BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 23

BOWLING

•y 'number Two." FINAL ROUNDS OF CENTRE COMPETITIONS WINS AND LOSSES TO DATE : The final rounds of the centi'e competitions took place last Saturday, and now only the post-sectional and one or two postponed matches are left to be played. Prom the records' of the results it is easy to see the position to date. In Section A of. the. Senior Pennants, Seatoun, Kelburn, and Victoria have each qualified with four wins and two losses. In Section B, Wellington and Hataitai have still to play their postponed match ; if Hataitai "win they will win the section-outright, but' if they lose Wellington and Lya.ll.Bay will both be eligible to go forward for post-" sectional play. Tlie~'defeat "of ThoTndon so soundly administered by" Vietoira last Saturday, will "give an' opportunity for Hataitai to qualify in Section' C if they are able to beat Petone; In Section D the decision rests upon, the game between "Wellington and Newtown this afternoon. If Wellington.-din they will have had no losses, but if ; the play" goes. against them. they -. will; -only;.-. be equal with Newtown -and ;Keiburn. ;

The. position in* the. Shield matches is that Victoria have won Section B, and if Hatait i. win their, postponed game against Newtown they will-be declared; the winners of Section A. .

Wins and losses in Senior Pennant play are as f. ollows:— : . „.,.. .

Some Candid Comment. - ■- A Diinedin player who has: taken part in £he last seven Dominion tournaments is ■ well-qualified to express his views on the recent New Zealand tournament held at Auckland, and this he does in a fair and impartial manner.,' He said that on his arrival in .Auckland .hg was

informed by two of the leading Auckland bowlers that the standard of play in the Northern city was much better than it was in the South. ■ He "found that this was hot so. In the first place, 20 bowlers from Dunedin participated in the tournamentj-which attracted 800 entries. The Dunedin men played off in one final, two semi-finals, and four rinks qualified for post-section'play. He was fully convinced - that UHder • the - very best conditions Dunedin bowlers had it over their JNortherh i: rivals in actual skill. He had several reasons for making this statement. He played for two days en' the Dominion"road- green, three days on the Grey "-L'yin green, one day oh the green at Sti Helier's Bay, and three' days on the" Garlton green. The Dominion-road'and Grey Lynn greens were absolutely "unit to play a' New Zealand championship'tournament on. He did not"think'that during his career as abowlbrheha'd played under worse conditions.;;Tho .St.- Helier Js green was a" very fine oae,;bat the conditions under which he played on'the Garlton green left inucV to "bo".desired. The greens were flooded overnight, and during the day's'play were .far too heavy for championship..matcßes:" One did not get the finish oh" aivy of the Auckland greens "that was" .obtainable .on, the Dunedin'greens. Northern bowlers did not appear to realise 'that-only, on medium to fast greens could'a really skilful exhibition of,bow-Jingtevgiv-en. As regards the conduct, of future .Dominion tournamen|"s", he; was.of the opinion that two, weeks'.play, under perfect weather conditions.was;. top long for the' ordinary working man or business .man to be away' from home. It w;as hard to".estimate how"long ■'% tournament; would take W'finish if broken were eiperieneed; His suggestion ;was; to £lay; the: doubts; and rinks under\ tho same conditions as :'l;he singles—the two-life:system!' The best players would always be at: the top whether there -were two or; sis lives; The best teams would always be knocking at the door at the finish; The recent tournament was conducted wonderfully well, and the officials; deserved great credit'for-their work..-."-' ;•. ;;.'■"

Nelson Tournament. :; 7":^ : , -' ■'■'■ Entries are already being received for the Easter tournament, Jwhicn-iprpmises to beat all records; and it is'quite expected that, four greens -will be sin: fair use.: The (hotels are.bookingrfastj-.and those intending visiting JNelsont should iget,an early application, as the m Golf Club is holding a big tournament and thirty golfers are already booked at one hotel. ,-. • :,. ... .- . ;,. A Term and its Meaning. ■ ; . There is a term often thoughtlessly jused. .by. spme people,; (net,, alone in. (bowls); that v is_.as':na.sty..'.as it is- j'nepr-. "rect .-.(says; an."i~Anstralian";^it6r). I 'h'eard ; .a. great" bpwri*ng':"entEu^Sast'! 'the ;other day, refer,'ito^Xictbriaps.'asT'.'. ' pot ■hunters]" aftd the tnought v .at once struck me: "Hero is food. for refleetipn." .-■' ' . . .■.-.-■■.. .- •'.

"Go in and win, an admirable thing if you know how to do it," says an authority. I asked for a definition of this term from the speaker's point of view, and was informed that, a "pot hunter" was a man or a player who, was, always after the prize. "Well, assinning" ithat to be eoVrect,. why not? O£ ■■ course, '-the iih'fortun'ate part, pf^these reflections ; is =that; they, abhost.'.invariably come from the people who I'Seldom or eVer win anything,' and they v can't bear to see others sueeessfuli ' > .'< ■ '■

/This so-called "pot hunter;"Ao my niind, is in reality a great asset to his club. He is keen and does not care to undertake anything unless he - sees it through. On the green such a man'really shows the traits of his character. It reflects what Be is in business,.and determination is written all over ..him. I have heard before to-day ;men like the late' -Don Wallace, X ..Waxman,

