BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 24 March 1926, Page 12

BOWLING

End of the Season—Hataitai Winners. Congratulation to Mr. ; H. A. Shepherd, selector .of the Hataitai Club, who found the rinks who could win i.he Senior Pennant. If ever there was a vindication of the sole selector system it is to be fouhd in the case of the Hataitai Club, and Mr. Shepherd must feel an eminent sense of satisfaction (and relief, too) that everything has come off as he had mapped on paper. Of course, all selectors' best intentions cannot come off, but results speak for themselves. The success of the Hataitai Club will be popularly received throughout the Centre, as the win is thoroughly well deserved^. Eastern Suburbs' clubs have done particularly well this season, and. have taken most of the good things-that have, been going. Hataitai:.tv6n the Centre tournament and now the Senior Pennant, while liyall' Bay annexed the champion of champion rinks—not. altogether a bad record. > With the end of the Pennant matches, the 1925-26 season has officially ended, too, and soon we shall all be taking our bowls home, either to oil them up and put them under the bed in the spare room or else put them, in the fire if they have served us ill during the sea'soh. " Some of the "pokers"-that one sees about., could very well, nave a wo"rse: fate than being "burned" in a literal • sense.- Many of them have caused a great deal of heartburning during the course' of play, if riot to their owners then to those who' have had to compete against them, with woods thit draw like a dentist's forceps. The season has been a very full one for all clubs, but. the weather cou'd scarcely have been better, and no postponements, have had-to be made on account of wet days, although rain lias interfered with play once or .twice after games have ; got under-way. But all's well that; ends well, arid'even the C?n-_tre-.w.ill,be able .to go on' its way rejoicing when it winds up the year with a credit balance, from its. cightpenny levy. . ■ ■ Is the Dominion Tournament Going? Is the Dominion tournament going to die from unwieldiness? Speaking at a function, in honour, of the Taranaki . bowlers who visited Auckland recently, •Mr. A.-'-Smart, manager of .the party, emphasised the growth of thel Dominion. tourney, arid ventured, the opinion that in the near future it would become too cumbersome ■ and difficulty would be found in providing green accommodation. "Perhaps thisi is the thin end of the wedge concerning a . reversion to North and South Island tournaments," comments "Skip" in the "New Zealand Herald." ■■■'- The Australian Carnival. The recent carnival in Sydney will rank as perhaps the largest gathering of bowlers ever held in the world. In :the-singles contest 774 took part, and the final/game was played between A. Oastler (Camberwell Club, Melbourne) and A. Clarke (Prahran Club, Victoria). The former won by 31' points to 19. The game seems to have been another instance of where consistent drawing beat apparently deadly driving. TJie rink, championship (250 entries) went-to a South Australian rink made up of...Marchant, Wilson, Wyett, and Miller, who defeated a New South Wales group" comprising Cronin, Farmer, Jones, and Collins in the end by 26 to 19. ■'./ ::■ The.-interstate four-rinks competition was won by Victoria, whose bowlers were. the. outstanding players at the carnival. They secured first,- second, and fourth; prizes in the single-handed championship of Australia, and were undefeated in the five interstate matches. Victoria beat Tasmania by 131 to 54, South Australia by 107 to 90, Western ■■■ Australia by 108 to 87, New South Wales by, 95 to 90, and Queensland by 97 to 88. Altogether it scored 538 points to its opponents' 409 points. The Australian bowling carnival must have been a great disappointment to the two. New, Zealand teams, for they both went out in the first round of eighteen heads, writes "Trundler" in the Auckland "Star." 'However, they know it was to'be sudden death, and our Australian friends -will;have some difficulty in again persuading an. New Zealand team to enter, unless they alter tliei'r system. Mr. J. W. Hardlcy, who was playing lead in the Auckland rink, writes to say that, to the surprise of the New Zealanders, the greens were not at all fast, and were rather on the heavy side. ■ The1 heat, however, was very severe. T Australian papers make very complimentary, reference to > the : impression ■ created by Arthur Parsons, who survived to the last eight, out of 774 competitors'. The .Sydney "Morning Herald" shows a very fine photograph of the openingl scene ■on -the City green. It is eight.columns Wide, and the most noticeable figure is-the', well-known Pousoriby champion. His work in the early rounds must have been very pronounced, for the "Telegraph" states that when he was' defeated his opponent was the centre of attraction in the following round, as the man who had "triumphed over the favourite for the event, A. Parsons. (New Zealand)." Benefactor to Christchurcli, The other day ti Christchurch piayer remarked . upon: the fact that every trophy played, for between ChristchunOi or Canterbury representatives anil j-c----presentatives of-other, centres had been . donated. by a member of. this, centre, and not of-.any of-the. others, writes "Toucher" in the Christchurcli "Star..'.'. But the position is .'even more remarkable because in addition to centre trophies,' club trophies such a:: tlie v "M-icmlly Bowl" and. tho "Silver

Kitty;" have been donated by.Christchurch players. ' There is, of course, no need to make, any song about the matter, but it is rather satisfying to realise that the centre and the clubs are not lacking in benefactors in this reßpect. Some day, perhaps, a trophy will be presented for competition between North Otago and Canterbury, the biennial match being just a' friendly affair at present. Hore is a list of trophies donated by Chvistchurch bowlers for competition with outside tearn3: "Friendly Bowl, "for friendly competition between Christchureh and Wellington Clubs. Donated by Mr. W. Barhett. .■'..■ . . Bedpatn Shield, for competition between Canterbury and Otago teams. Donated" by. Mr.; J. A. Kedpath. '■'"'■■ Steans Cup, for competition between teams." Donated by Mr. F. Steans.. ' .". Barnett Tiki,, for.- competition between Christehurch arid Wellington Centre teams. Donated by Mr. M. i\ Barnett. '.'.... ...,'. "Silver Kitty,',' for -friendly competition between the St.. Albans and Victoria. (Wellington) clubs. Donated by Mr.H.,B. Oakey... ■ , . : Medals "Played Out." fr "It is the silliest .thing in the world to have, half. a dozen medals," declared Mr. I".;J. Campbell at a meeting of the Dunedin Bowling Centro, when .Mr. J. Tonkin, winner of the champion of champion singles, requested ttiat he be. permitted to obtain a trophy instead of the customary medal. He had won the contest in 1920, and had received a medal; on.this, occasion, he wished, to present his wife with "a memento of his success. The centre approved of the request.. A menibsr agreed' that there was no sense in a man having a "plaster" of medab,.and another remarked that with several medals a bowler required a replica of a Mayoral chain round his neck to carry medals won/ ... • There is much. good senae' in what was said atthe-Dunedin Centre meeting!- There, are1 some bowlers in. the Dominion who, festooned with centro badges,.' ex-presidehts' medals, their own trophies of the chase, and stray tokens picked :up from the British and other bowling teams who have been here, -look like' costermongers • out for business in Pettocoat lane on Sunday morning. . A Coincidence. , ■ A curious circumstance arose in connection with the Taranaki-Takapuna bowling match: played recently.l The Takapuna players pitted against the visitors were all, .with the, exception of the president, former residents of the. Taranaki .district. . ;