"With so many of our team leaving this year we shall have no team at all next year." The annual end-of-term remark, and yet strangely enough every year finds its own nucleus and its own aspirants who by the end of the season prove themselves at least as worthy as their predecessors. Such, indeed, was the tale of 1939's Cricketing season which opened, as every year, a couple of days after the opening of school. Why will Cricket be played at this time of the year when biting winds and low temperatures make one think more of overcoats than of flannels? Excitement and keenness soon make one forget the cold and every afternoon sees white-clad figures, big and small, dotted about the playing fields.
After a few weeks strenuous practice at the nets the annual Staff vs. Boys match, so looked forward to by the boys as they usually get their own back on the Staff, was fixed for March 25th. The Boys elected to bat first, intending to make their elders do a spot of running about. Franks certainly did his part, compiling 108 out of the total of 173, and carrying his bat through a brilliant innings. In reply to this useful score Mr. D. Prins, who, with his brother, opened the Staff innings, scored rapidly with twos and fours. The cock-suredness of the Boys was in no way shaken by his 59, but Mr. Bloud's 63, not out, upset their apple,cart completely, and the Staff declared their innings closed at 200 for 5 wickets. The unexpected does sometimes happen!
Sunday April 16th found our old friends the Planters with us once again. Determined to wipe off old scores, they fielded a strong side, and with the able assistance of Warwick (33). A. Emmet (34), and S. Emmet (40) missed their double century by only 2 runs. That the Planters with their experienced and polished batsmen did not score more was due to the splendid bowling of Mr. Hill, who took 8 wickets for 52 runs. Victoria, batting after lunch, made 140, of which Mr. Bloud made 21. Here again Mr. Hill came to Victoria's help. Though coming in late he frightened the life out of the Planters with his 43, not out, knocked up in a short innings of 4's and 6's - a real innings of fireworks.
Situated as we are miles away from Darjeeling, it is not often we have the pleasure of entertaining a visiting team, but it was St. Paul's turn this year to come down to us, so our boys were keyed up with excitement at the prospect of witnessing a real school match (boys only). Hero worship naturally played a great part in this excitement and for days before Saturday, April 29th the younger folk could be heard discussing the merits and demerits of the various players. Will Franks make a century? Will they stand up to Smart's bowling? Victoria won the toss and decided to field, with Breese and Smart bowling from opposite ends. For St. Paul's, Jefford was the star performer, taking 3 wickets for 33 and contributing 29 runs to the final all-out score of 143. Franks (Victoria) who faced the bowling and of whom much was expected in this match disappointed his many admirers. It was Blake who with his solid batting for over an hour to make his 27 - a low scoring innings but one full of cricket - broke the backs of the bowlers and paved the way for Smart's excellent Innings of 65 not out, and Victoria's well deserved win by 2 wickets.
INTER-HOUSE TOURNAMENT
Even though the scoring may not always be impressive (in one of the matches .a junior side made 13 runs!), by far the most exciting event of the Cricket season is usually the Inter-House Tournament. This year's contest will be remembered for several thrilling finishes and the ultimate sharing of first place points by Irvine and Mallory. The first of the Mallory-Kellas matches ended with the scores of 22 and 17. Any wonder when D. Watson (Kellas) took 3 wickets for 9 runs and Wise (Mallory) 6 for 6 ? These close finishes were not the monopoly of the Juniors, however, for Irvine Middles beat Kellas by only 2 runs, and in the Senior division Mallory 's 90, to which Breese contributed no less than 53, was only 3 less than Irvine's score.
Irvine 75 points; Mallory 75 points; Kellas 25 Points.
FOOTBALL
Association Football, practically unknown in Victoria in the past, made its appearance as a regular School game 3 years ago. Unfortunately, the long Cricket and Hockey seasons in the district, which of necessity greatly decides for us the time we must allot to the various games, allow of a very short Soccer season. This year, however, we were fortunate enough, owing to the late start of the Hockey season, to be able to devote more time to Soccer.
