BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1927, Page 14

BOWLING.

NEW SEASON'S CONDITIONS. POPULARISING THE GAME. (By "TRUNDLER.") I here seems to be steadily increasing curiosity as to how the introduction of , summer time is going to affect sports in I Auckland, but it seems probable that it , is going to affect bowling more than any other. It will make practically no . difference to croquet and golf, and" the i extra hour will add anything from 25 to 50 per cent to the time available for . tennis and cricket. But in bowls,except in the case of the '"idle rich," to whom it will make very little difference, if any. it will increase the opportunities for play by 600 per cent, for instead of only one game on Saturday they will get two on Saturday, and also one on each of the other evenings. It will be seen that this is no exaggeration when it is recalled that on some greens in Auckland there is never an evening game, even in the height of summer, while on a few the whole play is at present limited to one game on Saturday. Of course the idle rich are like the farmers: they will still get up at a time to suit themselves, for ail the evidence available at present goes to show that the only times when Strawberry and Daisy will be disturbed from their sleep at an earlier hour than usual will be when their owners want to get away to a race meeting or a similar engagement. However, time will prove how the scheme operates, but one thing seems quite certain, and that is that bowling is going to receive a tremendous impetus. Already several clubs are receiving an influx of new members, largely on account of the extra time available, and this year will easily show a record increase for Auckland. In passing, it may be mentioned that any club could increase its membership by "a little systematic canvassing on the part of the committee. Bowling has now reached such a standing that people show considerable diffidence in claiming membership with an established club, whereas if a few members of the committee personally waited upon them this natural hesitation would soon be overcome. Playing The Extra Games. Coming to the actual play itself, the most striking change made so far is the introduction of far more inter-clubs. Some clubs which dared not arrange any last year, lest they should delay the ordinary club matches, have put on several for this Season, One club having the astonishing number of no less than sixteen Saturdays thus engaged. It is probable that something of a I still more competitive nature will develop, for the long evenings will seem too good to waste on games that do not lead anywhere. In Dunedin, where the summer ■ evenings are already so long that it is amazing why they "have been so keen on claiming the extra hour, inter-club championships are quite a feature of the evening play, and probably some clubs will voluntarily arrange something for the evenings, after the nature of the rejected fourrink championship. It seems more than likely that ten or fifteen clubs iu tlie immediate neighbourhood of the city would be willing to put this on. whereas ' I experience shows that they were not I prepared to let this militate the popularity of the ordinary pennant mes. * . No Games to be Broken. Committees might just as well make up their minds at once that with nearly six hours available on all the Saturdays between November G and March 4. it will be very unpopular to allow afternoon tea to break into a game during those four months. It is understood j that the Carlton committee have already taken the lead in this direction, and the first game will start punctually, to continue till afternoon tea. The trouble will arise over the pennant matches, for Some committees seem to have no ' system at all, and delay the start till 2.30 or even 2.45. If the home teams were chosen beforehand, as well as the teams to go away, and the Remuera system of holding the skips responsible for their own rink was adopted, with no beg pardons, there is no reason whatever why all the pennant matches should not start at 1.40 or 2 (summer time), instead of penalising all who are punctual, for the sake of those who arc Far too much time is wasted in making up. the rinks, instead of holding the players strictly to their responsibility, a further needless delay often occurring In getting the games started, even after the rinks axe made up. A Popular Tournament. Although . summer time only comes into force, on November 6, instead of October 2, as it would have done under the old scheme, it would not have been . so very terrible at the earlier date after •11) for spring seems to have arrived at last. Mount Eden had no difficulty in filling up. their tournament list for to-day, after the popularity gained in their previous tourney. Victory went to Onehunga on that occasion, the team being J. Harlock, T. A. George, W. Flower day, H. A. Robertson, who in the final defeated a very strong Carlton team, headed by the Dominion singles champion, H. C- Clarke. It will be noted that the champion of the club, Trevor George, who was also runnerup in the champion of champions, is still quite content to play number two, i a position which is really more ant than is often supposed. His modesty' has been rather nicely rewarded, for in the four tournaments in which he has ! recently taken part his rink has won . three times, and was runner-up the other time. Mention should be made of the very handsome trophies given at the last tournament at Mount Eden, beautiful silver cups donated by a strong 1 supporter of the club. ] The Melbourne Carnival. j A meeting waa held last night to < discuss the proposal to compete at the ] Melbourne Carnival at Christmas. 1 i several names were handed in, so a j ' a now definitely assured, but i ere were also so many who could not Kill at " nce that it was arranged to Z\t* n0 $ cr rae ® tin S on Wednesdav, and rnlu to «<*ept further names ana make up the rinks. >