BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 287, 4 December 1929, Page 18

BOWLING.

PROVINCIAL VISITORS IN THE CITY.

THE FASTEST DRIVER.

ACCURACY AND STYLE,

(By TRUNDLER.}

On belialf of all the bowlers of Auckland a cordial welcome is given to the representative rinks from South Auckland, who are paying their annual visit to the city to-day. Yesterday afternoon they played at Pukekohe, and the two rounds set down for to-day will have enabled them to meet members of 34 clubs in the centre. The results of the first round appear in another column, and there is general satisfaction that they brought such a large party. The more the merrier, so far as the Auckland bowlers are concerned, for all are glad to have the pleasure of entertaining visitors. A telegram arrived from Dunedin yesterday, reminding competitors that entries for the Dominion tournament will close next Saturday. Entries for the Christmas tournament close next Monday. A meeting of delegates will be held tomorrow week, Thursday, December 12. The Fastest Driver. Two verey interesting queries comc from "R.E.M. 5 :—(1) The fastest and most correct driver, also the one having the best delivery playing bowls at the present day, in and around Auckland'! (2) What is the difference between a running shot and a drive? He adds that the inquiries are made in order to settle an argument, but they are far more likely to start an argument, for there, are few questions on which there is such a difference of opinion. However, here goes, and those who have a different opinion are invited to send it along. . The fastest driver ought to be very easy to locate, for it is only necessary to put a stop-watch on the likely men/; and the question'would be settled in a few minutes. Naturally it would not do to try one at West End and another at Mount Albert, the different length of green being sufficient to upset the trial, nor would it do to try them on different days, Tor a drive travels faster oil a keen green than on a heavy one, just the opposite to a draw. At an ordinary length a drive takes about three seconds to hit the opposite bank on a keen green, and from four seconis upwards on a sodden or grassyi, green, whereas a draw takes about 16 seconds on a so-called fast green, and pnly 11 or 12 on a slow green. Howevery" if a test is desired a convenient opportunity will present itself next Tuesday or Wednesday, ■ when the intersection play is' proceeding in the open singles tournament. Six Fast Drivers. In the meantime one may venture on a guess, although with no hope of settling an argument. Probably the fastest- drivers [in Auckland are W. Lorain (Rocky -?Nook), "Sam" Jenkin (now of Carlton);, H. A. Robertson (Onehunga), E. Forbes (Manurewa), G, H. Armstrong (Pukekohe), and H. Whittle (Grey Lynn). A test between these six Would be very interesting, for it would settle a very important point, whether a drive; is any faster when a bowl goes absolutely dead true, as when delivered by the first three of these six, or whether i% i 3 faster when slightly tilted, like the last three. It must be admitted that the last three appear to put a great effort into their drive, but probably it reaches the other bank in less time when ; delivered true. If this is so, the verdict probably lies between Loram and .Robertson, for they both seem to impart a top. spin into their bowl, and billiard players know that under such conditions the initial velocity is' not lost for a long time. The most correct driver doubtless means the most accurate driver, and this again might be r inore easily settled by actual tests, such as they occasionally have at Otahuhu, Epsom, Grey Lynn and other clubs. Even this may not be conclusive, for it is wonderful how well a man can drive when a match depends on his accuracy, whereas he does not bother,so much when he has four drives in the competition. Those who saw W. J. Truscott win the semi-final in the Christmas tournament some years agq, picking out a bowl that was hardly, visible for more than an inch, might put him at the top, and the same would apply to Eev. H. Eyan's remarkable drive in the rink championship two years ago, when he picked' out the shot bowl for a: win. E. NV Pilking/on played an extraordinary billiard) shot with his last bowl in one Christmas tournament, when E. B. Wright was lying the game, G. A. Court used his last bowl to lift out an; opposing wood, in order to win the One.-/ hunga championship; for the fourth successive year, and Professor Walker, showed phenomenal accuracy, in the last Dominion tournament but one, held ill Auckland. It is hard to say who is the' best at "present, but probably last year the most accurate were Truscott and Loram. The best delivery is purely a matter of opinion, and pan never be settled. My own opinion is that Professor Walker and E. Buckley have the best delivery in Auckland, and 99. per cent of our players could get far more enjoyment out of the game if they copied the delivery of either of these stylish players. A Running Shot. Punning and driving are not officially recognised in bowls, but probably a drive usually means the fastest pace at which a player can be reasonably accurate, and a run is halfway between a drive and a draw. Most players lose their bowl they drive; as it goes either into the ditch or over the boundary, whereas . a run is rarely lost. It is harder to play than a drive, but is often preferred for the reason mentioned, or in order to get round a bowl .that blocks the drive. Players vary so much in their pace that what 1. R. George or A. Parsons would call a drive, A. R. Gatland or L. Randell would merely describe as a fast run, while J. Torrance or C, A. Addison might even go so far; as to call it a yard gone shot, and A. A. Brown a "furrum" draw. It will be understood, therefore that a running shot depends on the individual player and his style, and is not

