BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 117, 9 February 1924, Page 18

BOWLS

(By

“No. 3.”)

“ ’Tis not so deep as a wdl, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve.” One who was present at the big smoke concert of . bowler# at the Caledonian Hall in Christchurch during the tournament said that the quotation came to him during tho speech of Mr. F. Meadowcroft (president of the AVellington Centre), and he had wondered since how long it would bo before the existence of the Dominion Association ceased, and the two islands reverted to separate jurisdictions once more. If not intentional the remarks of Mr. Meadowcroft wer® inferentially for reparation. He dwelt on the fact that as the North Island boasted 9000 out of the 14.000 bowlers in the country, it should have proportionate (instead of equal) representation on the council. He boldly twitted Otago with a lack of interest in the ' Dominion tournament (as shown by her entries at Christchurch),'the inference being that if Otago players were slow to patronise a tournament at Christchurch. their entries for AVellington and Auckland tournaments must be negligible. The south, particularly Otago, was keen on singles, and pairs, the north was all for rinks, and be looked to the day when they would be able to offer players six days of rink play. He did not believe that the North Island would care very much if the singles and pairs were cut out altogether. At last meeting of the AVellington centre, Mr. Meadowcroft reiterated those views, and went as far as to say that next year they hoped to offer players six days of good rink plav. If members of the centre approved of this idea let them talk of it and convince others. Spread the propaganda, for with public feeling behind it the Dominion Council must agree to it. Incidentally Mr. Meadowcroft said he believed that Cliri.rtchurch was in the balance, and would probably favour an all rink tournament. Mr. Mcadowcroft believes that the manner in which singles and pairs are played now is ridiculous. At present any player with a- bit of luck may knock out a champion, and yet the winner mav not be a champion of his own club let alone his centre. The best wayrto find out the singles champion is for each club to find its champion. for club champions to play off for the premiership of the centre, and for centre champions only to meet at the tournament. AA’ith the memory of such winners as Ingrain, Carswell, and many other brilliant singles play-ei-s I am not prepared to go all the wav with Mr. Meadowcroft„ but I do think that singles bowls is the most selfish and monotonous form of the game. It only interests the two men concerned, and thov, being opponents, do not fraternise in the true spirit of bowls, as, say, in the case of rinks. Singles, ns a rule, is not a game to watch with any interest. But Mr. Meadowcroft’s idea .of bringing only the centre singles and pairs champions together is worthv of serious consideration on another ground altogether—that of the enormous interest that would be created through tho first half of the season in finding the club and centre champions. As it is at present .the honour of being r centre champion—singles, pairs, or rinks—is not negligible, but that honour would be multiplied fourfold in the case of being a centre representative at the big tournament.' Another argument, too, is that the singles and pairs makes for unweildiness in the management of a tournament.

I cannot sec that the Dominion Association is doing verv effective work in the solution of the bowl-testing problem,, which many bowlers take so seriously. .Personally this craze for “fine” testing has become a fetish in some quarters, and much balderdash is talked. The game was just as enjoyable twenty years ago as it is now and then the maker’s stamp or that of the “Scottish Bowling Association” was considered all that was necessary. I do not argue that some sort of test is not necessary, as here and there “straight pokers” do crop up. hut nowadays a man is hi ado 50 painfully aware that his howls are suspiciously narrow, that he pretty promptly changes them. Were players to ostracise the user of “pokers,” or bar his ' bowls it would be a far more effective check to the use of “pokers” than al! tests and stamps. I played in the pairs tournament at Christchurch, and struck one little man whose bowls ran suspiciously straight: so much so, that I at length said: “Those bowls of yours are rather remarkable!” “They suit me.” he replied “I can make ’em run wide or narrow.” During the game T examined his bowls and fourfd they were all over stamps. Yet he never put up a bowl taking even average green—and vet the going was as keen as glass. That is what I mean when I say that' some players are making a fetish of testing ‘which does not test.’’ * “Nearly every remit submitted nt the Dominion Council came from Wellington,” said Mr. F. Meadowcroft, in giving an account to his centre of the last meeting of the council of the Dominion Association. “In the * south they do not seem to be so keen or interested enough in the Dominion Association.” Seventy-four entries have been received for the Veterans’ Dav games which are to be played on the Wellington Club’s green on Wednesday next for gold medals to be presented bv the president (Mr. F. Meadowcroft). Tin’s is the first gathering of the kmd held in Wellington, and the president urges all clubs to take an interest in the event as an honour to those who gave birth in Wellington to the fine old game.