DOMINION BOWLING TOURNAMENT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14883, 21 January 1949, Page 4

DOMINION BOWLING TOURNAMENT

INTEREST CREATED IN TAURANGA Performance Of Club Member Increasing Popularity Of Sport (By “Bowler”) Much interest has been taken in the present Dominion Bowling Tournament now being held in Auckland as a number of members of Tauranga clubs have been competing. Some entered in all three competitions, singles, pairs and fours. At present no competition has been completed, but the singles and pairs championship are sufficiently advanced to show that local members competing have already been eliminated. Not having attended the field of play myself, I am unable to give any detailed report of any players’ results.

It has been noticed however, that S. A. Woods of the Tauranga club put up a very creditable performance in the singles championship, running right into the ninth round. He lost his second life to Gooch of Gisborne in this round, by a few points, but when it is considered that Gooch carried on with further success to finish with one li'fe among the last three players left in the singles, Woods’ loss against such talent was excusable, although more disappointing at this stage, perhaps, than if he had been eliminated earlier in the contest. Woods’ Good Effort

Woods’ effort was particularly good, for of late he has not been able to get much practice on hi's own green. Incidentally it may not bo out of place to say that in any game of skill, in spite of a player being considered a top-notchc_r, he must for ever get down to hard practice and plenty of it, to become a champion. After two days’ play in the Dominion fours, Woods’ name again appears among those with the maximum number of wins (4), there being two games of 25 heads being played each day. The other members of Woods’ team are T. Stewart (lead), H. Franklin (two), and Hart Smith (three). It was very unfortunate for J. Baxter that he was not able to take his place in this team, for he is really one of its usual members when the team plays in open tournaments.

These big gatherings of the Dominion’s best players and numerous champions from all over New Zealand provi'de an element of bowls education unobtainable from any other source. Many of us in our own towns and even some in the cities who have not the opportunity to compete, have little idea of the great amount of practical experience to be obtained by playing in these annual events, and among hundreds of men of professional standard.

I was amused the other day when speaking to a bowler of repute, and a champion more than once in his own club. I asked him why he had not entered in the Dominion Championships. He informed me quite seriously that four years ago he had done so. and after the experience he had obtained he was quite convinced he knew nothing about the game. This about sums up the position from a win point of view; but that is not the main feature of bowls. There are many others which are much more important.