AUTUMN BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 3

AUTUMN BOWLING.

CLUB MATCHES PROGRESSING DELEGATES' MEETING TO-NIGHT. REMITS FOR THE COUNCIL.

(By TRUNDLER.)

Autumn returned with a glorious burst of sunshine for the week-end, making the conditions extremely pleasant for those who were able to spend Saturday afternoon on the green. The opportunity was rather badly wanted, for most clubs are again very much behind in their competitions, and are trying hard to get them, finished before the winter season commences.

Thus Epsom have only got as far as the semi-finals in their .percentage fours, whereas the winter season was supposed to open last Saturday. Onehunga only played the fourth round in the vice-presidents' fours, instead of the seventh, owing to tiie numerous engagements that clashed during the season. Kemuera managed to run off the pairs final at last, after taking every opportunity during the whole season to play the eight rounds, but most clubs still have one or more rounds in their pairs and handicaps.

A win to R. Sheath and L. Russell in the Remuera pairs championship is a reminder of the good fortune that has attended Russell in a number of important events during the season, only to go down in the end, so there is some satisfaction in seeing the tide turn in his favour before the season closes. Of course this is most noticeable in the centre pairs, when he got on splendidly, with the veteran P. M. Macfarlane as lead, until they met I. Clarke and C. E. Hardley in the final, and found them at the very top of their form.

Modest Champions. The pairs tournament at St. Helier's last week is worthy of more than casual notice, not because there was any great surprise at the section winners, who are to play off the final at Mount Albert this afternoon, but because of the coincidence that in each case a great many people would expect the team to be twisted round. One section was won by E. Henderson and E. Sheath (Remuera) and the other by A. Parsons and R. S. Higginbotham (Ponsonby), so the spectators are being treated to the unique experience- of seeing the centre champion of champions leading against a former champion of champions, who is also a former champion skip of the Dominion. Probably such a thing has never happened before, the nearest approach being when an outstanding skip, such as Walker, Jury, Bremner or Parsons, occasionally insists on playing third in a rink, or lead in a pairs, but memory cannot recall a case where both the leads in a final were full of recent honours.

This is an example that might well be remembered by those who think that when once they win a tournament that is beneath their dignity to play anywhere but skip, and it entirely disposes of the apologetic claim that one occasionally hears: "I don't mind playing third for a skip who is my superior." The really superior player is not afraid of losing his reputation by playing third or even lead in any team, as has been shown by many of our most brilliant champions. Business for To-night. It should not take long to nominate the requisite number of men to represent the centre on the Dominion Council, so there should be plenty of time to consider remits to go to the annual meeting of that body, and the Auckland Centre has no need to be backward in, initiating measures of this kind. Probably of most pressing interest will be those features relating to the January tournament itself. The last decision of the Auckland Centre was against three games a day in the rinks, and this might well be discussed again. Then there is the all-important matter of the order of play, whether singles, pairs and rinks, as played in January, or singles, rinks and pairs, as played previously. There is also considerable difference of opinion as to whether both days in the pairs should be on the same green, a a in Auckland this year, or on different greens, as in Wellington three years ago, and also whether section ties should play off first, before finding the green winner.

The bye in the automatic draw is always a vexed question, and as the last four council executives have laid down four different methods, the Auckland method of last January being in many respects the best so far, it may now be considered time to reach a standard system for universal adoption. The rr?ent limitation of the number of rinks to qualify for post-section play is far too important to pass over without notice, in view of the experience last January, for it entirely destroyed the interest in the last round in some sections, and even in the last two rounds in others. There is a great deal to be said in favour of the old way, by which nobody could tell how many wins it would '•/•ike to qualify until the last round was played in every section. The matter of starting the first game in the singles at 9 o'clock is not quite so pressin;; in Christchurch as it is in Auckland and Wellington, so it can very well wait till next vear.

Constitutional Changes. The council very thoughtfully held Tip the lina 1 revision of tlie rules and constitution, having regard to the proposal of the International Bowling Board to submit their rules to each of the four Dominions for their report. However, nothing more has been heard of if, fo the matter will doubtless be brought to finality this year, and the Auckland