Bowling STYLE OF PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 22

Bowling

STYLE OF PLAY

THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

TRIAL OF ENDURANCE

Tlie following interesting article on bowling in Australia has been written for "Tho Post" by "Kiwi":—

In Australia the tingle-handed championship title is the most highly valued one, ranking above pairs and rink honours. The singles games is won by the bowler' who first gains thirty-one point?. To reach that score- it may be nceessary to play well over thirty ends, or oven more than forty ends, in a keenly contested game, without counting in any dead heads made. .The Australian «:iliie, therefore, resolves itself into a trial not only of skill but of endurance. Of course, it would bo quite feasible to have as many as sixty-one heads in the Ausfraliau'game. It is accordingly no «mall .feat to win the singles honour, cither in club or State contests. The Commonwealth player who starts oft poorly or meets with continued trouble later, has a much better chance ot recovering lost ground than would be the case of a competitor in New Zealand, where, with a fixed number of twentyone heads to bo played, a markedly l,ad start or blocked progress in the later stages generally means a bad ending. It is by no means uncommon J'or a competitor in Australia to reach the thirty points mark and yet fail to score the required winning point, owing 1o His nervousness or bad luck, or tlio superi>r play of his opponent.' , _ The best singles players, and link players too, aro in Victoria, and these in point of skill differ little from the .foremost New Zealand performers. As in. the Dominion, tho Victorian bowlers have a long winter recess, and undoubtedly benefit by the spell from play thus afforded, as they come back each season with renewed vigour and keen-

In' .Yew South Wales, where they are nblc through superior climatic conditions, to play throughout the year, the standard of efficiency is below that ranging in Victoria, for many feyduey bowlers become stale through overpractice. They look upon the daily roll-up practically as an agreeable part of their ordinary routine. As regards the pairs, m-New boutn Wales and Queensland, etc., two bowls alternately are played by the leads and skippers, instead of four successive bowls each, as is done in New Zealand. The Australian system has its advan-la-re-, as it affords the leads tho opportunity ■of playing as if they were actually occupying tho position of thud men in rink play. To junior bowlers (he opportunity thus afforded ot gamin* such useful experience is prized, as otherwise it might, not. epme to t hem ioi-.vcars in champion wnk compete If The Australian game takes Ljtcr than the New Zealand one as the leads and skips cross over twice as o{|t"mioht be added that competitors in.the Victorian State pairs chanipionshin are allowed to play only two. bowls each, which means that play » Wietieally confined to the drawing $mc and* that driving tactics are only rntitiously resorted to. ■ Vt the Australian' Bowling Council's bowling carnivals the pairs game is conpicuou g s by its absence, play bemg owifihcd to tho singles and links. $rsonalJv. the writer thinks that he adoption'of a similar policy at tho Dominion As/ciation's annual tournaments would be a wise innovation. iTu Australia twenty-five heads are "he style of play adopted induces SskS action and a more varied d«y.Hv At the Australian Bowling ftneil'B carnival, to be held a Brisbane in August next, the play in the sectional stage, will Do confined to eighteen heads, tart tho semi-final and final games will consist of twenty-fhe cads each. This will be the first \Tc. carnival at which the sectiona System of play « "tho rmkn has been a(The esecond players in Australian rink games keep and sign the scoring eaids iuul attend to tlio scoring boards; tho skippers are relieved of this duty. The commonly-used scoring board is quite plain, and the aggregate score alone, is entered on it from time to time. The Wellington type of board, with its numbered heads and ruled lines, is very handy for pressmen and others, as the result of. play can be seen at a glance without reference to the' scorers, . al--1 hough the figures are not so plainly discernible at a distance as on.the Australian board. Some Australian clubs have numbered .iron or'tin discs to show the points.scored on each side and the head last played. V bowler in Australia when delivering a bowlas required to have a portion oAhe whole.of each foot on the. mat. ■U first this requirement is awkward to visiting Now Zealand players who arc accustomed to keeping only one foot on the mat.':'A'useful.-way to overcome this initial handicap is to start behind the in at, so that both feet will be touching-it at tho moment of delivery At the recent meeting of the Australian Bowling Council it was decided +o allow Dominion, players-at the Brisbane Carnival next August the privilege of playing with only one foot on the mat. 'The Australian1 mat is about < a foot longer than the New Zealand standard -one—viz., 4ft 9in maximum and 4ft minimum, and 18in wide. Composition bowls of' Australian manufacture are greatly used, although wooden bowls pi imported, -well-season-ed lignum vitae arc made in Sydney and Brisbane. The.so bowls in sliap.O and draw must comply with the specifications laid down by tho Australian Bowling Council, which provide for :i very shapely and wide running bowl. The Australian standard draw is greater than the New Zealand one. In Now Zealand the usual plan is tense the right hand either pointing upwards or downwards, to signal tho state of the head. In Australia, however, it has been the practise to point tho right-hand fingers upwards if tho score was favourable and the left-hand upwards if unfavourable. It is therefore interesting to note that at the last meeting of the Australian Bowling Council it was decided that all signalling in interstate matches Blinll bo done by tlie right-hand only, with the arm raised above- tho shoulder if the shot is in favour and pointing downwards if adverse.' ■•■ J'- -- - ' The Default of Central. Because he took up the attitude that the Central Club was wrong in defaulting in the last game in. the Senior Pennant competition, Mr. W. E. Pawson. delegate from that club to the Wellington Bowling Centre, has received tho following letter from the secretary of the club: — "Dcnr Sir, —I have to advise you that • the following resolution was adopted at the meeting of the committee held last evening: "While appreciating the assistance Mr. Pawson has rendered the club in ' the past, the committee is of the opinion that when dealing with tho question of the club's default in the

