BOWLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18969, 6 April 1927, Page 6

BOWLING NOTES.

BY "SKIP." The whole of the championship events in connexion with the Christchurch Centre have now been completed. The champion singles went to StAlbans, the pairs to New Brighton, and the rin'is to Lyttelton. It is most gratifying indeed to see that the seaTide clubs have done so well, particularly New Brighton, who were in everything right up to the end. In the sinalns tlu-ii representative ran np to tlu semi-fii'.al, vhen he bv Simpson, of the kaiapoi Woilun Men's Club. In the rinks t 'cy »c beaten by llie Lyttelton rink by one point, in a game which is now histJiJ . and the pairs they were successful n winning No doubt this will d club a great deal of good, and may the means of increasing thnir bcrsliip. which will be appreciated i>„the executive officers. The annual bowling match ,)etwe< ; i u the wholesale and retai soft go-. U firms will be played on batui'day i ; United Bowling Club have very k ml J granted six rinks for the aftein.io , and as the green is playing wel . the visitors will appreciate this. AH -<• W. Bartlett, who is organising for tu,. retailers, is sure to put in some s rinks, so the wholesalers will ha\e to look to their laurels. The St Albans Club closed then green for play last Saturday when there was a large number of b ?" lel * and friends present. Work will be commenced very shortly 111 with top-dressing and the usual clean ing-up processes, which geneially < v some time. Mr F. Board, a vice-president of the Maitai Club, Nelson, who is at present on a visit to Christchurch, has some interesting things to say about tn Nelson greens. So enthusiastic are tne plavers in sunny Nelson that both greens have been equipped with electric light, and tournaments are held every week alternately on each green. These are becoming increasingly popular. Three games of fifty minutes each are played, and a small entrance ee is charged, which provides prizes, am supper. These functions are a social as well as a financial benefit.

Mr Board is a great believer m the heavv roller, and the Maitai green, he said,'is considered by visiting bowlers to be equal almost to any green i" the Dominion. There lias been c° lislcl : erahle controversy on the subject heavy rolling. The experience ot tilt Maitai been that the use or the heavv roller after rain has had a most beneficial effect from a bowler * point of view. and. of course, this is most essential. No water is us ® c ' ° the green, except that winch tomes from above

The annual match between tlic Returned Soldiers' and the Canterbui Commercial Travellers' Assocation will take place on Saturday. April 9th. me Li 11 wood Club have very placed their green at the disposal of t players, which act is much appreciated.

Nothing is more disconcerting to a pl?ver than to see an umpire (scorer, as we know them now) jazzing round the head, screw this way or twu, according to the lopsidedncss of lu> vision for one of the contestants. , ; f <• to these discomforts the propensity some players in the next rinks have tor "straving," like lost cattle, into the. jack end. of the rink to consult with the scorer the possibilities ot uie Government retaining office, or the relation of short skirts for women to the question of street fatalities among men. Umpires, or scorers should write down two simple rules for tlicir own paincular guidance and paste them_ in their headgear. To straighten the jacx and retire to the side, or on to the hank, and be strictly neutral while, incidentally keeping the "strays" in the vicinity of their own pens, is all ths modern scorer has to think about nowadays.

Some interesting remarks on the functions of the Dominion Howling Association and on the growth of the game in New Zealand were mado by Mr J. W. Hardle.v (D.B.A. president) when speaking at Gisborne_ a few days aao. The Dominion of New Zealand Bowling Association, he said, was the largest democratic association in New Zealand. It comprised 287 clubs in 1920. In 1886 there were only twelve clubs in the Dominion, ten in the South Island .and two in the North Island, and to-day there were 293 clubs in New Zealand. The first chib formed was in Auckland in 1861, and the second in Dunedin in 1871, so that the distinction of being the oldest club in the Southern Hemisphere belonged to the Aucklanders. He did not, however, suggest that the Auckland Club had the honour of first playing bowls in the Southern Hemisphere; that \vas an honour that belonged to Tasmania and New South Wales. The popular conception of the Association was framing rules and controlling tourneys, but- it had a nobler duty to perform, and that was the representation of the • 16,000 players of the Dominion.

A strange coincidence lias just come to light in regard to the senior pennant bowls competition. Last Saturday Hataitai and Victoria met in the post-section play of the senior pennant, and each club won. two games, but Hataitai won the match on aggregate points by 82 points to 63. On looking un the records it was ascertained that Victoria and Hataitai met last year in a deciding game in the senior pennant, each won. two games, but Hataitai again had tho bigger- aggregate, the score being identical with that made last Saturday—B2 points to 63.

Tho final match for tlio championship I rinks was played on the Akaroa Bowl-1 ing green on Saturday afternoon. ! There was a light, warm wind blowing during the play, and the green was fairly fast. Messrs A. F. C. Williamson, A H. Williams E. Paterson, and P. J. Eccleton (s) defeated A. H. Westenra, W. W. F. J. Tylee, and J. D. Bruce (s) by 2G to 16. Unfortunately, Mr Bruce was unwell. and unable to play, so therefore Mr Tylce took 'his place and played 0. i Petterson as a substitute. The game was full of interest, - as Tylee's team scored seven before their opponents started at all, and at the 18th head tlio score was 18-16 in favour of the winners. The veteran Westenva, as lead, played an excellent game, as did Petterson for the losers. The generalship of Eccleton was undoubtedly the winning feature of the game, and he was able on several occasions to change what looked a sure four to his opponents to one up.

