BOWLING MATTERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 198, 25 September 1914, Page 5

BOWLING MATTERS.

THE PENNANT SCHEME. SOME CRITICISM. The pennant scheme which is to be presented to the next meeting of the Canterbury Bowling Centre practically embodies the scheme proposed by Mr A. H. Bourn. Put briefly, there are three competitions, but they are not separate and distinct competitions. There is a Red Pennant of three rinks, then a White Pennant of five rinks, which includes the three red rinks ; then a Blue Pennant, which includes the red and white rinks, and any.extra rinks which may be raised. It will be seen that the competitions are so inter-dependent that a club which has not entered for the Red Pennant cannot enter for the White and Blue Pennants. NO DIFFICULTY SOLVED.

The scheme does not solve any difficulty, and ifcJis a question whether it will not add to the difficulties of the centre and affiliated clubs. The aim of the centre has been to provide for both the competitive and social side of the game. This has been done in the past by means of pennant and interclub competitions. The scheme proposes to increase the competitions, as it may be taken that the Red and White Pennants will be the really competitive games. The Blue Pennant will take the place of the inter-club fixture. Is there any advantage in splitting the competitive side into two? Or, rather, is it any better than the system of four representative or pennant rinks, with the balance of the club players coming in to play in inter-club fixtures? The idea of playing the whole of the competitions on the one day is aii excellent one, but there is no reason why it should not be applied to the system formerly in vogue. The pennant match could then become a part of -the interclub fixture, just as is proposed in this new scheme. It is extremely difficult to understand why two rinks should be added to the Red Pennant, merely to make it a White Pennant. What is the object, and why this superabundance of pennants?

VALUE OF THE AGGREGATE. The centre should give careful consideration to the suggestion that matches should be decided on the number of rink games won, and not by aggregate points. At first sight the principle appears to have something to commend it, but it becomes less attractive on analysis. Rink games are won on points. The winner's margin of superiority in all games is the number of points he has won by; iThe argument, of course, is that a club may win two rink games out of three, and yet lose the game because the third rink has gone down badly. If there is a weak rink, why should the club be relieved of the logical and just penalty? The system would probably lead clubs to '' concentrate'' on two rinks in the Red Pennant and one in the White, and the, other two would be correspond- 1 ingly weak. It is desirable, in the interests of bowling, that each rink should be well balanced in playing strength. The "points" system would be very unsatisfactory to clubs which lost the game on points, and yet won on the aggregate score,. which must be taken as finally indicating the playing strength of clubs. THE "TWO-FEET-ON-THE-MAT" RULE.

Mr Thomas Bush, one of Wellington's representatives on the council of the Dominion Bowling Association, made some interesting remarks to a "Dominion" man. Mr Bush says that two very important matters were decided -at the annual meeting. One decision affects a matter of grave contention among bowlers. That is the decision that when the bowl is delivered both of the player's feet must be on the mat. From time immemorial bowlers have been content with a small 2ft Gin mat or, which they took their stand when about to deliver the bowl. In the act of delivery, however, it has been customary to step forward with the left foot, which there and then left the mat. When the last Australian team- visited \ Wellington they raised the point as to whether it would not be advisable for New Zealand bowlers to adopt the two-feet-on-the-mat rule, but the opinions expressed were by no means favourable. It was pointed out by the one-footers that the Australian "crouch" style of delivery was entirely different from the New Zealand "lunge" style. That is to say, the Australian crouched down on the mat, and delivered his bowl without shifting either foot, depending wholly and solely on the swing of the bowl--arm. The'average New Zealander, when about to deliver the bowl, stands straight up with his two feet together, and then at the same time as his bowl arm (right) swings back, he steps forward with his left, and so brings a body action into play. Mr Bush thinks that with a big four-foot mat, the decision to play with two feet on the mat will not be found to be a handicap. Others are very doubtful, as they maintain that the" mat-end gets into the focus of the eye just at the crucial moment of delivery. The other decision of the council was to do an r ay with the time-limit that is sometimes (always, in the south) placed on tournament games. As the result of such a rule a player, if he gets a little ahead, is liable to play in such a manner as to deliberately delay the game, and so win more by favour of the time restriction than by skill. This decision should be hailed with joy by all bowlers. At the big tournament to be held in Auckland in January next there will be championship rinks, pairs and singles. A committee was set up to select the official six rinks to visit Sydney next Easter. Their duties shouict not begin to engage them until the New Year.