BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 21 April 1923, Page 11

BOWLING.

« — I THE DOMINION TOURNAMENT. AX ECHO FROM WELLINGTON. (By TRUNDLER.) The fortunate participants in the memorable Dominion tournament, held in Auckland last January, are probably under the impression that the curtain was finally rung doYvn at Ponsonby last week, when a goodly company of bo\vler3 gathered to congratulate the winners of two out of the three events, this being the first time that any club in Xew Zealand has scored a double Yvin. It will therefore come as a surprise to know that interest in the tournament itself has been revived by an echo from Wellington. It is reported in the "Dominion" that at a meeting of the Wellington Bowling Centre last week a letter was received from Mr. C. Ingram,, calling attention to an alleged misre-l port in the Auckland "Star" as to his having been warned during the Dominion tournament held in Auckland in connec-. tion with the one foot on the mat rule.; The chairman stated also if the incident had been misrepresented it was the concern of the newspaper, not of the centre, and the letter YY'as "received without any discussion. Unfortunately for Mr. Ingram, however, the writer whom he charges with misreporting the incident cannot very well adopt the same attitude. In relating the circumstances "Trundler" stated that "all idea of any injustice to the individual player is entirely dispelled when it is known that the same player had been penalised earlier in the day for the same fault, and he had also been cautioned at Kemuera the previous day by the umpire on that green." Apparently Sir. memory is sadly at fault, for even this ( mild statement' hardly docs justice tothe position. The exact facts are thatj at. Remuera on the Wednesday, he was not only cautioned, but the umpire', actually' "burned" one of his bowls, while at Carlton on the Thursday the umpire had first cautioned him and afterwards "burned" at least one bowl, before "burning" the famous bowl that threw the Wellington player out of the championship. As for any question about the rule being adequately followed, which provides that the player shall be cautioned first, each umpire could produce a score of witnesses to the fact that the player was not only cautioned, but actually penalised, each day Xo doubt in the excitement of the championship tournament the famous Wellington player committed the breach of the rule quite unconsciously on each of the five occasions that came under the notice of the umpire, but after the lapse of three months it is hardly wise for a good sport to bring a charge against a newspaper, which appears to be worded in such a way that for all practical purposes it is really tantamount to disputing the decision of the umpire on the second day. OTHER RULES BROKEX. The report of the umpire in the champion of champion games in Wellington, introduced a discussion on the rules in general, which should be of particular interest in Auckland, having regard to the lax way in which other rules Yvere observed in the Dominion tournament, and the still more lax way in wliMi all the rules were enforced at our champion of champions matches and our I Raster tournament. it is very evident that our Wellington friends are not going to let the matter drop, and seY-eral of the speakers emphasised the point that has been so often stressed in this column, that if there is no intent [m of carrying out a rule it should be struck out ' altogether. They particularly brought up the matter of following up a bowl further than ten feet from the mat, and the difficulty in getting it enforced when the only penalty was to report it to the council. This is a most unwieldy procedure, compared Yvith the much more effective method of first warning the player and declaring the bowl "dead" for the next offence.' The meeting carried the motion of the umpire. Mr. Keith, that such penalty be recommended to the council, and the IaYV be altered accordingly; but it was only after an animated discussion that this decision Yvas arrived at. One wellknown player will hardly feel flattered by the observation of one speaker, "that it was largely gallery play. He saYv a good deal of the play at Auckland*, and there was one player who folloYved up every boYvl in the 21 heads." STANDING OVER A HEAD. This is a most provoking breach, which caused a discussion in Wellington, and to which reference has also been made in this column. The rule is quite distinct, that as soon as a bowl is greened, the director shall retire at least 6 feet from the jack, in order that his opponents may witness the play. This rule is broken in every tournament, and probably on every green in Auckland, but the writer has no recollection of having ever seen any umpire draw attention to it. One skip in the Dominion tournament excelled himself in this matter. Not content with standing alongside the jack, or six inches behind it, he actually stood in front of it some-j times. As for his opponents seeing the play, they could not even see the jack. Of course he was not the only culprit, for every club seems to possess a few skips who think that their team can j draw tlie shot better when they cannot 1 see the jack at all, against a background lof white shoes a few inches behind it, ! and there are very few players who like jto ask them to get out of the way. It j ought, not to be necessary to have a rule ion this point at all, but apparently it jis very necessary indeed, and the next ! one is unfortunately equally necessary,: ; which reminds a director that when a; , bowl stop 3 the control of the rink isj i transferred to the other side. There, i.arc some players who have so developed i the habit of standing over the head that; ! they do not even get out of the way ! when it is the turn of their opponent! | to examine the head and direct the next! j .-hot. A sport was once defined as a; man Yvho entered into a game with no ! thought of personal gain, but in orderj i to get the maximum amount of pleasure i | for himself and also for his friends. i This may or may not be correct, but it lis onite good enough for a bowler, andj 1 tournaments and ordinary games would | be much more enjoyable and harmonious, lif ;..!! upheld the rules loyally, and all; ; remembered that their opponents h%_j : exactly the same rights and privileges, !as they had themselves. =