THE PILKINGTON CUP,

i; P AERO A,' Tuesday. Tho president ji of tho South Auckland Bowling Centre, Mr. R. N. Pilkington, presented a wip, which will bo known oh tho Pilkington Cup, to be hold for twclvo montlm by the -winner of the champion of champions singles competition,

ONEHUNGA CLUB

Results of the first and second rounds of the Onehunga Club's Champion Pairs competition are as follows:—Flowerday and Robertson, Jones and R. Sutherland, T. George and Kenny, McGuire and' Macklow, Bell and Munro, Vella and Cowell, Wegginton and Wright, two wins each; S. Brown and J. K. Ross, A. Coutts and A. Brown, Greening and Tonkin, Gatland and Gatland, Hickman and E. V. Sutherland, Moore and Welham, Skinner and Skinner, Grace and Yazey, Mudie and Schnackenberg, one win, one loss; and Allen, Green and Bassett, another and W. Davis, Gill and Marks, Kennedy and Keenan, Richardson and Whiteside, Philips and Harrison, Harlock and Ludberg. two losses. The results of the first and second rounds of the Handicap Singles competition are as follows:—Fordham, Moore, McKune, J. K. Ross, J. Skinner, Philips. Gill, two wins each: Bell. Coutts, Kennedy, C. Skinner, Vazey, Watkinson. Welham. Whiteside, Brown, Hickman. Kennedy, Milnes. one win, one loss: Grace. Stokes, Keeling. Richardson, A. Robb, Goode, H. Bray, Keenan, two losses. , .The result of the. first and second rounds of .the Handicap Pairs are r.s follows:— Vazey and Welhnm, L. Bray and McKune. •T. Skinner and H. Bray, two wins each: Westnev end C. Skinner, Keeling and .T. K. Ross. McMaster and Milnes. 'Moore and Bell, one win, one loss; Whiteside and Gill, two losses.

EPSOM CLUB

"'"Competitions 'played by the Epsom Club on .Saturday"' resulted:" as-follows :— Drawing, long heads, Grattaji; short heads, Gladding; driving, Richmond; trailing, ' Wyiie; guarding, Wylie; junior drawing, S. Hardley. ■ , , A full rink tourney of four heads was won.r by - Yearbury, : Whitehouse, A. G. Clarke,' Grattan. The ladies' drawing was won by Mrs. H. B. Jenkins. , . In the final of the- open tourney held on November 4 Allely (Mount Albeit) lb, beat Walker (Auckland) 12.

SOUTH AUCKLAND CENTRE'S WIN

MATCH WITH NORTH WAIKATO,

PUKEKOHE, this day

Tlio South Auckland Centre representaI tivea" played their annual match with rinks I representing the Northern Waikato Bowling Association on the Pukekolie Club's greens yesterday, and won by 195 points to 110. Details of play are as follow (South Auckland names first) Easter, Clothier, Maingav, Wallace 35, v. A. G. Smith, O'Connell, rainier. Rice 9 ; Prickett, Wycherley, Boles, Pilkington 11, v. Perkins, Lawrie, Hosking. Armstrong 20; East, Crabb, Cornish, Branch 19, v. Barriball, West, Jones, Neil 15; Boyle, Newman, Newman, Adamson 33, v. W. Blake, Short, Crosbie, Bockett, 11; Cooper, Low, E. James, ,S. James 27, v. Bullock, Ricliings, R. Wright,, A. Hewitt 14; Rogers. Heron, McFqjland, Cla,us 28, v: H. J. Bull, A. D. Bell, Byburn, Hyde 8.; .Crawshaw. Baker, Anchor, Frost 22, v. Glasgow, Fielder, C. Smeed, W. Smeed 22; Oates, Banks, Livingstone, Stewart 20, v. David, Roulston, Thompson, Munro, Duncan Roulston 11.