BUSY BOWLERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1936, Page 17

BUSY BOWLERS.

WEEKS OF ACTIVITY. farewell to taranaki. (By TRUNDLER.) A wonderful week of bowling terminated on Saturday in glorious weather, but most clubs in the city and suburbs were only interested in their own club matches and a few inter-clubs. At the two extremes of the Auckland Centre's territoiy, However, there were important functions of general, interest. The six clubs inu tile south entertained the Taranaki visitors in a farewell game at the end ° lom °rable tour, for they were the that centre who have evei visited Auckland, numbering 72, inclusive 0 f the ladies, and-they were the , Pa } V „M tay 10 - ug enough to meet Af +i • , lle y are giving the whole (W, , t0 . tllc South Auckland Oentie travelling in their own 16 cars, afid they will be joined this afternoon and to-morrow morning by seven other Players who did not come to Auckland last week. The present intention is for tiie whole party to arrive back at Taranaki next Sunday.

five clubs in the western suburbs played their annual tournament at the champion rink of their association. This is tile green that received such liiunorous and complimentary notice at the social given to.the. Taranaki tourists on Wednesday evening, for the six rinks from iaranaki who had tlie good fortune to be located on that green during the previous atternoon seenx to have thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the fruits for which that district is so famous. r<v n IK e eliminating round on Saturday Wen beat Henderson. Then in the afternoon Avondale beat Hallyburton Johnstone, and Glen Eden beat New Lynn, and the final resulted: W. Newell, B. Myers, J. Somervell, R. Sutherland (Avondale) 33, v. M. M. Sunde, M. Marinovich, S. Vranjes, F. Firth (Glen Eden) 16. Incidentally, it ,may be mentioned that the winning lead is a veteran of nearly 80 years, but age does not seem to trouble bowlers very much. Mr. G. F. C. Hosking, president of the Glen Eden Club, >and also of the Western Suburbs Association, congratulated the Avondale representatives on winning the competition, for the first time, and remarked that Henderson was the only club who had not yet had that honour. He complimented the committee of his own club on providing a green in capital order for the competition, and on conducting the whole function so well, his remarks being endorsed with cheers. The next two Saturdays will be taken up with the singles champion of champions of the western suburbs, as this takes longer, being worked on the two-life system. In the meantime, four of the five club champions -will have enjoyed the experience of the larger event, the champion of champions of the Auckland Centre to commence at Carlton on Wednesday morning at nine o'clock. In this connection it is worthy of note that the representatives of two of these clubs were the winner and runner-up in the big event three years ago, R. S. Higginbotham (Henderson), beating W. P. Rankin (New Lynn) in quite an exciting final. Tournaments and Records. Intending competitors must note that entries for the four separate events in the Easter tournament will close with the secretary of the Auckland Centre, Mr. G. L. Gladding, on Thursday week, March 26, but if lie is like most secretaries it may be suggested that it would be a great convenience if the whole of the 150 entries were not -saved up for the last day. There is no definite date for closing entries for the Easter tournament at Cambridge. It is merely announced that there will be accommodation for 54 rinks, and the entries will close as soon as that number are received. ' Records in bowls are usually associated with big figures, big entries or big scores, but it seems possible to win on a record small score, and there is some talk of such a record at the recent Rotorua tournament, where the game ended at 14 to 11. However, another player speaks of 12 to 11 in another game, and if anyone can locate these, with the names of the players, it will be a pleasure to publish the details. Then perhaps somebody else will recall the unbeatable score of 11 to 10, unless there was ever a score of 11 to 9, through one head being drawn, with no score. ' At one match with the Taranaki visitors last week the local skip drove with his I last bowl and sent the jack with such a bang against the bank, outside the boundary, that it rebounded on to the rink, inside the boundary. The local team claimed their nearest three bowls as three shots, but the visiting skip claimed a dead jack, and this was allowed, as nobody had a copy of the rules, and naturally the hosts would not argue with their guests. The Taranaki claim was wrong. Rule 44 most emphatically makes the jack alive. The green at the Epsom Infirmary has been renovated and quite a number of the patients are finding healthful exercise in an occasional quiet ;ga.me. Their only difficulty now is a shortage of bofrle, altln ugh sevevul sympathisers have' don ated a pair. Any players who are discarding their old bowls in favour of a new material or design would be doing a kindness by. presenting them to these unfortunate old people. If they will advise Mr. M. J. Hooper, of Epsom, he will arrange to take delivery. Obituary. There will be general regret at the death of Mr. W. F. Hardley, not only on account of the distress to his family and the loss to the West End Bowling Club, but also because it is another break in a family of four brothers who have identified themselves with bowling more actively than any other four brothers in the long history of the game in Auckland. My first knowledge of them dates back to the summer of 32 years ago, when playing tennis on a court, in Victoria Street, Hamilton, and it was stated that there would soon be no more tennis there, "as a firm from Canterbury had bought the section." Soon afterwards they came to Auckland, and the West End Club had r.ot been long in being before the ' Hardley rink" began to figure in tournaments. However, it was chiefly in an administrative capacity that they came to the fore, until the' youngest brother, Charlie, so notably distinguished himself as the Dominion champion pairs skip of four years ago, and more frequent successes 'locally in singles and rinks, for the late Mr J. W. Hardley was the first West End president to hold office far three vpars and the first centre president to enjoy a similar term, while his Dominion presidency was marked by the same extraordinary enthusiasm that he imparted to all his activities. Charlie followed in the West End presidency four years after his eldest brother, and Walter seven years ae Naturallv, Walter's death evoked a wave of sympathy such as would be extended to very few families, and the club meinbers assembled in a body at the green Ga+nrrlflV to lllclVcll to llis IclfcC rGSI" dence in file and follow his remains to the grave. E'very club in Auckland was represented and the game was officially Presented by Messrs. James Pascoe and Raymond Sheath, past presidents of the Auckland Centre, past presidents of the New Zealand Bowling Association and still members of the New Zealand Bowling Coiincil.

avondale club.

m onter teams for pairs tourney S ™P wmlav at the Avondale Bowling h A Xi d Kasper (Auckland), Mayhlll (EdepClub- —Kaspt (Haiiybiirton Johnstone), dale), ~ ti?ecinbottorn, Moors (HenierChiW Firt? (Glen Eden), Dove, Witfcam, son), Firtn I Cairn, Thomas, Burton BeatM, Myers, Tomlinson (Avondale).

WAIHI WINS TOURNEY,

. . tournament was held at Te A bowling ton eud teJUUS coming Puke durin,, Taneatua, Tauranga, Waihl from - Rot or " a > tournament was played and Katikati. The tour dlvlsion bein , '"on by MC'Gorogle (Waihi) and the second b^n V tfe e fina T i a Walhi beat Tauranga by 8 points to 2.