FIELD OF SPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 128, 12 March 1930, Page 2

FIELD OF SPORT.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Onlooker.”) At the close of the amateur athletic meeting last night it w'as announced that, the club would to-night hold an additional meeting to that set down on its programme. This was suggested by “Onlooker” last week and the extra meeting should help considerably to keep the local runners fit for the' annual meeting on Saturday, March 22. R. G. Shearman recorded a double run last Wednesday, winning the 100 and 440 yards handicap events. This runner won the sprints at the last two meetings having reduced his handicap by three yards for the 100 yards since the beginning of the season, and 1 for to-night’s meeting he is on yards, a further reduction of lj yards. J. Dickinson is another sprinter who has greatly reduced his handicap and is back to yards for to-night’s meeting. Considering this runner is still at High School, a lot more should be heard of him next season. The 220 yards maiden race proved a run-away victory for Hobbs whose name did not appear in the handicaps for this event. Starting off scratch with J. Bonifant and Wills he beat them out _of the holes byi almost 3 yards which advantage he held from Bonifant who just failed to beat Wallace (6yds) for second place. J. Bonifant seems to be the unlucky runner of club this season, having started in 10 events (including maidens) and filling third place no less than six times, and being unplaced the remaining four times. K. Nicoll did not compete in. the 1000 yards and the first and second places were again filled by the virtual scratch men H. J. Weston and Mellraith. As “Onlooker ’ said last week, the task of giving away 30 yards by these runners did. not appear impossible, although Coker, a late entrant, off 25 yards, led all the way to the straight, where first Mcllvaitli passed him and then Weston, who finishing with a splendid sprint over the last 200 yards just managed to secure first place in the last few strides. Another good race should result in the half mile to-night Weston off 40 yards being virtually on scratch, owing to K. Nicoll’s absence, and Mellraith off 45 yards should' still be very close up when the tape is broken . The leading competitors for the Polo Cup llows: J. Dickinson points, K. Nicoll 18 points, H. Weston 15 points, and R. G. Shearman 14 points.

The disqualifications of a team at the Rotorua Tournament because one of its members used unstamped bowls draws attention once again to an important question (says the “Evening Post.”) Players contemplating entering into tournaments must realise that their bowls should be stamped and that to play with unstamped bowls is a serious breach of the rules of the D.B.A. The D.N.Z.8.A., 1925, and the stamps of subsequent years are now the only Dominion test stamps recognised. It is laid down that any committee conducting or managing ariy association tournament shall ascertain, before any bowl is played in the tournament, that the bowl bears a recognised stamp. Presumably no preliminary examination of bowls was made at the Rotorua Tournament, the reports indicating that a protest was lodged after play had been in progress for several rounds. In any case, the committee acted constitutionally in awarding a win to every team in the section (E) which had lost to the team in which the pair of unstamped bowls had been used. This should act as a salutary warning to others who may be tempted to buv a nice new set of bowls and immediately rush off with' them to a tournament without first of all taking the precaution to have them tested and stamped.