THE WORLD of SPORT

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1927, Page 15

THE WORLD of SPORT

BOWLING

A TRIP TO COROMANDEL

.t'STRAI-lAN" BOWLERS COMING

Cy TRUNDLER.'' r ,. ri:.k? representing the Auckland n Vr-> executive motored to Coromandel "VrliUv '° plav the club there. On on Tu-v- - i . rival thev met by Mr. P. Beve- . / secretary of the club, and spent an ' ;\x-a\ '- 1 evpnins at his residence. <=afurrl:i'.' morning was given up to tour- ;',,,-.' neighbourhood and viewing all -j." ■ rMrr.!n> -. pa*t and present, and in 4 tj •-• rn-.i'"n they played the local " ; . :•■ . ri;o whole club giving them ", ... ■■'-; '■'.■ cordial reception. Fort ,- ;• . :' '.: visit coincided with the

j_;- ~; ;.'.=■ rinks from the Stanley club, wh" wont across in a launch, and ♦jje seven rinks playing the local club made the largest muster that has ever been seen on the gieen. The weather was perfect, and the residents made it a regular gala day. the scene being bri'ditened by the town band, who voluntarily gave several items during the afternoon, while the kindness of the ladies who presided at afternoon tea was much appreciated. The visitors were able to renew the acquaintance of j[ r . T. X- Peek, a former president of the Ellerslie club, who is now resident there. They have made him green superintendent, and they speak well of the improvement he has effected since taking over this rseponsible office.

In the evening the executive were entertained at dinner, the president of the club. Mr. E. J. Surrlin. being in the ehair. and mutual congratulations and wood wishes made a few hours pass very pleasantly. Mr. Surflin is probably the oldest club president in the Dominion. He confesses to S9 years, and his only grievance is an occasional touch of rheumatics. This he treats as a real grievance maintaining that as his mother lived till the age of 104 it is very hard on a "young chap" like himself that he cannot always enjoy his game of bowls as much as he did a few years ago. The trip originated through Mr. J. Barker, vice-president of the club, who is often in the city, and the long journey each way was made under delightful conditions, without any mishap. The executive expressed their obligation to their president. Mr. James Pascoe, and also to Mrs. Pascoe. who motored them safely in their two cars. Visitors from Australia. Bowlers were surprised to see a cablegrim published last Saturday, advising tk>: :'■-,' party of New South Wales hi-. . h.>d left by the Ulimaroa, but they v. ill be still more surprised to learn that there is no foundation whatever for the report. The secretary of the Auckland centre, Mr. G. L. Gladding, sent a cablegram as soon as he returned from Coromandel, asking for the names of those who had started for Auckland, and a reply came that there were none. They are leaving by the Marama on Friday, as originally arranged. The party will consist of sixteen players and five ladies, and amongst others will be Mr. J. Scott, president of the New South Wales Bowling Association, and Mr. T. Yates, president of St. George Club. The complete list is:— Mr. and Mrs. J. Scott. Mr. and Mrs. J. Thacker, Mr. and Mrs. T. Yates, Mr. and Mrs. J. Cronan, Mr. and Mrs. D. Hardy, Messrs. B. Benson, G. Parkes, C. Highland, G. Thorne, B. Matthews, D. Park, F. Farmer, C. Ellis, H. Scutts, G. Taubman and A. Andrews.

A Candid Critic. Mr. E. Swain, skip of the Melbourne rink which competed in the Dominion tournament, has been giving the Wellington people his opinion on the system on which it was run. and his views are rather interesting. He maintains that BeneSeld"s Wanganui rink should not be credited with the championship, seeing that they had three losses in the section play, and a fourth in the inter-section. the real champion being Naylor, who got through his section without a loss. This argument gets a good hearing in Wellington, not because Naylor belongs there, but because under their system he would have started off in the intersection play with three byes. Such a system has been discredited in Auckland long ago, and no preference whatever is given in the Dominion tournament to those with more wins than others. However, all this is largely a matter of opinion, as there will always be some who prefer the Wellington way, which was also adopted in a Waikato tournament last year. But there are no two opinions about Mr. Swain"s objections to the two-life system being adopted at the Australian carnival at Melbourne next Christmas, for if his interview is correctly reported his statements are directly contrary to fact. He is reported to have said: "The entries received for their Australian championship were such that they could never dream of conducting them on the New Zealand principle. Even with the sudden-death principle they would have a thousand entries for the singles. If they were to give them two or three lives they might have two or three thousand entries, and the competition would be eternal. Now it only occupied two davs."'

Incidentally Mr. Swain has paid a very neat compliment to the New Zealand system, and he will have some difficulty in explaining away his attempt to discredit the system, when by his own admission it may attract twice as many entries as the system under which they now play. That ought surely to settle it in favour of giving a trial to what he admits would be an infinitely more popular tournament. Although his proportions are probably correct —for hundreds more would go if there was a better tournament, including quite a

solid contingent from New Zealand — Lis figures look rather erratic. At the last carnival in Melbourne there were 342 entries, so that a thousand this year looks rather liberal. However, bowling is now more popular than it was in 1912, and as Sydney had 774 entries last year—although 81 eventually defaulted—we may give him his thousand in. But the statement that it now occupied two days, whereas under the Xew Zealand system it would be eternal, takes away the whole value of Mr. SSwainV opinion on tournamont management, tor it shows that he does not understand either the Australian or the Xew Zealand system. The singles at Sydney took a Monday afternoon and the whole of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and even then they had to play the final on the following morning. Under the New Zealand system it would take just one day longer. It is there-

fore imposing on the credulity of those who are not aware of what actually took place at Sydney, to say it now occupied e only two days, and also" to say that under s the New Zealand system it would be r eternal. ; r ' 2 PONSONBY CLUB. i : a ELECTRIC LIGHT TOURNEY. T | The sixth round play on Tuesday even- i I ing resulted : —Jones 25. v. Dunlop 20 • i Benson 24. v. Best 10: Dick 14, v. Mailer 2o : Curtis 19. v. Bolton 23. t The draw for the seventh round, for f Thursday, is. as follows:—Maher v. Hilton, \ Dick v. Benson, Jones v. Bolton. ] 11 MORRINSVILLE TO TOUR. |! i t (From Our Own Correspondent.) ; ! MORRINSVILLE. Tuesday. ; ! A full Morrin*vilie r ink ha? intimated to ' rhe South Auckland Centre their Intention ; ro go on the tour to Taranaki in March. Those nominated are: D. D. Bendy II ': Bint. G. f. Oates, and H. Kirk. ' ' :