BOWLS WITHOUT BIAS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 119, 13 February 1935, Page 16

BOWLS WITHOUT BIAS

Position in Pennants

ISLAND BAY OUT

(By

Armada.)

The position of the senior pennant competition is as was stated tentatively in "The Dominion” on Monday. The leaders are Kelburn (section A), Island Bay and Victoria (section B), Wellington (section C), and Karori (section D). However, ti was revealed at last night’s meteing in the Centre that the Island Bay club had committed a breach of the rules in transferring a player from one section to another, and that this breach disqualified the whole club in the pennants, so that the Victoria club is left alone n section B. The semi-finals will be played on the Saturday after next. The final position of the sections is as follows: —

Section A; Kelburn, 12; Lyall Bay, 10; Hataitai, 8; Petone, 6; Hutt, Newtown, Thorndon, 5; Island Bay, Wellington, 3; Porirua, 1. Section B: Island Bay, Victoria, 9; Seatoun, 7; Woburn, Central, 6; Khandallah, Wellington, 5; Johnsonville, Karori, 4; Hutt, Newtown, 3. Section O: Wellington, 11; Eastbourne, 10; Kelburn, 7; Thorndon, 6; Petone, Victoria, 4; Hataitai, Island Bay, 3. Section D: Karori, 12; Thorndon, 8; Hataitai, Lyall Bay, 6; Hutt, Seatoun, 5; Khandallah, Victoria, 3. Country Pennants.

The country pennant competition has now reached the fifth round, and one more round remains to be played. Plimmerton and Otaki are the only two clubs in the running, and both are level, beyond reach of Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. The leaders have seven points each, Paekakariki has four, and Paraparaumu two. The deciding round will be played on February 23. Successful Club.

The Victoria club has made a very creditable showing in its match performances this season, and more successes are anticipated. The Hill pins were taken from Lyall Bay club early in the season, and are still held by Victoria. The centre Christmas rink tournament was won by a Victoria rink, and in the centre New Year pairs tournament a Victoria team played Island Bay in the. final, and finished as runners-up. A Victoria entry for the New Year Hutt Valley tournament also finished as runners-up, and the veterans’ day tournament concluded in a win for Victoria. J Centre Fixtures.

A visit by bowlers from the Marlborough centre will be paid to the Wellington centre on March 7. The visitors will number seven rinks. Another centre fixture that is approaching is the annual journey to Otaki, the members of the executive having been invited to make an official visit to the club next Sunday.

Victoria Club Competitions. The Victoria Bowling Club’s competitions for this season are now well advanced, and drawing to a finality. Two members remain in the championship singles, each with two lives, Martin and Ross. Seven are left with one life, Hunt, G. Clark, Tucker, Scolon, Keech, Pritchard and Robinson.

The champion pairs games have eliminated all except four entrants, the survivors being Clark and Keech, O'Connor and Tucker, G. Clark and Scolon,' Martin and Duncan.

In the champion rinks, the final is to be played between O’Connor, Laker, Walts, and Tucket (s.), and A. Wallis, Emerson, Pahl, and Betty (s.). Six teams remain in the club pairs, J. Stewart and Luke, Jones and Combs, Port and Ingram, Burbidge and Paul, Tatham. and Robinson, Wright and G. Clark. *

The handicap will b_e played out among Jory, Dixon, Scolon, Middleton, and Laker.

Succassion of Jubilees. This happens to be a notable year in the history of North Island bowling, for the New P.lymouth club is celebrating its jubilee by a week’s festivities, commencing on March 9, and a rink tournament starting on the following Monday (the “Auckland Star” points out). The growth of the game has been most peculiar. The parent club of Auckland, founded in 1861 by a number of Scottish colonists who met in the vestry of St. Andrew’s Church, was not only the first bowling club formed in New Zealand, but also the first outside .the British Isles. However, it is perhaps not generally known that 32' years elapsed before Auckland was joined by Carlton and Ponsonby. both formed in 1893, whereas in the meantime the game took on in Dunedin at a great rate, starting in 1871, followed by Christchurch, starting in 1878, nearly 20 clubs being formed before we had a second club in Auckland. New Plymouth broke the isolation suffered in the North Island by Auckland, the late Mr. James Paul being mainly responsible for founding the elub there in 1885, and beginning the amazing growth at this end of the country which soon swept away the predominance of Otago and Canterbury, the present position being 201 clubs, with 9913 members in_the North Island, and 148 clubs with 5655 members in the South. Clpb jubilees will now follow in rapid succession, for Wellington and Wanganui followed New Plymouth in 1886, Napier in 1887, Palmerston North in 1888. Gisborne in 1889, Hastings in 1890, Thorndon in 1892, and then came the rush of the last decade of last century, Carlton and Ponsonby leading in Auckland, and Newtown in Wellington. The New Plymouth celebrations are therefore of exceptional significance, and warm congratulations will be offered to present and past members regarding the fine record of this progressive club. Christmas Rinks. A letter was received at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Centre from Mr. E. A. Baker, a member of the Hutt club, pointing out that section D of the Christmas rinks, which was played in the Hutt Valley, played seven games and the winner went forward to post-section play, whereas sections A, B and C played nine games and seven wins qualified a team for- post-section play. He thought that it was not fair unless each section found its winner, and he would sooner play against other players than his clubmates in tournament. The president, Mr. W. Gilbert, said that other mmbers of Hutt Valley clubs had pointed out the same facts and he thought the matter could be kept in mind for next season. A delegate said the arrangement had been made at the request of the Hutt club, it being stated that the district’s players did not like to come to Wellington each day. It was decided that the secretary reply to Mr. Baker and also refer the latter’s letter to the Lower’Hutt club.

Late Mr. L. Ledger. The Wellington Bowling Centre last night carried a motion marking its respect for the memory of the late Mr. L. Ledger, the president, Mr. W. Gilbert asking the Wellington club delegate, Mr. H. G. Mayer, to move it. Mr. Mayer, in the course of an eulogy of Mr. Ledger, said that he had been a president, of the Wellington dlub and a member of it for 30 years.