BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 124, 28 May 1928, Page 13

BOWLING.

DISAPPOINTMENTS ON SATURDAY. CHALLENGE MATCHES INTERRUPTED. (By TRUNDLER.) Saturday was a miserable day for bowls, but quite a number of players braved the elements, in the hope that the wind would drop and the rain squalls cease. Dominion Road met the Mount Eden challengers for the Edwin Stars on the Epsom green, but had to abandon the game after about' seven or eight heads, and will start afresh next Saturday.

Auckland gave early advice to the Hillsboro' holders of the Dcnison Pins that in their opinion play was out of the question, and after a brief consultation it was agreed to postpone that match.

The Te Papapa challengers for the Jordan Pins showed up at Hillsboro' and were agreeably surprised to find that the rain held off, giving them a couple of hours of enjoyable play on what seems to be acknowledged as the finest green in Auckland this winter. The wind was exactly up and down the green, so it affected only the length, and some very fine play resulted. While all did their bit, some heads being changed over and over again, the saving shots of the two skips, Bridge and Williamson, were the feature of the game. Any luck that was knocking about went to the holders, and when they adjourned for a cup of tea they were 17 to 5 on the tenth head, but they did not score again, Te Papapa making eight on the next five heads. A sharp shower then interrupted play, and the whole match will be played over again, in accordance with the rules.

New Players to the Fore. The game illustrated the old saying that good greens make good players, for both sides have had good greens all the summer, when so many were dried up, H. Johnson, the runner-up in the Te Papapa Club championship, is only a second year player, but he has & sound delivery, and should have an interesting career. He had a great duel with S. W. Thompson, and they usually had a couple of touchers between them.R. G. Speight (president of Te Papapa) played some very effective back-hand forcing shots, having all the advantage of getting his bowl away without the sign of a wobble. Probably we all have our own peculiarities, but he has one remarkable action which has never before been noticed in an Auckland bowler. While •'addressing" the white, as a golfer would say, he holds his bowl by the tips of his fingers, but just at the moment when he gives his arm its final swing backwards, he drops the bowl into the palm of his hand. It seems a big risk to take, but he never loses his clean delivery, and it is a treat to see his bowl get awav, just as if it was run off a chute. His active opponent, Ward, is not particularly tall to begin with, but he gets down exceptionally low on the mat at the moment of delivery, and this seems

to suit his swing perfectly, for he got in some very fine shots. The two thirds, Marks, the Te Papapa champion, and Goldsmith, for Hillsboro', frequently altered the heads, giving useful support to their skips. Altogether, the game differed very materially from what one would expect in the meeting of such young clubs, and he would be a bold prophet who would forecast the outcome of next Saturday's match. During the tea adjournment the president of the club, Mr. Raymond Sheath, welcomed the visitors, particularly mentioning how glad he was that the visiting challengers included the Te Papapa president, Mr. Speight. He was also pleased to see Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., who had looked in to see the two clubs competing for his trophies. There are only two vacancies in the King's Birthday rink tournament at Hillsboro'.

Discussions on the Pennants. The annual meeting of the N.S.W. Bowling Association is to be held on Thursday, and, according to all accounts, the chief bone of contention will be the pennant matches. A strong effort is apparently being made by the big guns to get rid of the Auckland system, which was played during the past summer for the first time, but this is openly stated to be due to their opposition to a system which does not give them the monopoly of attention which they used to receive under the four-rink system. It will be known next week whether they have been able to thwart the wishes of the rank and file, the great body who have no chance of a game unless some such principle as the Auckland one is adopted. It is rather surprising, however, to learn that the Melbourne bowlers are also interesting themselves in this project, for it was understood that in Victoria they were wedded to the system which allowed sixteen members of each club to monopolise all the most interesting play throughout the season. Mr. George Rudd, who used to play for Auckland, but is now living in Melbourne, very kindly sends along a recent issue of the "Argus," in which the following observations of the bowling critic appear:—"Bowlers have little respect for interclub matches. To a much greater extent than is generally realised, pennant play is accepted as the only fitting accompaniment of a season. General interest begins with its first round. It diminishes in great measure when Bectional matches cease. It dies when the premiership is decided, and pennant games are over. The most carefully arranged series of interclub engagements receives but indifferent support and attention. The existence or lack of such things does not concern many players. They are classified as substitutes of second-class or no importance,- and club executives have difficulty in securing, for their fulfilment, a sufficiency of representation. There should be more pennant games, and each club in each grade should have an equal share in them. Then the men who keep the game alive—the rank and file of club members—whose enthusiasm is greater than their skill, and deserves full recognition, would have a season's entertainment worthy of the places they fill in the game. The first and major care of the V.B.A. should be to give it to them."

