BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 117, 20 May 1931, Page 16

BOWLING.

WINTER MATCHES. NOVEL CONTEST ARRANGED. AN AMERICAN TOURNAMENT. (By TRUNDLER.) Tlie Ponsonby rinlr to challenge tlie Mount Eden holders of the Denison Pins on Saturday will be F. W. Oates, J. Rolfe, J. Griffiths, A. J. Letham. Por the benefit of those who may be wishing to .put in a challenge for any of these trophies, it may be mentioned that for the Denison Pins there are about a dozen in, and for the Edwin Stars about twenty. A good many novelty matches are arranged during the winter, when club engagements are not very pressing, but the latest will appeal to old and young, a contest between veteran riflemen and present members of Auckland rifle clubs. The former will comprise two rinks made up from the following prominent bowlers, who are now just as well known and respected on the green as they used to be on the range a quarter lof a century ago or more: W. Cox (Devonport), J. Aitchison and A. J. Letham (Ponsonby), W. Brownlee (Rawhiti), J. C. Yeo (Rocky Nook) R. G. Cox, E. Needham and J. Potter (West End). The team of juniors will be made up in a day or two. It is a well-known historical fact that several Acts of Parliament, one of them as long ago as in the reign of Edward IV., more than five centuries ago, prohibited the game of bowls, because it interfered with the practice of archery, at that time the mainstay of national defence. Either to disarm the criticism that in these modern days our riflemen are allowing bowling to interfere with shooting, or else to make up for the handicap that the younger men will suffer when they meet the more experienced veterans on the green (the real reason has not been disclosed), their first meeting will be a shooting match on the Penrose rifle range next Saturday, and the return match will be a game of bowls on the Ponsonby green, most likely on the following Saturday. The results of each meeting will be awaited with the keenest of interest by the hundreds of personal friends of the competitors, as well as the thousands of sportsmen to whom the novelty of the contest will appeal. t News From America.

Extended reference was made in the 8 o'clock edition last' Saturday to the greatly increased interest now being taken in the game of bowls in the United States; This has been well corroborated by a letter received on Monday by Mr. A. J. Parker, the wellknown Auckland skip, who represents Patumahoe on the Auckland Centre, and who has been-in regular communication with some of the friends he made in California while returning, from the world tour of 1928. _ This letter is from Mr. A. E. Rudd, chairman of the "World's Lawn Bowling Championship," to take place in Los Angeles during the Olympic Games next .year, from July 18 to August 6. The tournament is to be under the auspices of the American Lawn Bowling Association, but is not actually part of the Olympic Games. _ . _ The big event is the international rink championship, in which it is expected that six countries will compete, with six rinks each. Five games are assured, for each country will play each of the others. It is stated that games and points will count, which probably means the same as it does here, that points will count when wins in games are equal at three each. There is no entrance fee, and the first prize is the "World's Cup," a trophy costing 800 dollars, to go to the winning country, and a gold medal to each of the 24 representatives thereof. The second prize is a trophy worth 400 dollars, and 24 silver medals, while bronze medals will be given to all the others who take part. In addition to the major event there will be a rink championship, and rink consolation, "pairs championship and consolation, singles championship and ladies' singles. The entrance fee will be 1£ dollars for the championships, and 1 dollar for the consolations, the games will be of 16 heads, with 21 heads for the finals, and for each competition there will be four prizes, the total value being 4000 dollars. The entrance fees are remarkably low, and the prizes remarkably high, according to New Zealand and Australian standards, so they must be depending on either gate money or else good financial support from some of the local enthusiasts. It is quite evident that the scheme is being taken up in earnest, for committees have already been formed, including finance, publicity, entertainment, games, prizes and reporters. The chairman of the entertainment committee is Mr. C. J. Fox, donor of the Fox Cup, a magnificent trophy about two feet high, which changed hands for the first time a few months ago, a British touring party won it in a series of three rounds played in Florida. Entries close on June 15, 1932, so there is plenty of time to think about it, but any who contemplated spending the winter of next year in the northern hemisphere could obtain any further information desired by applying to the secretary, Mr. L. Keever, 924, South Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, California. It is known that a stadium is being constructed at Los Angeles to accommodate 150,000 spectators for the Olympic Games, American plans being thus on much more ambitious lines than are at present contemplated for four years later, when the cables this week announce that it is to be Berlin's turn, but most likely the bowling matches will be played on the various greens, and liot near the stadium, for our tourists found some very strong clubs at Pasadena and the neighbouring city of Los Angeles. In the meantime, for the winter of this year, the matter that requires the most pressing attention is the. projected visit to Brisbane in August, for which the entries close with the Dominion secretary, Mr. Gladding, on Monday week. A few interesting points regarding the Australian attitude towards the contemplated meeting of the best players in the Dominion, and the ConiI monwealth will appear in the Sports I Edition on Saturday.