West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 21 December 1954, page 15


States Enter Strong Baseball Teams Four States, compared with three last season, will compete for the Chrysler Cup in the national night baseball carnival in Adelaide, beginning on December 28.

Western Australia is a new entrant. Strong teams have been entered by the compet ing States, W.A., S.A., Vic toria and N.S.W., and the re sults should be close. The holder of the Chrysler Cup is South Australia, which defeated Victoria last season in the first national series held under lights. The draw for the carnival, to be held on Norwood Oval, is —December 28; W.A. v N.S.W;. S.A. v Vic. December 30: N.S.W. v Vic.; W.A. v S.A. December 31: W.A. v Vic.; N.S.W. v S.A. Members of the three visiting teams will arrive in Adelaide on Monday next and will spend the evening at practice under the lights on Norwood Oval. They will be billeted with Adelaide baseballers dur ing their stay in South Austra lia. Matches of 95 minutes will be played, the first starting at 7:30 o'clock each night. S.A. Team in the South Australian team are Des Vaughton, probably the best pitcher playing in Aus tralia today; Doug Othams, the big-hitting first baseman; Norm White, a brilliant fielder and base runner; Graham Fenwick, the 1954 All-Australian team outfielder; Dave Roberts, five times a member of the Austra lian team in various positions, and Barry Wiles, a first class utility player. Victoria's team includes Ross Straw, five times a member of the Australian side; Ken Smith, at present second baseman with the Australian side and a big-hitter; Trevor Sartori, a volatile pitcher; Max Lord, the present Australian catcher, and Gordon Lockhart, a brilliant fielder. The New South Wales con tingent includes Merv Deigan, six times third baseman in the Australian team; Alwyn Leader, an Australian out fielder: Bill Edmonds, and Ray Lawler, one of the country's best pitchers since the war. West Australia will send Basil Rigg, a Sheffield Shield cricketer and a very good short stop; Roy Gooch, twice an Australian catcher; Ben Shom, twice the third baseman for the Australian team, and the 18-year-old Des Ward, a coming Australian player, who played well in Melbourne in July but was laid up for the rest of the season with a pois oned leg.

To the Sporting Editor. Cricket War Sir,—The recent report by an English correspondent regarding certain methods adopted in the first Test makes rather disturb ing reading. Cricket today ap pears to be drifting into a war instead of remaining the dig nified game it was once. While the aim of the players is to win at all costs it will re main that way. Appealing to the umpire is now used as a means of influencing the umpire and intimidating the batsman. To end this, the English cor respondent advocates retaliation by the English team, but I do not think that England will do that or that the Australians will change their methods. The only solution is to curtail the Tests for the good of the game.-Yours, etc., CRICKET ON THE HEARTH, Kalamunda. Barrier Draw Sir,—Now that the Betting Control Bill has been passed I would like to make a few points for the consideration of the new board. 1, Have the barrier draw made and published at final ac ceptance time; 2, Broadcast fluctuations of prices five min utes before each race and the official starting price immedi ately afterwards. 3. Introduce each way betting on the course. 4, Instead of the place tote dividends, rule that off-the course operators pay one-quart er of the odds where there are eight or more runners and one third for first and second where there are six or seven-pro vided in all cases that the fav ourite is at not less than evens. The place tote dividend is sel dom a true guide to the straight-out price and almost invariably is less than those fractions in the case of shorter priced fancies. 5, Stamp out these S.P. plunges in the country. The market is not a true indication of candidates' chances if huge sums are invested with start ing-price bookmakers by a few informed people. Therefore, the ordinary punter does not get full value. 6, Ask the racing and trotting clubs to empower the stewards to act if they think a horse has won unfairly and no protest has been lodged.-Yours. etc., M. FURNESS. Mt. Barker.