MOUNT ALBERT TOURNAMENT.

The following skips have entered teams for the Monnt Albert tournament, to be held next Monday, play to commence at 5.45 :•—Maher, Ilopwood (West End) ; Darroch, Taylor (Avondale) ; Haeket (Auckland) ; Wakerley, Kuyes, Randall (RockyNook) ; F. Hawke (wrey Lynn) : Lavlaud (Dominion Road): Flndlav (Mount Eden)* Wells (New Lynn); AUely, Blair, Bwimiev, Dann, JU. Dawson. Francis, H. Hawke, Holdsworth, F. Hogking. A. Jenkiu. Muir. Stevens, E. Thomas, Toailinson (Mount Albert).

CLUB GAMES. RAWHITI GREEN. Winter Fours.—Scarborough. Freeman. Jackson. Moncur 1., t. Morrow, Hamlin, R. Walker, MacPherson 9. Sharkey, Chiplin 14, v. Millard, P. Thomson 11.

INTERCLUB GAMES.

KAWHITI V. ELLERKLIE. At Rawhiti (Ellerslie names first) —MoKenzie. Richmond, Westbrooke. Keed 21 v Vincent. X. Thomson, Eaves. Mclnnes IS ; lJyan. Arthur, Maeklow. Fov 17. v Culuin Martin, Favin, Stubbs 14. ' EPSOM V. NOMADS. At Epsom (Epsom names first) Carruth. Kamsay, Burton, Morison 13. "v. Beckham, Clarkson, Whitehouse, Donneli HILLSBORO' V. TE PAPAPA. Jordan Pins Challenge Match.—Hillsboro' (holders), Thompson, Ward, Goldsmith Williamson 17. v. Te Papapa (challengers) Johnson, Speight, Marks, Bridge 13. The game was unfinished at the fifteenth head and will be replayed next Saturdav.

TAKAPUNA CLUB.

The winted green of the Takapuna Bowling Club will be thrown open for play next Saturday and Monday. Thereafter it will be available on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

ROTORUA CLUB.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ROTORUA, Saturday. The championship pairs of the Rotorua Bowling flub was won by Miller and Mauson. who beat Butt and Bertram by 23 to 8. A three was scored by Manson on the first head, and then all were singles to the 13th, where Manson led 10 to 5. Bertram got a two on the 14th, but disaster came to him on the 16th. and a four to Manson on the 18th settled Bertram's chance.

PONSONBY CLUB'S TOURNEY,

The draw for the Ponsonby Club's King's Birthday tournament is as follows:—

First Round.—Rankin v. Bridge* Best v Goldwafer. Dick v. Toy. Hill t. McMahonj Miller v. Letham. Matthews v. Parsons.

Second Round. — Dick v. Goldwater. Bridges v. Toy. Rankin v. Best. Matthews v. Letham, McMahon. v. Parsons HUI v Miller. Third Round.—Letham v. Parsons, Rankin v. Dick. McMahon v. Miller, Bidges v. Best, Hill v. Matthews, Goldwater v. Toy. Fourth Bound.—Best v. Toy. McMahon v Matthews. Hill v. Letham. Miller v. Parsons, Rankin v. Goldwater, Bridges v Dick. 6 Play is to commence at 8.13 a.m. Tea will be provided for lunch, and afternoon tea as usual.