BOWLS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22355, 19 March 1938, Page 23

BOWLS

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By •‘KITTY’’]

Mr J. W. Lowry has had experience with the best players of three of the largest centres in New Zealand, and has revealed ability to hold his own. The Carlton Bowling Club, Auckland, when Mr Lowry first joined the game in 1914-15, was in Fairfax road, and had a membership of 50. Its strength jnow is 170, with four greens, one of which is used for winter play. Show-

ing promise as a junior, Mr Lowry was ’CiNo. 2 in J. Kilgour’s rink which lost ’\the final of the Dominion tournament Auckland in 1919, when E. Jury TUarangahape) was successful, the latter being one of four skips to Win the honour twice. In 1920 Mr Lowry won the club singles championship, and the following year skipped the winning pair and later the champion-of-champions rink of the Auckland Centre. He was active in club matters, too, being on the match committee and executive of the club, as well as being a selector. At that time Carlton was very strong—it won the pennant competition with 18 rinks and next year played 22 teams. Going to Wellington in 1925, he joined the Kelburn Club, and major honours came to him. Skip of pairs’ champions in 1928-29 and the champion-of-cham-pions’ rinks the following year, and delegate to the centre for two years, Mr Lowry was a prominent member of the club. Removing to Petone in 1931, he joined that club and played No. 3 to O. Silbery when that well-known skip won the Wellington Easter tournament. He was also delegate to the .centre for the club, a selector, viceipresident, and president in 1937. Im- ! mediate past-president, he is still a 'member of Petone. His term of office was notable for his win, withD. Hunter as lead, in the Dominion pairs at the Wellington tournament last year, and, playing No. 3 to Silbery, for gaining third place in the rinks. These were worthy honours, and Mr Lowry took to the Hutt Valley its first Dominion title.

Soon after, he removed to Christchurch, joining up with St. Albans, 'where he now ranks as one of its leading players. With the late Mr G. D. iHorne. he won the West Coast pairs, and this, present season he was winner of his club rinks, the team .being J. Kingsland, H. D. Lowry, J.' Renton, and J. W. Lowry (s). A keen tournament player, and skilful at draw or drive, Mr Lowry is invariably well placed at the finish. He is a keen student of the game, and plays to the rules. He is .an excellent coach. His connexion with four leading clubs—Kelburn, Carlton, Petone, and St. Albans—with honours in each is a remarkable record and has made his name familiar throughout New Zealand. Representative play for three major provinces is seldom recorded by Dominion players, but Mr Lowry achieved this by skipping a' rink for Canterbury against Otago in the Redpath Shield game last week. The Redpath Shield This highly-prized interprovincial trophy is decided by the aggregate of eight rinks aside, playing morning and afternoon games. In the past these have always been decided on one green, but the departure from the rule at Dunedin last week is not likely to be repeated, particularly as in the afternoon game at Kaituna, the teams were on separate greens and out of touch with each other. Our players describe the morning game on Balmacewan as much more enjoyable than the afternoon one, because of smoother playing conditions. Of the Christchurch skips, only two—C. Madsen and R. McNish—won both games, the latter by substantial margins. P. Munn, H. B. Oakey, and W. Healey got a win each, J. W. Lowry a draw and a loss, and W. Ives and W. Efford each suffered .two de-' feats. Otago won * comfortably by 31 points. .Throwing the Jack Too mahy leading players under-esti-mate the importance of i -throwing the jack, and do so merely as a necessary formality in beginning the game. It is very much more than that, and should be regarded much as is the winning of the toss in cricket. The thrower must be skilful enough to put the jack to any desired length, and that length is usually the one that he feels able to draw to most consistently. The throw should be done very deliberately from the correct position on the mat, straight up the rink. The lead who bounces kitty carelessly away often sees it going out of bounds or nowhere near the position required. If you Watch a keen singles player throwing, you will find him very careful in his actions, thus getting a good idea of the strength of the green-. He can also use his wits by shortening or increasing the length, and gain an honest advantage to which he is entitled. Bowlers’ Attire The question of bowlers’ attire, first mentioned in this column some weeks £go, received a deserved impetus at 'the centre meeting, most speakers agreeing on the need for stricter control, Following on Wellington’s defini'tion of what is correct attire, other centres are now dealing with it, and the local centre is charged by delegates with the duty of putting the Dominion ruling into practice in a fair and reasonable way. The Dominion rule specifies long, cream trousers, white shirt and hat, with hatband of club colours, and club Wazer. This might be considered arbitrary in some respects, but it can be Modified by a centre ruling. The hatband is most desirable, but not always procurable.

Centre Business Mr C. F. Dobbs introduced a matter requiring attention when, at Monday’s centre meeting, he touched on the Robinson Shield competition. As the Meeting decided to give it attention before next season’s programme is prepared, something more satisfying will ho doubt be evolved. So far this year only 10 games have been played, with *°Me challenges still unplayed. There is a likelihood of a tournament for secretary v. treasurer combined teams being instituted next year, ft was stated at the centre meeting that Mr S. Potter (Wellington) desired to provide a trophy for the first competition, and the local executive was given power to organise an annual function.

Club Jottings

Cashmere green will be the scene of the next all-day tournament next Thursday, when a full green should be had, even against the competition "the Centre- J.P. match. Eight rinks from the Greymouth Club will travel over this week-end to Play a match with Canterbury. It is hoped to make it an annual home-and-home game between the two dubs.

On the eve of his departure to England, Mr F. Dunn, United, was presented with a case of pipes by his (leiiow members. The presentation was tttade by the president, Mr W. Tait. The Eln.wood rink repeated its su•cess on its own green the previous by winning the Cashmere tournament last Thursday. The rink "-Hoff, Bryant, Hatherley, Lennie (s) "-won all four games and took first Prize. Billcliff’s Barrington rink, with a draw and three wins, was in second place. The final of the rinks between the Canterbury rink, "W. H. Haggar, G. brneaton, W. G. Ives, P. Dunn (s). and tne Shirley team, R. Harold. W. Ross, C. Rowland, F. C. Williams (s), will be played on the Barrington Breen to-morrow afternoon. Both are and experienced teams, and the Bame should draw a good gallery. . By beating the Returned Soldiers’ Association Club on Saturday afternoon, Edgeware becomes the holder of ‘he Beanland Cup for 12 months. An Unusually fast ■ green made the game

at foot of last column.

difficult for many players. Edgeware winning by 94 points to 72. Details are as fellows. Returned Soldiers’ Association skips being mentioned first: —Baldwin 6. Beanland 35: McLean 32. Kennedy 11: Young 18. Keen 27; Priddis 16. Baker 21. General Notes The Otago singles champion is again the redoubtable W. CarswelL From Auckland comes the interesting news that a former Sumner player —J. S. Martin—has won the district champion doubles, his lead being EMaud. Both are members of the Ellerslie Ciub. Martin will be remembered here as a left-handed player of uncommon skill, who twice won championship honours in Christchurch, and was always prominent in tournaments. Leading against him in the final was Albert Con new. winner for the year of the Auckland singles titles Coincidences are common in sport. There is one from Wellington. In the play-off in the semi-finals of the district champion doubles, both games on the seventeenth head were IT to 10and at the finish 20 to 13. The final was a win for the Karori pair. W. H. Thorn and H. D. Field The latter is also singles champion for they can.