Bowling

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1908, Page 14

Bowling

(By "Jack.")

Heavy rains have had the effect of making the greens more or less heavy, and damping, but only slightly, the ardour of players, who, however, look forward to a better time. Last season, in regard to weather, was a phenomenal one; may the present be a good second is the wish of "Jack." Last Wednesday was fine enough to please the most exacting, and the musters on the various playing areas were large. The Wellington Bowling Centre has taken a fresh lease of life. Each club is now represented by two delegates instead of ons, as formerly. The centre is approaching the various clubs as to the advisability of holding a local tournament during the Christmas holidays — a tournament self-supporting. It is also proposed to arrange (on request) matches for clubs which purpose visiting Wellington. This will be a great convenience. The clubs intending to make visits must communicate with the secretary of the society . naming the local clubs they wish to play, when arrangements will be made accordingly. A suggestion, not a bad one, has been made, namely, to invite not Jess than eight rinks from clubs under the auspices of the Christchurch Centre to play a match on 30th November (St. An<J row's Day), or any other suitable date. The visiting players could, it is pointed out, leave Christchurch on the Saturday night, and get back again in time for business on the Tuesday morning following. If eight units could be sent, it would give an opportunity to each club in this centre to supply one rink to assist in the battle against the enemy. The suggestion appeals to me. Games for the Edwin Feathers, Diamond Buckles, and other inter-club trophies will commence on 7th November. The Newton Club continues to progress, the present membership being practically up to the maximum. Close on twenty new members have been elected since the opening day, and there are others to be balloted for. Entries for the club competitions are filling rapidly. The season opened in Auckland on Saturday last, in bright sunshine, but rain fell during the afternoon, causing cessation of play. Lawn bowling, as the old pastime is called in Canada, is fast obtaining a foothold in. Manitoba, and in a year or I two bids fair to become as popular in 1 summer as curling in winter. „ A new trophy for the City of Winnipeg Bowling Championship is to be competed for annually, under the auspices of tho Manitoba Province Bowling Association,

This will be a tournament of doubles, twelve ends each game. In relation to the English Licensing Bill, reference might well (remarks a London paper) be made to a speech made by the Earl of Eglinton, of tournament fame, more than half a century ago, who said. "I feel certain that tho encourage- ' ment of such games as curling and bowling, especially among the poorer classes of our countrymen, will do more to promote their comfort and welfare, and tend to their good conduct, than all tho Beer Bills or Sunday Trading Bills that the Legislature has ever passed." What fine contortionists some bowlers would make ! Tho man who plays a good shot and follows his bowl half-way up the green, the while working his arms and 1-sgs as if he were double-jointed, and talking endearing talk to his "wood," is a thing of joy — and amusement — but the feHow who makes a beastly bad shot and then does corkscrew kicks and tries to "coax" tho bowl to divert from the course set it, may bo a good contortionist — and something of a donkey. Poor old Drake ! He was dragged into prominenc-9 again last week, at the opening of an Auckland bowling green, one of the speakers remarking that "an historic game of bowls was being played on Plymouth Hoe by Sir Francis Drake when the Spanish Armadu hove in sight." Good old Hoe! Good old Drake! Bad old Spanish Armada ! Personally, I am beginning to feel sorry that Drake ever played bowls, especially on Plymouth Hoe when the Spanish Armada was heaving — or hoving — in sight. Drake vvas a good sailor ; he may also havebeen a good bowler. He is dead. Peace to his ashes I It is estimated that there are 1500 bowlers in the Auckland province. Hove (in England, but nothing to do with the Spanish Armada) Town Council has fifteen bowling members. If that body held its meetings in the daytime during the summer months the sittings would be short. Indoor bowls, which found demonstration a-t the headquarters of the Lou don Caledonian Bowling Club, Wimbledon, recently, seems likely to prove a. striking success. The wood 6 played with were about two-thirds the size of the ordinary bowl, and proved very truo to their bias on the felt rink. This new phase of the pastime appears to furnish an attractive recreation for the long nights of winter. "Should ladies play bowls?" is ever likely to be a debatable question, and thereon a correspondent to an English paper notes an amusing incident which has taken place. A much-travelled Scot, who claims to have followed the pastime from Edinburgh to Hong-Kone;, and from tne green at Shanghai to rinks in Argentina, challenged a lady to bowls on a well-known green in Surrey. The result of the game must have proved somewhat 'disappointing to the Caledonian, for he was defeated by no less 'than 21 points to 13. In Auckland suburbs bowling clubs have recently been established at Epsom, Stanley Bay, and Mount) Roskill, and a new green will be opened at Howick next month. Auckland Bowling Club claims to be the mother club of Australasia. Playing for Michaelmas geese, the outcome of the tie in bowling for ducks, | on tho North London green, a few weeks ago, had somewhat a counterpart in a contest for a leg-of-mutton supper by the members of the Heathfield Club, Upper Tooting. Such games as these recall tho old times when village spoHsmen, mostly cricketers, played for dinners. And how right heartily thoso feats were enjoyed. Nyren, the Graos of his day, when host Of the Bat j and Ball Inn, Hambledon, furnished ' many of such repasts, and thereon paid the following tribute to the heartiness of appetite generally to be found. "It nothing for two or three of these worthies to strike dismay into a, round of beef." Secretaries of bowling clubs would do well X.» note that the secretary of the Centre require's\ teams for inter-club competitions to bo Eent in to him on the Wednesday morning, so that they may be published in The Post dn Thuraday evening. One club was behiiid(hand this week, and thus the full list of senior petmanfc teams could not be published. The Thorndon Clu*d nas not yet made much use of its new green, since the opening day, owing chiefly to the wet weather, but tho big attendances show that it will nave to take its part in providing accommodation during tho greater part of the season. The grass well, in spite of its extreme youth, and there is every prospect of a good lawn. Meanwhile the club is getr_ ting into full swing, and tho entries for the various club competitions go to show that the season will be lively and interesting. Last Saturday the Thorndon Roses — the Club's^ blue riband — passed out of the hands of the team which held them during the recess, and as entries for the trophies are numerous, tome exciting battles are anticipated. The Shamrocks, foi competition amongst the junior players, have also attracted many entries, and, with singles, pairs, and full rink competitions, the members have pl&iity to engage their attention.