Bowling

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 140, 10 December 1931, Page 24

Bowling

BY "A/ft TWO"

THE NEW RULES

MANY ALTERATIONS

CLOSE STUDY REQUIRED

Most ■Wellington clubs have t>y now probably received the revised edition of the Laws of the Game, although not the official revision. Away back in 1929 the Auckland people took in hand the work of revising the rules, and they made numerous useful suggestions which formed the basis of tentative proposals subsequently considered by the N.Z.B.A. and circulated to centres for comment. Eventually a draft revision was agreed upon, and the Christchurch executive was authorised to get it printed. This was in July last, but the official reprint has not yet put in an appearance, the order to the printer not having been given until 6th November. Meanwhile an unofficial one, printed in "Wellington, has done so, but there are doubts whether it is a replica of what is eventually to come out from headquarters of the N.Z.B.A. In the first place, the title of the New Zealand Bowling Association is incorrectly given, the words "Dominion of" being incorporated, although the annual meeting decided that they should be dropped. In other respects the revised edition differs from the draft which was sent the rounds of centres some time ago, and until the official copy comes to. hand one can only surmise that further alterations were made by the N.Z.B.A. attho last moment. Assuming that everything is 0.X., bowlers would bo wise to accept the admonition on the first page to read the book carefully, so as to bring themselves up to date. Everything has been so completely recast and such vital alterations have been made that it is only by studying them closely that the full purport of the changes can be grasped. With regard to the green, a new provision is made that the playing area shall be surrounded by a ditch, which shall not be less than six inches below the surface of the green, and be not less than ten inches in width. It is recommended that the bank be not less than 18 inches in height, with an angle from the green of not more than 120 degrees. The definition of the boundary of the rink is made clearer than it was before. Formerly Bule 16 said: "The four corners of the rink shall be marked •by pegs driven in the top of the bank where practicable." The new rule (4) says: "The four corners of the rink shall be marked by pegs not less than one-half nor more than one inch in width, driven into the top of the bank where practicable, the outside edge of such pegs to be the boundaries of the rink." The "following up" rulehas undergone a change, inasmuch as it is now permissible to follow up a bowl for 20ft as against the 15ft previously allowed. Why following up is allowed at all is hard to understand; The excited player chasing his wood up the green cannot blow on it with his breath or kick it to send it near its objective, and he only delays the next player getting into action. Some of the British people, of course, delight in running after their bowls the full length of the head; tho practice doubtloas has some peculiar psychological effect on the individual, affording him some keen sense of pleasure of a purely personal kind, but what is the use of it to anybody else? ~.,., i The new rule 19 sets out definitely the limit to the size of a bowl: "A bowl shall not exceed 3«b in weight and shall not measure more than 5 3-16 inches in its major diameter." The standard bowl is defined as a bowl approved by the Council for the purpose of testing other bowls. It shall have a major diameter of .5 1-8 inches, and weigh not less than 31b 4oz. Is draw shall be 59 inches in a run of S4f t on a standard green, and such run shall be determined at the 15ft mark on a testing rail 17ft long with a gradual rise of 4ft over its whole length. Players must be careful to note that in future "all bowls shall bear a distinctive mark, apart from a number, on both discs of each bowl."

