Around the Greens

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28446, 28 November 1957, Page 18

Around the Greens

At least 100 bowlers will represent Wellington in the Dominion tournament in Christchurch this year. The four Empire Games prospects, W. H. Hampton, T. W. L. Barron, E. C. Budd and J. D, Turnbull, will be competing. Most of the contingent will be playing in the fours and three-quarters of the fours will also be playing in the pairs. Only about one-third of them will be contesting the singles.

Bowling fixtures arranged are:—Thursday, November 28: Shirley all day tournament, Beckenham floodlight tournament. | Saturday, November 30: Pennants and Three Fours, Robinson Shield. Sunday, December 1: Opawa, Kaiapoi, Spreydon, Southbridge, Canterbury and Amberley tournaments. Monday, December 2: Sydenham and Beckenham floodlight tournaments. Wedensday, December 4: Beckenham and Rangiora all day tournaments, Kaiapoi W.M.C. floodlight tournament.

Twenty-six Canterbury licensees had a day off when they attended the bowling tournament held by the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association, at the R.S.A. greens recently. The fours of Mandeville (Kaiapoi) and Bonner’s won four games each and contested a play-off over three ends to decide the winners of the championship. Mandeville, with the hotel licensee, R. H. Bates playing lead beat Bonner’s, skipped by the proprietor, J. R. Bonner. The Mandeville four was J. Walsh (skip), E. Fitzgerald (3), W. Dunlop (2) and Bates (lead) and Bonner’s four, Bonner (skip), T. Hill, B. Lattaway and J. McGowan. More than 100 bowlers took part in the tournament.

Mr Bill Efford, a life member of Edgeware, is hoping to play bowls again next year. He had been injured and unable to play bowls but he is very keen to be back in action in the jubilee season. Mr Efford is a very prominent member of the club.

Two bowlers who are playing good, bowls at R.S.A. are P. South and Ted Stokes. South is a former Seatoun (Wellington) bowler and is playing very well. shown remarkable improvement recently and ia a young bowler. *

The Edgeware colts team which is skipped by Doug. Wood has played two inter-club games and won both so far this season. Wood has been coached by the wellknown Sydenham bowler G. Gibson and is playing very well. Gibson is also a relative of Wood. • In the R.S.A. club championship fours two leading bowlers E. Ellwood and N. McNabb were beaten. H. Cameron beat Ellwood by one point and McNabb was beaten by E. Fox. • The newly-formed Christchurch Ladies’ Club was very successful at the Olympic Rose Bowl event in which a club team reached the final of the tournament and finished runner-up. As the four had not played together until the tournament its performance was all the more creditable. The four comprised Mesdames A. Graham (skip), A. L. Taylor (3), C. Watson (2), M. Challis (lead).

Arrangements are being made for the 50th jubilee celebrations which will be conducted during the next season by Edgeware. As part of the preparation for the jubilee 12 new block shelters have been erected at the club.

Several leading Auckland bowlers were beaten in the centre singles championship tournament recently. J. Trayes, Carlton s Empire Games nominee, did not win a game and was eliminated. M. Connew, also of Carlton, lost a life in the second round wh°n he was' beaten by Lisk, of Henderson, 21-15. Another Empire Games candidate, R. E. PilKington (Balmoral) was beaten 19-20 in the second round and two former Dominion singles champions, J. Rabone and F. Livingstone met in the third round— Rabone won 19-16. • When a war injury preven tied Mr J. S. Bain, of Wellington, from stooping to pick up his bowls during a match, he invented an ingenious but simple “bowls scoop” to retrieve them. The device consists of a wire ring covered with material and fastened to a long handle. By kicking the bowl into the scoop which lies flat on the green, he can pick up the bowl without bending. With the aid of his invention, Mr Bain has won more than 4fr club and centre title* since 1932.