BOWLS AND BOWLERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 22 December 1911, Page 6

BOWLS AND BOWLERS.

. ■ ' . '—-—-4——— . THE N.B.A. r TOURNAMENT. 'A.NBW IDEA. (liy "Jack.'!) ~ Quil.e a new idea is to be tried this year in connection with the champion rink tournament of' the Northern Bowling Association, to commence on Jocal jveens on January 8. As the championship competition draws to a close on the l'hursdny succeeding the opening day (Monday), the losers will, if they so desire, continue on in ti rink competition ivhich has bceu called the "Last Try" prize, which will commence on, tho i'rilay morning (and will he played on tho 'sudden death", principle. Not only .will ;hoso who.are out of it on the Wednesday -when Hie section games end—be entitled, to play in the ''Last Try," but, uitomuticully, as sectional winners lose 11 the play-off, they will bo .drafted into .ho other competition. By this method •very rink, save the winners and runnersip,. willi.be allowed to compete in the 'Last Try." Sirica tho Northern Bowing Association evolved this idea,- and Jiiblished its programme,' it has been idopted by the Auckland Bowling .Association, which is holding a tournament at Jhristrna's.. .. It is. perhaps a little unfortunate that ho association's tournament' should folow right on after the Wellington Centre's tournament next- month, and hat • the Auckland and .New Zealand South.lsland) Associations should he loldmg. tournament's at the, same time. 1 here arc some bowler's who. hold that t:is just, as well, as ho one citv could tccommodato all (lie players"who would )0. likely to compete,, were one tournanent, only held at the liolidav time, vet \ t goes without saying that every tournanent must suffer to some extent" by flic ; nultiplicity of .fixtures at the same' time if year. The position fakes its rise from ho hick.of.-.absolute .control bv the a'sso'lation To begin, with, „s all bowlers mow, the New Zealand .Bowling Association is purely a South Island body, : nucli has. control over its -various ' entres. The Northern Howling Associnion is the chief .controlling .body in tho : North. Island, but. there are defecls in ts control. Vor instance, (hough several ', ™ , t /»<*l»n<l Clubs are affiliated to he IVB.A, the Auckland Association has ■reserved lis autonomy, and does not ocogniso tho N.B.A. as its s „po r i or w j th 'owers to give or withhold consent as (o ho holding or conduct of tournaments, t it had full control it would not be -kelythat the N.B.A..would consent to lie-Auckland Association or Centre hold- "»-, ■" ...wiirnamcnt which would ' ie likely to; -'clash" with."-, the ' iig. annual; carnival. ' liven enthusiastic : lowlevs .thmk seriously before entering ' rito two tournaments, (he one followiri" ' igiit on top. of the other, and the holding ot .centre tournaments at Wellington ' nil Auckland a day or two before tho »■ , • .tournament must' to some cxlent ' llpet.tlio entries .for the latter event ' L Wi,=dom sits, enthroned in the mind of ; he average bowler-he is usually a man : laluro in years and rich in experience. ' .s a rule he is a cautious, -practical ' lan, in tho habit of looking ahead ami ?Mom doing anything without weighing ] [U'cnilly the probable result of his n'c- ' ion. Ho is, in the main, a "shrewd v"— ' is head, is screwed on tho right way, ml seldom throws away a chance of irii-i-oying his position, eii.her in the game f. howls-or life. That is tho average ldmdiuil bowler. In the aggregate he > not nearly such a wise-head. Fot foyral years now tho N.li.A. ami New ealnnd Bowling . Association have been uling one another what an excellent ling it would bo if there was a central nitrol as .is the caw. in football, cricet, and tenuis, but they never seem to Ct much closer together, and as far i ono can see tb>y' are as far apart >-day as over they were. . \As to the mduct of their respective annual tournuients there is a . wide divergence of pinion.- Soino Wellington plavers in the libit of going south have been knowii 1 |?»n) • that I he. N.B.A.- has-something > learn from-the .''brilher budilv dooil i.iit.h, -whilst some, southern bowlers roier the N.B.A. tournaments. As li. latter,of. fact both bodirs conduct their mrnanients on excellent lines, so that nit primt has little. Co do with' tho lt f>'- r v '". ll: . lS required is a central con■olling body which will knit, the interits of all bowlers and clubs .together, iid will at the same time give careful msidoration to all matters affecting this no old game for its general . advancocnt. Above all it should arrange (he nimamciits, either Centre touni.nents, . these for oach island, or ie grand tournament lor the whole of ow Zealand in such a way as (o pre?nt a bowler having the choice of two mrnament.s at the suuc lime of the *i.r. Personally r think that, if flic nialgainaboii could be brought about beveen north and south, there would still avc fo be a Umrnajnent for each island ie winning one, two, or'four rinks on icli .side to meet in the nio.-.t, eonveuiit centre to ploy off "tho champions of lampions." An alternative would bo to constitute nitres- in each and for thoso intrcs to hold a tournament, tho wining team to compete in tho Dominion jurnament. This is the Scottish idea rid will, I fancy, ho the ono that will iivo to be adopted whon the long-do->rrod amalgamation takes place