An alteration of some importance is made regarding tho placing of tbe mat by leads, and "No. 2," who in reality is only a No. 1, gives fair warnintr that for tho future he proposes, if his side has had the luck to win the preceding head, to lay tho mat for himself, and not follpw the custom of allowing the lead of the side which has lost the head to perform this office as a matter of courtesy. Some people are even more fastidious than, the rules provide in the matter of placing the mat, and there is no satisfying them: either it is not straight, or it is too far up the green, or too near the ditch, or there is something else wrong. Bule 11 says: "Tho winner of the head may plaeo the mat in the centre of the rink between the point where the jack lay ana the ditch, provided that the front of the mat shall be not more than 20ft nor less than 6ft from the ditch. If the jack lay m the ditch, or less than 6ft from the ditch, the front of tho mat shall be laid about 6ft from the ditch." Ine old rule read tho same, but as it does not seem to be as well known as at might be, it is printed again herewith —as Mr. Speaker says in Parliament "for purposes of greater accuracy. The point which it is wished to emphasise, however, is the alteration to the rules, which says that "the winner of the previous head shall lay tho mat in accordance with Bule 11 and play first." This means that the winning lead places the mat, and that he need not necessarily wait for his vis-a-vis to do it. Another amended rulo empowers skips to call up the No. 3's to the head for consultations. The English practice is for the 3's-to remain at the head until their turn comes to play. There is a change with respect to the throwing of the jack. In future, if the jack is thrown less than 66ft from the front of the mat or into the ditch, or outside of either side boundary of the krink, it shall be returned, and the throw taken by the opposing lead, who may shift the mat into any position in which the winning lead of the previous head could have laid it as provided in Eulo 11 before ho throws anew, but he shall not play first. If, however, he fails to throw the jack correctly, the privilege of replacing the mat shall revert to the opposing player, who shall then throw .the jack. If any head be drawn or made dead tho jack shall tevert to the original lead*. There are a number of alterations with respect to movement of jack, and bowls, and the striking of. neutral objects, and these should all be studied carefully. Incidentally, a definition is given of the- term- "burned," and bowlers will find that it does not mean "dead," in which sense it is so often wrongly used. A' jack' ' striking the bank and rebounding on to the green is alive and shall remain where it rests, unless this position is less than 20ft from the front of the mat, in which case it shall be dead. If the jack be prevented from falling into the ditch by an opening or any inequality in the bank, or any steps in the bank, it shall be dead.