iy "No rwo"

senior pennants at tho centre meeting, his attitude toward tho committee was not in tho best interests of llio club, and desire that i(s disapproval be placed on record. "Yours faithfully, "J. W. Greenwood, "Hon. Sec." As a consequence of ihis vole of. ecusure Mr. Pawsoii intends to resign from tho club, also his position as the club's delegate on the centre. While regretting that events have taken such a turn, it. is diflitfult to see what other course .Mr. Pawsou could hare followed at tho centre -meeting at which tho default of Central was discussed. A policy of silencu on his part would scarcely huvo been wise, especially when he felt so strongly on the matter at. issue. As a member or the centre Mr. Pawsoii represented more than tho Central Club: ho had to

think of the interests of the 1400 or so other bowlers in tho centre as well. Therefore ho only did his duty in speaking frankly, and it is regrettable that by its vote of censure tho Central Club should imply that no delegate has the right of ifree speech. That is what such a vote amounts to in this case. In. any case, apart from what Mr. Pawson did or said, the centre, by resolution, expressed strong disapproval of tho club's action, so thnt by condemn- ' ing Mr. I'awsou the club would appear | to be Ri\/:>K tho centre a rap over the knuckles as well. The club had a bad case at the start, and its latest action is not improving matters. Kelbuni Club. Tiitcrcst centred at Kclbuni on Saturday on the finals of tho champion pairs and champion rinks finals, Forgio and Lomas winning tho pairs and Water, Compton, Eoutley, Doherty (s) the rinks. Tho rink final was against Brooks, Pope, M'Callum, and Gardner, and for the first half of tho game the play was pretty even, tho score being 9 all on tho ninth head and 11 all on the eleventh head. At the tea adjournment. Doherty was 14 to Gardner's 11, but thereafter tame calamity for Gardner. On tho fourteenth head Compton trailed the jack to the lead's two bowls

and drc.v another, making four shots. M'Callum- drove.-- but missed, ivhilo Koutlcy drew two shots, making (3. Gardner tried to save with a draw,, butwent narrow, and Doherf.y drew one on the jack. Gardner made a. good try to draw, but failed to save, aud Dohorty again drciv, making eight shots and the score 22-11. The remainder of the gamo was ivcl! fought-, but en dpi] on (he twentieth head, Doherty 27, Gardner 15. "Lambton Quay Championship.-" A bowling'match for "the championship of .: Lambton quay" is, to bo played on the Eastbourne green on Saturday next. The contestants arc tnams from I^irltcaldio and Stains and the- D.I.C. The D.I.C. team will bo Simm (Karori), Ham (Victoria), ;uul Ferguson aud Burgo (Kelburn). Kirkcaldie's. team will be Cook (Eastbourne), Clar'idgo (Hataitai), Smith (Kelburn), and Archibald (Thorndon). Considerable interest is being taken iv the match in tho respective establishments. _^_______i___