BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 141, 14 March 1928, Page 8

BOWLS

(By

“No. 3.”)

During last week-end four rinks from the Masterton Club visited the Eastbourne Club, the latter winning three games out of four (81 points to 66). The annual match between rinks representing the president and vice-president at Eastbourne resulted in a win tor the - Melbourne “Bowls" of February 23 states that tho following telegram from Sydney was received on Friday last: "Un board the Orvieto with New Zealand prowlers. Kind regards. See you Monday.-j-Eagleton." “It caused us to wonder,” ’ states the paper, "whether there was a significance in the telegraph operators using the word ‘prowlers’ instead of bowlers, when it is remembered that Mr. Eagleton had hardly returned to Auckland from his carnival visit to Melbourne when he was seized with the wanderlust, and joined up with the New Zealand touring party for Great Britain, Canada, and U.S.A.” “What an object lesson, the New Zealand team en route to the Old Country, for our players to follow when the question of attire is considered,” says Melbourne “Bowls.” “Nothing prettier or more appropriate could be wished for than to see the 36 players at Middle Park Club’s green ‘arrayed like Solomon in all his glory.’ Every one of them wore hats, shoes, pants, vests, blazers, and ties so uniform that it compelled the admiration of all. Is it any use appealing to Victorians to get the habit? And may I add likewise to the competitors 'in the champion of champions rinks, which were very noticeable last Wednesday, viz., the lack of uniformitv amongst the players in regard to bowling dress, etc.” . It looks as though the Barnett tiki match between the XVellington and Christchurch Centres has “gone West,’ which is a pity, as it was the only link between the two centres. It was XX’ellington’s turn to send eight rinks to Christchurch this season, to pmy for the "tiki,” but try as they would—and a valiant try it was—the local centre could not get 32 bowlers to make the trip, partlv. it inav bo mentioned, because the Wellington Club bad sent four rinks to Christchurch to play for the “friendly bowl” on the same Saturday. An effort was made by the president to work the two matches in on the one day (so making the Wellington Club players available for the inter-centre fixture), but that was not successful, so the fixture had to be allowed to go to the wall, much to the regret of everyone concerned. The Christchurch Centre denrecates the break; not more than XVellington, however, but in view of the ditticultv of getting eight rinks away, especially at a time when the largest and wealthiest club has four rinks absent in the same city, a difficulty that was insuperable, tho Barnett "tiki" match mav be abandoned. The subject of rink pegs is concerning some 'of the' clubs at the present time. At present there are a variety

of devices being used on various greens to mark (on the end banks) the boundaries of rinks. Some clubs have white wooden pegs inserted against the bank and planted in the ditch; others have pegs on top of the banks, and others mark the boundaries with thin strips of white leather. The first-named have the objection of being an object which can stay the progress of a bowl or a jack.' Only two weeks ago I saw a driven bowl carry the jack into the ditch whilst the bowl struck the white wooden peg, and so remained within the boundaries of the rink, and lay the shot. Had the peg been on top of the bank or had the marks been strips of while leather pegged well into the bank that bowl would have passed beyond the boundary and would have been “dead." The leather idea —which the Thorndon Club has adopted—seems to be a sensible way of marking the boundaries, but it is certain that some standard device that will not in any way impede the progress of bowl or jack is needed.

It seems to be a very difficult matter to standardise green equipment. Some years ago the centre discussed at some length a standard scoring-board, yet today almost every green has its own particular variety of scoring board, some of which require some minutes’ study before being understood.