BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 22 August 1928, Page 17

BOWLING.

PENNANT PROSPECTS. ANALYSING THE DRAW. OVER A THOUSAND PLAYERS. (By TRUNDLER.) The pennant draw was published yesterday, and it will doubtless be examined with the usual curiosity, not unmixed with criticism. The general expectation was that with three additional clubs taking part, and with the known wish of a few others to play a larger cumber of rinks, the groups would be slightly larger than last year. However, this possibility was checkmated by Remuera asking that their quota should be reduced from 22 rinks to 16, and this cancelled out the new clubs. Consequently the sections and groups are exactly the same size as last year, and 252 rinks will take part again, or 1008 players. At this there will be some disappointment, but it is always open to every club to play a few rinks in a friendly interclub on the pennant days, to take up and interest those members who do not care for the more strenuous and competitive game, arjd no doubt this will be done when all the season's interclubs are being arranged. One decided improvement which will at once be noticed this year is the partial removal of tie handicap suffered last season by those clubs who were grouped with weak clubs, their opponents being able to take liberties with the latter, and concentrate their heaviest artillery on the former. This has been rendered possible by the entry of a larger number of small clubs, the only regret being that there has been no entry from Manjrere, Mount Wellington or Te Papapa. The best experience they could get is in meeting other clubs, and if these small clubs had entered it would have been fairly easy to include a small club in each group, thus entirely removing the distinct advantage which such clubs as Carlton, Devonport and Dominion Road have, under the present draw.

The analysis also shows that the other weakness of last year has been avoided, for the clubs will find that their strength is not necessarily spread over such a large number of greens as usual. Who Will Win the Pennant? Of course, everyone will try and pick the winner, and most eyes will probably turn to Carlton. Fielding the same as last year, 20 rinks, and with all the strategical advantage of being able to select strength or weakness as required, this club, should again have a good run. Epsom and West End, each with two rinks less than last year, should be in a handy position, and sixteen rinks ought to be an easy contract for Remuera. Rocky Nook are always dangerous, and especially with only ten rinks, but this year they aTe up against a very stiff proposition. Grouped with the new club at Point Chevalier, and also Ellerslie weakened by an increase from six to eight rinks, it so happens that in every round Rocky Nook is so placed as to allow the opposing, club or clubs to take liberties with the smaller clubs, and put their strongest against the old winners. If Rocky Nook can survive this it will be a great feat.

Personal Matters. Two appointments of interest to all bowlers were announced last week. The new secretary of the Education Board is Mr. D. W. Dunlop, a former president and champion of Dominion Road, and now of Epsom. At the competitions this, week the elocution classes are to be judged by Professor Maxwell Walker, a former president and champion of Ponsonby, and since then three times champion of Auckland. Auckland bowling in general, and the Carlton Club in particular, will suffer a distinct loss this week through the departure .of Mr. F. Laurenson for Christchurch. Having lived and played in Wellington and Palmerston, as well as Dunedin and other parts of the South Island, he has gained an extensive and intimate knowledge of bowling matters here, and he has added to his local experience through travelling and playing in Australia and England. As an exponent of the game itself he was known long before he came to Auckland, about four years ago, having been a frequent competitor in Dominion and local tournaments, and he has willingly shared his knowledge with others as a tutor and lecturer. It is probably in an administrative capacity, however, that he has gained most eminence, after holding many important official posts, for there are very few bowlers in New Zealand, if any, who have his profound knowledge of the government of the game in all its aspects. He is the very man who ought to be on the Dominion Council, and possibly the ,way will be opened one of these days. Takapnna will be greatly strengthened during the coming season through the addition of two experienced players from the Waikr.to, both well known on the green and also for their official work. Mr. H. J. Wernliam has been secretary of the South Auckland Centre for many years, and came prominently into the limelight in 1925, when he played in R. N. Pilkington's Hamilton rink which won the Dominion championship. Mr. E. J. Wilkinson hails from Cambridge, but most people have now forgotten that he was once Mayor of that borough, for his remarkable success at Epsom in recent years hak overshadowed previous activities. Club champion in 1925 and 1927, and runner-up in 1924 and 1926, he has also been very successful in tournaments, although his natural modesty has usually made him prefer playing in a minor position in a rink for somebody else, rather than the rink himself.

Next Monday's mail by the Niagara will be the last opportunity to write to the main body of the New Zealand tourists, now in Canada, as they will be leaving Vancouver on the return trip of that vessel. The best address is, care of Mr. J. E. Baxter, 2605, Scott Street, Vancouver.

ROCKY NOOK CLUB.

The following skips have entered teams for the Rocky Nook Club's rink tournament extending over the two Saturday afternoons ! of September 1 and B:—Rankin, Witham, Wells (New Lynn). White (St. Heliers), Thompson. Gollan (Hillsboro'),' E. Thomas. Allely (Mount Albert). Sharp, McMahon (Edendale), Taylor (Avondale),. Harper (Otahuhw). - Roylance, Kayes, Bouskill, Keatley; Stone, Chambers, Jenkin, Milner (Rocky Nook). i There are vacancies for eight more teams, to uiakc a total of 28.