BOWLING.

Evening Star, Issue 12028, 28 October 1903, Page 3

BOWLING.

[Br Tcby FiOachee.] Although last Saturday’s openings have already been reported, it may bo as well to remark that it was an ideal bowler’s day, and that few missed the opportunity to get in a bowl or two during the afternoon. The ladies, too, turned out in big numbers, and all went off as ha-ppily as tho proverbial marriage feast. The games played mostly finished in favor of the presidents’ teams, which, of course, was only as it should be. In the report of am interview with Mr Angus M’Diarmid in our Saturday’s issue the paragraph re “ driving,” wherein it was made to appear that Mr M'Diaimid bad spoken of the Mosgiel Green, should have read “ between champions from Mosgiel and Dunedin, on Dunedin Green.”

Too much prominence cannot be. given to the name of the bowling enthusiast in England who for months past has left no stone unturned in his efforts to bring about the formation of a team of Old Country bowlers to tour Australia and New Zealand. I refer to Mr Stephen Fortescue (chairman of the London County Bowling Club). It need scarcely be said that 99 out of every hundred bowlers in New Zealand had quite made up their minds that the coming season would prove of -more than ordinary interest, owing mainly to the anticipated visit of an English bowling team to this colony, and I feel confident that Mr Forte-cue has the sympathy of every club from one end of our colony to the other. Hi at his pet ambition is ’not to have a practical outcome is a pity, for it- goes without saying that had the tour eventuated it would not only have given the game a fillip in New Zealand, but the Englishmen themselves would have returned to the Motherland loud in their praise of our greens, and delighted beyond measure a i the enthusiasm their presence hud engendered, besides meeting foemeu worthy of their steel—which latter, perhaps, they do not bargain for. It is sincerely to be hoped, however, that Mr Portescue will not relax his efforts, and that he will ‘- try again” in the near future to form a team, if not to play Australia., at least to meet the leading players in New Zealand, where wc are prepared to give visitors all the play they want, and take all the defeats they may be prepared to favor us with. Fhe * Australasian ’ of October 17 contains the following, under the heading ‘An Appeal to Australian Bowlers.’ from its Louden correspondent (September 11) : “At a meeting of the English Bowling Asodation held this week at the Cannon Street Hotel, London, under the presidency of Mr Stephen Fortescue, it was decided to announce, through ‘The Australasian,’ to the bowlers of the Commonwealth and New Zealand, the hope that the Association would receive their support in a new movement now about to bo undertaken. This, it wots pointed cut, relates to the fact that bowls, as a pastime, having note found inclusion as one of the Olympian games competed for internationally every five years, it was the resolve of the Association to at once set to work and endeavor to advance, in eveir possible way, the pastime under its new and most important, phase, especially relative to the coming World’s Fair Exposition at Kt. Louis, Louisiana, when the next. Olympian games tike place. The chairman said that though his late endeavors to take, out a team to Australia and New Zealand had not proved successful, yot he hoped not only to form one of the Mother Country team to take part in the Olympian games, but also to' see at St. Louis a contingent, of Australian bowlers, and to find them, in one match at least, joining the Motherland players in a contest versus Canadians and Americans, as a match between the bowlers of the Old and the New Worlds. Mr W. Stonehewer, hon. secretary, said that they could assure the Australasian bowlers that iu this new movement the English Bowling Association had the hearty support of the Scottish, Irish, and Welsh bowling men, and that nothing would give them more gratification than to find a fellow-unity upon the subject amongst their compatriots of the pastime beneath the Southern Cross. Before the proceedings of the meeting closed testimony was heartily borne to the great services rendered to international howliuby tlie ‘Australasian.’" °

The New South Wales Bowling Association have decided to hold the next interstate match in Melbourne on December 1 2, and 3. . ’