was good enough to earn his hay in a firet class barn.
WIK
He
from came up
eighth to second and then he went to the marzin Was fve front. The length breezing at the end, and the time was 1:36 Gat-one of the best mile marks of the year.
There was no one to see thei Biscuit off when the man known as Silent Tom Smith led him through the tree-lined walka of
Up and up he went, agalast better Saratoga and placed him on a
there
something and better horses. When he passed but freight car for the first time, symbolic about the departure. his fourth birthday on Jan. 1, 1937, Pollard's gnarled hands, nid when For on that day the Biscuit be- he had won five of 11 races under gan his climah, and on dozens of the was unionded at Santa Anita occasions in the years to come Park for the first time he was on bis Smith led him on dozens of cars way to fame. and sent him thousands of miles along the long, winding road that finally carried him to the top of them all.
Johnny
HE
He won, then he lost, but on Feb. 27 he went against Rosement in the $100,000 Santa Anita' harull- cap. In this richest race in the world, the Biscuit's reputation was made. They shipped first to Detroit, and was given to Seabiscuit
"Hard Luck Kid" Pollard, a thin, nervous jockey with ilaming red halt. Seabiscuit and
sunny FebruBTY Pollard carried the rustling red and rolled, that
day, and when the swipes gather white Howard silks on a track the Brst time on August 22 and they around the barns in the gloom of finished fourth behind some things evening they'll tell you even now named Myrtlewood, Prof. Paul and that I Red Pollard had stuck a rear
view mirror the Biscult's Cristrate.
A week later they came in third Rosemont would never have caught and finally, on Sept. 26, 1936, the him on that final lunge to the wire. Biscuit won his first stake race-But catch him he did, in the very Biscuit missed stride. The by a nose. The parade was on last
onil until the $90,000 by the margin of a posinge and it wasn't to
as stamp, and gained the name of the 1734 of Scabiscuit became familiar as that of Jack Dempsey."Hard Luck Kid."
Proved Himself
FRO
FROM Detreit they went to River Downs, then back to New York.
on
せず
• Wherever he went thereafter they tried to make his job harder. They gave him 124 pounds, 126 and 129 but he wouldn't slow down. They gave him 130 and 133 and he laughed in their faces. Finally they began the long trip
He travelled by train and he West and in his first race at Bay Meadows, Seabiscuit proved himself one hundred per cent horse. He was travelled in his private car-through left-fint-at-the-post, but the little Tanforan, Bay Meadows, Aqueduct, grandson of Man O'War and Whisk Empire, Suitolik Downs, Narragen-- Broom did not let his.ancestors seit, Jamaica, Laurel, and Pimlico- until his crimson blacket became the down.
on the tracks. symbol of courage Wherever he went he left new track records to remember hilm by.
FAILS IN ORGANISING APPEAL
(THINKS)
ONLY, ANOTHER FEW WEEKS AND YET.THERE ARE SO MANY DETAILS
TO FIX UP
AT THE DOCTOR'S MIEST LIN YOUR CASE ALSO, THIS HAS
··LED TO AN- EXCESS OF ACID WASTE PRODUCTS] IN THE BLOOD. RECENT TESTS HAVE PROVED. THAT HORLICKS AT BEDTIME IS WHAT YOU NEED.
So
HIGHT
MISS ATKINSON,
WILL YOU DEPUTIZE
FOR ME AT THE MEETING OF THE
COMMITTEE TO-MORROW. I FEEL SO TIRED AND EXHAUSTED.
YES, BUT DON'T YOU THINK You :OUGHT TO SEE A DOCTOR?
SIX WEEKS LATER. THE CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEED LAST YEAR'S TOTAL BY
SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS, THANKS
TO OUR
ENERGETIC. ORGANIZER
HORLICKS IS THE SECRET OF MY RENEWED VITALITY,
I
HOSPITAL WEEK
AT THE DOCTOR'S
I EVEN WAKE UPITE
TIRED
YOUR TROUBLE is NIGHT
STARVATION, YOU SEE, WHILE YOU SLEEP. YOUR HEART, LUNGS AND OTHER AUTOMATIC PROCESSES CONTINUE USING
UP ENERGY.
DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS USE HORLIOKS
IN HOSPITAL TESTS
DECENTLY tests were made in a great 1 hospital on men and women who com plained of always feeling tired.
It was found that these people had an excess of acid waste products in their blood during sleep.
This acid waste kept the brain and nerves 'on edge all night even though the rest of the body was sound asleep.
But when Horlicks was given to thesa people last thing at night, this excess acid waste was completely neutralised. They woke refreshed, with Increased energy and vitality.
DO YOU FEEL WORN OUT, DEPRESSED, OR NERVY? DO YOU EVEN AWAKE. TIRED?
Take HORLICKS
THEN YOU WILL SLEEP SOUNDLY---- WAKE REFRESHED AND HAVE EXTRA ENERGY ALL DAY
Handicap King
Jel. 28151.
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Price $50.00
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The House of Quality & Service
FLASH-0-GRAM
ZORIC
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THE STEAM LAUNDRY CO.
Head Office &.Works 57032 Gloucester Bldg., 2nd Fir., Tel. 28938 Peak Depot,
Tel 58545 Hong Kong Depot,
CEABISCUIT became tive years old Kowloon Depot,
on Jan. 1, 1938, nad he anished
the year acclaimed as handicap king.
He had won 11 of 15 starts against JINICANE
the best thoroughbreds of the year
and he had earned $100,580 for the
season. This gave him a life mark
up
of more than $210,000 and he skipped Discovery, Crusader, post Whichone, Colin, Morvich, Rosemont, Omaha, Pompey and other greats on the money ladder.
So it was on his fifth birthday that racing men, began talking of the Sun Beau mark. They have talked of little else since.
(Next Chapter tells of Seabiscuit's second defeat in the Santa Anita Handicap, but also of his great win over War Admiral).
(The next Chapter is the final one of Seabiscdit's career-his winning of the Santa Anita Handicap and his creating a record for earnings).
Scottish
Football To
Be Resumed
Tel. 29352
Tel. 21279
"SAFETY IN THE AIR"
Our instructors have flown over seven thousand hours in over a hundred different types of aero-
' planes, ranging from single scater fighters to multi-engined air liners.
BE TAUGHT AVIATION BY EXPERTS
AT
HONG KONG'S AIR UNIVERSITY
For Prospectus apply
FAR EAST FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL LTD. Recreational Relaxation (Contractors to the British Air Ministry and the Hong Kong Government).
Considered Necessary
LONDON, July 24 (Router) Following receipt of information to the cffect that Demi-Government quarters considered a resumption of football highly desirable for the re- creation and relaxation of workers and men in the Fighting Services, 'n motion calling for the suspension of competitive football for the dura- tion was to-day withdrawn.
The motion was called at a meeting of the Scottish Football Association in Glasgow and regional nxtures were planned commencing on August 10...
KAI. TAK AIRPORT,
What is
HONG KONG
TUOBANRUT?