The above are only a few of the alterations, the full import of which can

best be grasped by making a comparison of the new rules with the old. Obituary. It came as a shock to all bowlers on Tuesday to learn of the sudden death of Mr. E. W. Shallcrass, the very excellent and highly-esteemed secretary of the Wellington Bowling Centre. Mr. Shallcrass was a member of the Thorndon Bowling Club, which has been indeed unfortunate, in that it has lost three members in less than four days — Mr. T. S. Ronaldson, Sir John Luke, and Mr. Shallcrass. As sercetary of the centre, Mr. Shallcrass was a model of efficiency and courtesy, and his passing with such tragic suddenness is to be deeply deplored. Ho was a strong supporter of the daylight-saving movement, and a keen advocate of its benefits to bowlers, and it waa due in no small measure to his efforts that the Summer-time Act was passed, for he left no stone unturned to forward the propaganda in favour of the movement. Mr. Shallcrass had suffered from heart trouble for some time, but nevertheless his death was wholly unexpected. His work on behalf of bowlers and sportsmen generally will be long remembered, and his passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. Seatoun Trophy. The first of the series of triangular matches arranged for the Seatoun Trophy took place at the Seatoun green at the week-end. This contest, which is between the Hataitai, Newtown, and Seatoun Clubs, partakes more of the nature of the friendly matches. In it, good fellowship is allied to good bowling, players arc free and easy, and the silence and tension of the pennant games are fortunately absent. The trophy, presented by the president of the Seatoun Club, was on view; it has been described in previous notes. \V. L. Page was the donor. There was a goodly attendance of interested partisans. The weather was ideal, the green keen and true, making bowling a pleasure to players and spectators alike. Very good form was shown by all the teams, the scores being in no way a true index of the nature of the play. The draw resulted in Gordon (Seatoun) meeting Wells (Hataitai); Webb (Seatoun) against Barker (Newtown), and Kean (Hataitai), to play Sexton (Newtown). The results were:—Gordon, 33; Wells, 17. Webb, 23; Barker, 14. Sexton, 26; Kean, 10. Seatoun won two games, Newtown one, whilst Hataitai lost both. The game between Gordon and Wells was very even for tho greater part of its duration, right up to the 14th head, when each side had scored thirteen points. It has often been stated by old skips that the 16th head or thereabouts is the crucial point of a game. However that may be, it was at this juncture that Hataitai lost its grip, only winning one more head. Seatoun by the 17th had established a lead of ten points and, continuing in winning mood, put on a further ten points, making the score 33-17. Webb and Barker fought out a very interesting game indeed, neither having any advantage right up to tho 15th head, when the score was Webb, 12; Barker, 13. On the 16th head Webb scored a three, giving him tho lead. Barker secured a point on tho seventeenth) to which Webb replied with a four, scoring also on the three following heads and finishing a winner by 23-14. Sexton scored heavily against Kean, who only won six heads during the game, ten points in all. At tho eleventh head the latter had only gained two singles, while his opponent tallied 16 points. The scoring thereafter was more even, Kean putting on eight points and Sexton ten. Kean's team made its effort too late to pick up the deficiency in the first half of the game, finally losing by 26-10. The next contest will be held on the third week-end of December, when strong efforts will be made by Seatoun to keep its position, which Newtown and Hataitai will certainly bombard heavily. The following players represented their clubs in the first games:—Newtown: Guise, Green, Warwick, Barker (s); Press, Newson, Davis, Sexton (s). Hataitai: Wrigley, Stonebanks, Kershaw, Wells (s); Dayman, Claridge, Willing, Kean (s). Seatoun: Snelling, Page, M'Girr, Gordon (s); Roberts, Lonsdale, Wright, Webb (s). Lyall Bay Club. The third round of the Lyall Bay Club's rinks was played last Saturday. The green was much faster than usual, but the northerly wind made the bowling somewhat tricky, and judgment difficult, several of the players being very much at sea with their calculations. Ono of the most unexpected events was the defeat of Brackenridge's rink by K. Ha worth's riuk. Haworth is one of the club's veterans, and usually skips a rink at the annual veterans' competition. The win, 23 to 20, was exceedingly.popular, and Haworth was surrounded with congratulatory playere and almost carried off his feet. Hftworth certainly must have been in great form at the week-end, as in a club pairs competition of four games of nine heads he defeated Raven in a closely dontested game. No matter what Raven did, Haworth repeatedly prevented his opponent from, scoring, on one occasion robbing him of a beautiful five with the last bowl. Raven had three wins in hand, and only wanted the fourth game to tie for a play-off against Sherwood. Tho game ended in favour of Hawortl., 8 to 6, after he had made a successful drive at the head with his last bowl, carrying the jack for two, and reversing an almost sure victory for Eaven into a defeat.

There has been little change made in the selection for the senior pennants next Saturday, except for a littlo reshuffling of players from one rink to another. B. Deare, however, last year's junior player, has caught the eye of Selector Bradley, and will lead in one of the pennant rinks for Skip Lawrie, replacing H. Scott, who is at present out of Wellington. Deare's brother, George, won tho Dominion rinks championship at Auckland last season, and it may be that the family will claim another champion in the near future. It will not be the Lyall Bay representative's fault if it does not eventuate.

After the rinks games on Saturday a pleasing function took place. Sir. George Noad, thrice past-president, officially presented the club with eight miniature cups, to b' awarded, suitably engraved, to the winners of the rinks, pairs, singles, and junior singles club championships this year. In making tho presentation, the donor stated that it was in fulfilment of a promise made, by him at the annual meeting, and, although at the time his mind was only centred on the rinka championships, ho felt, after consideration, that he could not leave out the champions of the other games, and so he embraced the lot, and hoped that other enthusiastic members would continue the lead that he had made.

The president, Mr. E. M'K»nzie, in accepting the gift on behalf of the club, thanked Mr. Noad for his generosity, which he had no doubt the winners would bo proud of, and hand down to posterity.

The pleasant little interlude terminated with musical honours and three rousing bowlers' cheers for Mr. Noad.