Though it will naturally be a few years before Victoria can expect to do much at the game, the start made is already very promising, and almost as much keenness is now being displayed in Soccer as in Victoria's traditional game - Hockey.
In our series of matches with Goethals, in which five teams from each of the schools play their opposite numbers at home and away, Goethals, as was to be expected, proved themselves superior. It is to be hoped, however, that with the experience of yet another year behind us, Victoria will next year be able to hold Goethals at least to a draw, and that a standard will have been attained to justify the expense of our competing in open competitions.
HOCKEY
So firmly implanted in every Victorian is the true spirit of sportsmanship that the trite piece of advice "Win or lose, play the game" was as unnecessary this year as it has been for many a year. Whether in tournament matches or non- tournament matches (I avoid the word 'friendly,' because otherwise it would seem that tournament matches are intended to be, as unfortunately they are at times too prone to be, 'unfriendly' - would that it were unnecessary to make this distinctionl) whether at home or away, there has been in evidence throughout the year that keenness that strict regard for clean play, that self control which are the characteristics of a sportsman and a gentleman.
Before Hockey had quite got under way our First Eleven played the Darjeeling Police on our ground and were beaten (4-1) by a faster and cleverer side. What a different tale when we met this very team in the Pliva Shield I
A few days later we had a very welcome visit from Fern Hill who put up a very plucky fight against our Second Eleven (Victoria 4 ; Fern Hill 1).
Much to our regret we were not able to fit in the annual series of matches, similar to that played earlier in the year in Football, with Goethals, but the first teams met on. three or four occasions, with Victoria just victorious each time.
The Planters, or rather the District, very sportingly offered to come in from the "four corners of the globe" to play us, but the true Kurseong weather prevailed and the match was literally washed out. Incidentally, it was while we were entertaining the visiting team to tea that news was received of the outbreak of war.
THE PLIVA SHIELD TOURNAMENT
With the departure from Darjeeling of the Military, consequent on the war, we were given a walk-over into the second round where we met and fairly easily defeated St. Paul's A on their ground. In the semifinal our opponents were the Darjeeling Police who had beaten us early in the season. This time they had to deal with a very different team and were forced to draw even though extra time was played. Two further matches, each with extra time had to be played before a decision was arrived at - and this, a victory for the Police (3 - 1) only after Mr. Doyle had been badly injured in the extra time. When it is remembered that we have to go up to Darjeeling for all our matches and that the last two of these long and strenuous encounters were played with but a single day's rest in between, the value of this achievement will be fully appreciated. Blake at inside right who is to be congratulated on his clever display of Hockey, and Franks at full back and Bowen in goal, who saved us over and over again, call for special mention.
INTER - HOUSE TOURNAMENT
The unusually late finish of the Pliva Shield Tournament left us no time for the usual 'return' matches in our Inter-House Tournament. Whether it was this lack of a second go at their opponents or the fact that the Houses were this year exceptionally even, it is extraordinary that the same two Houses who shared the points for Cricket should once again share the Hockey honours to the detriment of both, for while each was inordinately polite in not beating the other, Kellas slipped in to become Cock House for 1939.
To fill in the gap between the Poojahs and the end of November, an experiment was tried this year in the form of a seven-a-side Hockey League among the smaller Middle School boys - something to keep them warm during this frigid month, and interested while waiting impatiently for their home going and while the senior boys are swotting for their Cambridge exams. Six captains were appointed who selected in turn their own sides. Realising that much depended on their leadership and individual efforts, these youthful leaders strained every nerve to prove themselves worthy of the honour conferred on them and, as a result, very often did more than their share. So popular and successful was this experiment that it is hoped this competition will become an annual one on a more comprehensive scale.
Team:-
S. Bowen (Goal), R. Smart (Capt., R. Back), W. Franks (L. Back), G. Watson (R. Half Back), E. Breese (C. Half Back), A. Moulding (L. Half Back), Mr. Hill (R. Extreme), M. Blake (R. Inner), Mr. Doyle (C. Forward), Mr. Bloud (L. Inner), B. St. Romaine (L. Extreme).