The final of the championship singles is to be played this week between P. J. Eccleton and A It. Munro. Should Eccleton be successful in winning the match he will have equalled his record of 1921 at Leeston. So far his performances are as follows:—The handicap singles, president's medal, handicap doubles (with A. H. Williams), A.B.C. badges pairs (with "A. J. Clements),' A.B.C. ferns rinks (with A. H. Williams', A. F. C. Williamson, and C. Petterson, the champion rinks (with Williamson. WiiliVms. and Paterson). He also competed with V. Spiers in the champion of champions at the Christchnrch tournament, when the score was 21 all. and he lost on the extra head against New Brighton.

An unusual incident occurred in a game in Auckland. It was at St. Heliers, with the game at a critical stage, an Auckland team leading llemuera by one point on the nine-

teentli head. Auckland's lead drew a "toucher." Remuera's No. 2 "vested it. As "kitty" lay with two rival bowls, each only inches away, -seeking her favour, it appeared ,to the contestants who craned their necks for the usual close examination that Auckland would, on an official measure, gain the verdict. But, as they stooped , over, Auckland's No. 3 dropped his pipe. It fell on the Remuera bowl and deflected it the merest fraction, and gave that side the shot.. In future this player is to be asked to leave his pipe at home when he attends a bowling tournament, so that momentous issues may not be diverted by trivial' mischances.

Touching on the sympathy some umpires display for one player, wli'cn expected to hold 110 brief for either, <1 good story is told (writes "Boomerang" in the Sydney 'iltcfcree"). This ac. tually happened on the • Armadale Green, Melbourne, "when the State championship was being played. Tho man with the card had noted that one player lay game, while the other (towards whom he had shown a marked leaning), could lie but trail the kitty, would gather in four and win on the post. Ho was a big, fat umpire, and, as he backed up and' endeavoured to "screw" the bowl, on- to trail the kitty, had forgotten the fact that he was backing. And, just at the psychological moment, when the bowl seemed sure to carry kitty, .the big man's enthusiasm for his friend carried him into the ditch. The spectacle of a 17-stone man, noted for his dignified bearing, with his heels pointing to the sky, his. head in the creek, and the rounded portion of his anatomy looking lilfc a. disappearing target at'.Liverpool, was too much for the crowd, -who shrieked again. Moral: Don't be lopsided, and, if you feel that you must, hand the card over to someone else.

"Mariiioto" writes as follows: —The bowling season of 1926-1927 is wearing its close, aucl, givcii good weather for the Easter tournament, all bowlers will admit the season has beeu a good one. The greens have "been good, aiul the Centre has done well, and is deserving of the thanks of the members of clubs, both town rind country. The new greens have done remarkably well. Shirley closed early, and in this have acted wisely, as it will give the green a chance to recover from the wear it has had.

The Barrington street green lias been welt laid, and though 1926-1927 has been its first season, it has played keen and true. Pox, Chambers, and MeGimpsey have put in a lot of work, and the satisfactory results have well repaid them. The most improved green is Fapanui. No green in the Centre has played better this season, and Hartley is to be congratulated. The club is growing, and President Buddo has reason to be proud. St. Albans and Edgeware have both been severely

tried, and under less able hands than McNab and Hayman would have fared badly., It lias meant constant and wise attention to keep tliem up to the mark. Beckenham is the most picturesque green in' the Centre, and one of the hardest to keep right, but Merrill, with some 20 years' experience, has kept the green in the best possible playing condition, and the surroundings most pleasing to the eye. Tlie northern and eastern terraces are not merely kept clean, but arc tastefully adorned with flowers and shrubs, giving an added charm .to a perfectly-kept green.

As stated in August of last year, Linwood is a remarkable green, and George Holland is justly proud of his third child. For years he kept the Christehurch green in tip-top condition, then improved Canterbury, and lias kept Linwood up to concert pitch. Aulsebrook's have closed for top-dressing. This green has been well used, and as players gain in experience will stand up to the work. Beatty is a good man for his job, and takes a prido in the flower-beds surrounding the green. United has worn remarkably well. Campbell, like McJCab and Hayman, never gets ruffled. He knows his job and does it. This season the majority of green supervisors have realised the wisdom of allowing the man who does the 'work to use his brains, and this is the secret of good greens.

"Marinoto" lias not seen the Sprevdon green since the New Year, but understands it is much improved. This is a good green, and if the club were strong enough to employ a groenkeeper, there would be no better green north of Geraldiue.

Suniiyside- is vastly improved, and, with Beckenliani, was used for the midweek tournament. These mid-week competitions have done much to improve the social side of bowls, and this is as it should be.