Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-19

nAHU and Maui meet tomorrow af-
ternoon in the opening game of
the interisland polo champion
ships of 1912. There are three
teams in the field for honors this year,
the Fifth Cavalry being the other con-
tender. and Just before the battle
mother it looks like a grand fight for
the blue ribbon. This is the last
chance that the gallant Fifth will have
at tie cup, and the team is out to win
by any fair means known to the game.
Oahu is equally determined to win
back the laufels lost to the Cavalry
last year, while Maui. which didn't
take part in the 1911 tournament, is
quietly confident of annexing the cup.
Looking at the Oahu Maui game from
a critical standpoint, believe that the
former team has little the better of
the argument, and expect to see the
local four win by score of something
like II to z.
This forecast is based on a close
study of the Oahu players and ponies
during the past two months, an analy-
sis of the Maui mounts, the form shown
gallop Wednesday, and careful study
of the polo records of the four men
who will carry the colors of the VAL
ley Isle. Polo is a difficult game to
dope" as was shown in the interna-
tional matches of 1911, when all the
Eastern experts conceded the Ameri-
can team an easy victory in the first
game, and when, in reality, they barely
managed to beat out the Englishmen
in a game that was fought right up to
the last gong However, there is
enough to go on in the present in
stance to figure the performances with
some certainty
Oahu Well Balanced.
Taking Oahu as a team, it is we'll
developed and evenly balanced scoring
and defensive machine. Taking the
team individually, it is composed of
veteran players who, with single. ex-
ception,. are sure to put up their very
best article of polo in a match game.
That exception is Harold Castle, prob
ably the most brilliant player on the
team, who, however, sometimes has off
days. when he is shade below his
regular form This does not mean
that he is ever very far off, merely
that he is just as apt to strike twelve
in some unimportant practise match,
for the edification of half dozen
spectators and stable boys, as to reach
the polo pinnacle in a championship
match. Castle, then, is the Y of the
local four, in that he will either play
good polo or magnificent polo. 1t
should be remembered that in the last
match of the spring series against the
Cavalry he was the star of the day,
which may show that he, too. is de-
veIoping the top form in tournament
habit. Castle is probably the best
mounted man on the team.
Players Reliable.
In Sam Baldwin Oahu has a No. l
who seems to be getting better all the.
time. OF late his principal improve
ment has. been in increased aggressive
ness in riding off, and in generally
clearing the way for his Nos. and 3
Baldwin is good goal hitter, but he
is fast thinker and often drops the
ball to take his man when, to the I'M
initiated, it looks as though he had a
good chance to score. He also is well
mounted
In Walter Dillingham; Oahu has. to
my mind. the best all-round polo play
er in the Islands. He is a cool GUS
toner at all times. and has the tour
nament experience to back skill and
judgment. Dillinghams weight makes
it hard for him to be properly mount