BRIGHTON BOWLING TOURNAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 62, 10 September 1921, Page 16

BRIGHTON BOWLING TOURNAMENT

NEW ZEALANDERS CARRY OFF . , ..THE"CUP' .■ >',- ' .

;A VISIT TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRIIPOKBENT.)

LONDON, 23th July.

Soirte of the New Zealand bowlers who entared forthe Brighton bowling tournament spent a very pleasant time there last week, and, what is more, managed to carry away the championship cup for the rinks competition. Two New Zealand rinks were in the semi-finals for this oompetition and met one another, the result being:—J.Hayden, J. Johnson, F. Hill, and H. J. Bray, 23; R. Knight*, W. Warriner, T. Driver, and M. Orohard, 14. In the final, Mr. Bray's rink met one from' Oroydon and defeated it by a narrow margin. At the olose of the tournament last Saturday, the prizes were distributed. The Mayor of Brighton, in his opening addrew, eaid that the success 01 the tournament had been considerably enhanced by the presence of the New Zealanders. He hoped they might % have the pleasure' of . meeting them again in Brighton and Hovel ' The Mayor of Hove presented the Hove challenge trophy and the first prizes for the rinks competition to the New Zealand team. First prize was valued at'£lo 10s, and the winners also received r gold pendant each as a-memento. the enthusiastic reception,' Mr. Bray, on behalf of the;team. said they had worked very hard for the cup, and he thought it a very good windup for the New Zealand tour. He also announced that, with the permission of the committee, his team proposed to leave the cup in the oustody of the High Commissioner for New Zealand. On the call of the" Mayor of Brighton, three rousing cheers were given' for the visitors. A special prize was presented to another New Zealand team consisting of H., Walton, W. Brown, E. S. Pegter, and W.\A. Dee. for the highest win,.that being 42t0 8. Mr. Dee said the prizes won by the New Zealand bowlsre would keep in sweet remembrance the happy week spent at Brighton. They were much obliged for the invitation to come down, and the friendships made would last for many years. ''■■'■■ \ A.t the close of the ceremony there were loud calls for the New Zealandeis to perform their Maori haka, but,there irere not enough present to enable this, to be done. The winners of the rinks, with Mr. Orohard, however, lined up and sang the Maori equivalent of "For he's a jolly good fellow," and this brought the tournament to an end. A GRACIOUS PRECEDENT. After the match played on Messrs. Lyons' ground 6ome time ago, Sir Henry 'and Lady Foreman entertained the bowiers at a- dinner in London. Sinoa then they have continued to take a. very great interest in the visitors. Through the agency of Sir Henry ForemaD they haye been granted a privilege which is practically unique, and a. very gracious precedent. He.was able to obtain the special permission of, His Majesty the King for the members of the team to be shown over the State apartments and the Picture ! Gallery of * Buckingham Palace. The I party, accompanied by Sir Henry and 1 Lady Foreman, were conducted by .Lord . j Claud Hamilton, who recently visited ! New Zealand with the Prince of Wales. ( They saw all that was possible to see of the palace, except the private apartments of the Kin? and Queen, and, as some of the- party express it,'"words fail to describe the grandeur and wealth of the interior." Afterwards the visitors were entertained at tea on the Terrace of the House of Commons by Sir Henry and Lady Foreman. ■ ' , , UNOFFICIAL BRIGHTON MATCH. While at Brighton the bowlers met the members of the Preston Club in a friendly game. The New Zealanders' tour had officially finished at noon that very day, so that they felt they were in reality on "holiday." The Preston Club had done everything they could to ensure the success of the visit, and the weather did the rest. It was so hot and so bright and so wonderfully fine that the New Zealanders felt quite at home in this club, of which they had been made honorary members for the. duration of their visit. Members of the other local bowling clubs had been invited to see the match, and all around the''green hundreds 'of keenly interested spectators were, seated. _ A local writer thus describes the preliminary oerenronies: "The Dominion men, standing in 'choir formation,' sang, in stirring vitiie tones, in which the parts were, finely blended, their 'Song to the British bowlers.' It went to the tune of the American battle hymn, otherwise known aa 'John Brown's Body,' and began like this: 'British bowlers, now we greet you; British bowlers,' pleased to meet you! Wo may lose or we may beat you; as we go bowling on I' "The. fine sentiments of the New Zea land bowling men were further expounded in several verses, and each time came thn resounding chorus: 'As we go bowling on!" The solo was taken in fine style by Mr. J. A.\Doherty. It was all very impressive; and the gathering btfrst into, hearty applause, which was intensified when the visitors executed, with tremendous spirit, the Maori haka, or war dance. Led by Mr. A. E. Renouf, t'ho whole body of New Zealanders—twenty four strong—indulged in the weird armmovements, so suggestive Lof a sailor's hornpipe gone sskew; in the piercing shrieks of the war cry; and in the sharp clapping of hands like pistol-shot reports. To see (and hear) this haka on a quiet green at Preston w»s something. like a sensational experience; it was a reminder also of the land from which our visitors had come. Anyway, it was quite a thrilling few moments." In the matoh, the New Zealandors won by 125 points to 113, but they did not achieve victory -without, considerable anxiety. .At the flfth "end" Preston led by 32 to 28; at the tenth by 56 to 55; and at the fifteenth by 88 to 76. It was in the* last six "ends" that the Dominion men gained the lead —No. 1 Rink, for instance, scoring 14 points to Preston's 2, No. 2 Rink 10 to 2, and No. 4 Ring 9 to 1. On the other hand; Preston did roble work in Rinks 5 and 3. The former finished 29 to 20, and No. 3 finished 25 to 16. Rink 6 was level, 18 all. Later the visitors ..Were' entertained at dinner by the Preston Club. It was a pleasant, sportsmanlike, informal gathering, eminently happy in spirit and typical of the thorough way in which the committee and members had set themselves out to give the New Zealanders a good time. The Mayor of Brighton presided. The toast of the evening, "The New Zealand Team," was proposed by Mr. R» John (captain of the' Preston Club's bowling section), who thanked the visitors very much {or giving them the game. "We did not expect to win, or anything like it, but we do! congratulate ourselves on getting within at least ten points of you. We extend a hearty welcome to you to the Brighton bowling tournament." Mr. London, in replying, said that when they left New Zealand they fully understood that they were to play only three games a week, and to spend the other three days in travelling and in accepting hospitality. "I can assure you that, even without a game at all, it is a hard life to live.up to the wonderful hospitality that we, have received from the whole of this part of the Empire. We have been very proud to tocept that hospitality, becauee we know that there is more reason for it than the game of bowlo. We are very proud to be the fathers—many of us—of boys, who took part in the GreatWar; and we know that that is the cause of the. wonderful hospitality and the wonderful acceptance that we havo received during the whole of our tour." (Hear, hear.) Mr. London commented on the glorious weather that his team have experienced. "I can't understand it at all," ho said, "I never dreamt that you people had such' weather ("Neither did we!" and roars of laughter.) In our country we •Urt bowling- about October—(laughter)—

and go on till the end of May, and many of the olubs play all the year round; but wo have always understood that it was a very difficult matter for you people to get enough fine weather to get & week's bowling in at any time during th» season ("Oh!" and,more laughter). Well, we have had three, months' bowling in your country, and wo, have nevet missed a match through the weather."