-Billy Barr, Sam Marks, and others, s^| ferred to as "pot hunters," not bjf their kind, but by. those wfio-6c'etrgß( the very ba«k row in competitiv,^; bowls. They are the foxes, minus th#tail. :■ ■•■" '; ' -:; ■ . These men I have named (and th^J! have a big army of compatriots) are &b ways keen on adding to.theis'splendS records. They have been the historjS builders of th* pastima in these parfai, Their doings are the- "abstrae* and brief chronicles of time," and will b<S remembered when -their detractors sr<s forgotten. The prize is not always to the swift, but good luck to the one who strives to win it. After all, Bport is'thd bloom and:glow of perfect health, and.: the real value of the prize, in bowls _&% leaat,; is the honour of.: winning" i£jf while "the virtue. "of pursuing is the prize, the vanquished 'gain/ JAnd" so"!^ would say: "Watch your;step.-whenimak*". ing reflections upon men who.illustrate^ the spirit of keenness with a.view o£adding. to their successes. --"^--- ': r =fy--

To Save Travelling. . ."'.'.-./"<! TheV'New South': Wales bowling pirMconsisting of 20 players -.arid JO ladieS will arrive in. Auckland early in MareKland at the request of numbersi "-'of thfl' party the tour will be confined to^tba North-Island ,-only, : Accordingly.tfsingle:lsland itinerary has.been drawa up,: but if the .request for aT. Norn? Island, tour . only was Made" with' tUf; object of minimising travelling, "if-%; very doubtful whether Vine wish -will > altogether fulfilled. The -tour proposed will take the visitors, down.the weii* coast of. the Island and "back mbrtj again" by the east coast, the double r trfjj being surely equal-to; the -iuorfe-'ustta trip through both^lslands/ . si>. i; .-•;.-.»■ It:is proposed";to taki the .party .it' Te Kuiti by: rail,-, lea-vingTAuckland-al: 7.53 a.m.,Vand to:, land "them "ia.T JNct* Plymouth by.motor from Te, Kulti" at'!o p.m.- That alone .will constitute' a'jfeatf in; travelling jfor an average".'bowling party, -which always, includes,"a certain number of men wio like long ■daysSpiJ the road well enough,-, but shorf dayi rather better. ■■■'. , : ?::.-■■. <• ": ..'::^.'-

After travelling via Wanganjiij ;P^» •'■• merston -North, and Masterton; to 'TJV^fr lingtbn, the 'visitors will \ letiira- -:~tgf* Auckland by Napier, Gisborne,- tno Baj* of 'Pleiity,!Eotorua, and-Hamilton;.-.-.i-c k Independent;-^Jmpires/ ; ., '\2JrJ:~;^ ;•: Competitors in" the ; Easter I tournw! ment will'be glad'to know "that- thl^ centre •' executive have decided to' apk point independent umpires for the* t& ture, writes "Trundler' 1 in the Aueki land "Star." As was remarked - a|. the recent Christmas tournament,^att4 indeed -at all ■• previous ' tournament^ where competitors lyere acting: as urn* pires;;: these "canri'ot'; possibly;•^erforif: their :%lth6ut;^egleeting rp {Jftii' teanii^attd it is tfot^-fair"thing'^oH.heit' 4 ■ team, Dior\to- thciJ- opponCTts;"tfiai':th«sf shpuld; continually;; he palled raway ctct; .perform work whichii quite ; itself to occupy the individual atten* tion: of one special man on each greei It was.found at the Dominion tourna* ment that there is ample talent avail* ' able in the various clubs from which." umpires can. be selected, without botn- , ering.the .cbmpetitorsy and the ei'ecutive. will probably find -. that ■: they; caa get-more;.v;pl.unteefs,:jhan"they are^ab)^ to 'JStiKse-" "Umpiring is >. "very^import? ant,,.duty, Jfatjtpo.rimpbfta^t* to.-pass overrto'a. man', wio' has. qtuteVenqngh*"to; do. in-. looking,"after;his .own'gamey- andif the very .capable "officials'whd; were entertained: by the Dommipn'president after the recent tournament were kept together as an umpire reserve, it would* , not be-long before we would have uni* • formity in the conduct of all our tour» naments. .-■_■ '■■;: - ;., :• : ; ■. ■ '

: SECTION A: Wins. Losses. •Seatoun & 2 Kelburn .....,..,;. .'4'- 1' 2 Victoria 4 2 Island Bay , -5 3 Petono .......,''.. '2" 3 Nowtown 2 3 Hutt ....... .o „; ' i SECTION B. Wins. Losses. Hataiiai ......... 5 •'■■ it) Lyall Bay .. ,";■. 1 Wollington ....... -A. .1 Karori ............. . 8 : . 3 .Tohusonvillc 1 -± . Thorndon 1, Cential ,0' . 5 SUCTION C. Wins. Lo-t.. Tlionidon ........ n 1 Hataitai ...... i. 4 ' 1 1 Victoria '.'.. 3 i 2 Central 2 i 2 Khandallah ...... 2 3 Lyall Bay' ...'. 1 4 Petonc .......... 0 <i SECTION D: Wins. t.o= cs.' Wellington ..;... 4 0 Kolbuin >4" 1 Nbwtown .1 3 X Uutt 1 j Island Bay 1 4 Upper Hutt 0 4