BOWLING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22798, 5 November 1937, Page 4

BOWLING NOTES

[By Draw ]

Club secretaries, or those !n charge of the social activities of their clubs, are invited to send along notices in reference to any club events. Inquiries relating to the rules of the game will be welcomed. Correspondence addressed to '* Draw " must reach this office not later than noon on Tuesday each week.

Fixtures for the Season. December 25, 27.—Dunedin Centre’s Christmas pairs tourney. December 30, 31, January 2 and 3. Southland Centre’s tourney. _ February 12.—South Otago Centre’s rink tourney; Elderly 'Bowlers’ Day. February 28.—Final four-rink championship (Dunedin Centre). March s.—Otago v. Southland, interprovincial match, at Invercargill. March 10.—Otago v. Canterbury, interprovincial match, at Dunedin. March 12-14.—Champion of champions singles (Dunedin Centre). _ March 19-23.—Adess Shield (champion rinks competition). Leads and seconds tourney, for Dunedin Centre players. April 2.—Club Day. April 14-20.—Dunedin Centre’s Easter tourney.

Saturday Shield Competition. Excellent conditions prevailed for the opening day of the interclub matches last Saturday, and all the greens- were running much faster than is usually the case so early in the season. Brighton, Fairfield, and Outram, all of which are one section clubs, each gained the maximum number of points (12), and Logan Park, a two-section club, did likewise. While Leith, Port Chalmers, Opoho, and Portobello failed to add any shield points, Tainui did well for a young club, which now fields four sections (12 rinks). They won three out of four, and secured 9 shield points. Kaituna made a good start also with four sections in their favour out qf five. This club for some seasons has not produced the shield results that one would expect, and if this season shows them well up the ladder their success will be appreciated by their fellow-clubs. North-east Valley, who in recent years have held good positions, have increased their playing strength to five sections, and two wins was the best they could do. West Harbour, last season’s winners, have also increased their entry from two to three sections. They won one section. The following are the results of Saturday’s matches, together with the championship points scored by each dub:— Wins. Losses. Pts.

There appears to be some misunderstanding amongst some of the club members in regard to rule 7, which reads: “Method of scoring on points. In the event of a tie in the aggregate number of points, the last rink to finish play an extra head.” This rule applies to all section games, but if a tie takes place in the actual final—that is, when the section winners meet, then if there is a tie the whole four rinks on each side play an extra head or heads to decide the winner. Club members should therefore be careful not to confuse the issue. It was regrettable that some players turned up late for their shield games last Saturday,- iu fact, a few players would still have been late if the games had started at 2.30. One and all should remember that this series o£ games is set down to start at 2.15. Both Feet on the Mat. “G.H.0.D.” writes; “Under the heading, ‘ Is it Right or Wrong? ’ you in your last week’s notes express opinions which I think the older fraternity of bowlers will back up wholeheartedly. The style of delivery of a big percentage of bowlers is bad. The man who docs not play with both feet on the mat does not give his green, his greenkeeper, and supervisor fair play. lam satisfied that it is mostly just plain want of thought. You have called pointed attention to it, and I think you should be supported in your efforts for an improvement. There are some aspects of the situation which call for notice. The mat 36in long, is too short, and the white line shortens it still more if one plays to the rule to have one foot behind the line. Some years ago we had a local rule to have 48in mats, and both feet were to bo on the mat at the moment of delivery. Now, to mv mind that was an excellent rule, which should have been adopted by the ruling body. However, one club in this centre did not like the rule, and the present ruling as to one foot on the mat was adopted largely by the efforts of the said club’s delegate. Being on the executive at the time, I used the argument that, even if the two feet on the mat was not strictly enforced, it would be as well to let the rule stand, as the younger bowler could he taught to keep on the mat, and the ‘ sinners ’ who broke the rule would gradually disappear. However, thev carried the day, and we who thought differently had to lie low. As one of the old school, I hope to see you go straight out as an advocate of both feet on the mat and wish you luck in your efforts to save our greens.” “ Draw ” thanks “ G.H.0.D.” for his letter, which contains many good points, the most important being in reference to the question of reverting to the rule of “ two feet ” on the mat. In this I fully agree with the writer.

as I feel certain that if this rule was again brought into use it would be for the general good of the game and would certainly assist in no small degree to the preservation of green ends. The two feet on the mat rule is strictlyenforced in Australia, and in match games where an umpire officiates, his powers and the powers of the opposing skip are very drastic for offenders. At the present time the New Zealand Council is going through the laws of the -game with the object of revising them, and no doubt the two feet on the mat will receive some consideration. Dunedin v. St. Kilda. “ J.H.H. ” contributes the following Special interest attaches to the meeting of these clubs, the two largest in the Dunedin Centre, in the opening round of the Saturday matches. History is made in that this is the first occasion on which 18 rinks from each of the two clubs have met at full strength on one day in an official game Dunedin, of course, has for many years had the accommodation in playing area for the full half of its playing strength, but St. Kilda has only this year achieved this by the laying down of the Marlow Green of three rinks. This was used for the first time on Saturday last, and, though naturally not as keen as the old green, played well, a keenlycontested section being won by the visitors by 1 point. It is interesting to note that, although Dunedin won five sections, gaining 10 shield points to St. Kilda’s 2, the difference in the aggregate points was only 2, in the city club’s favour. Played under perfect conditions, the game will be long remembered by members of both clubs, and will further cement the cordiality and friendly rivalry between the two clubs. It may not he out of place to comment on the difficulty one-green clubs are almost certain to have in the near future in connection with increased membership. A club with only one. green cannot do justice to more than about 80 members and retain a satisfied membership in connection with Saturday and evening play. Mention was made by the convenor of the Match Committee, of the centre this year of the complications caused by the entry of five sections by greens which can only accommodate two sections at home. But for the inclusion of a few one-section and three-section clubs the difficulty would be insuperable. It behoves clubs with increasing membership to consider making, wherever possible, provision for further accommodation. _ “ Draw ” thanks “ J.H.H.” for his note. It might be mentioned that in 1916 the two clubs played a game of 18 rinks aside. This was, I think, a specially arranged match. The scores of last Saturday’s shield match game, are interesting. Each club played 18 rinks, each side scored 342 points, each club won eight rinks, and two of the rinks finished with, their scores even. . The final count of scores shows Dunedin to have 344 points against the Saints’ 342. This was brought about by one of the sections (three rinks) having to play off a section tie, in which Dunedin scored 2 points, and, of course, added them to their score card. As the competition is played in sections the banner points worked out 10 for Dunedin and 2 for St. Kilda.

Roslyn Bowling Club. The final “ 500 ” night for the season was held in the pavilion last Saturday, and all present voted the evening a complete success, and _ were highly amused at the “ raid ” which took place by a party dressed as pirates and Indian chiefs. The prize-winners were Mesdames A. Thorburn, Webster, Wood, Thomas, Mullenger, Lawn, and Miss Wilkinson, Messrs Jones, Higgs, Adamson, Sunderland. The aggregate prizes for the season were won by Mrs W. H. Thomson and Mr King. Mrs Clark received a special prize as runner-up m the aggregate.

Bowlers, get your bowls engraved according to regulations by John Swan and Co., engravers, Bath street. —[Advt 1

Brighton ... ... 1 0 12 Fairfield 1 0 12 Logan Park ... ... 2 0 12 Ontram 1 0 12 Dunedin 5 1 10 Kaituna 4 1 9 3-5 Mornington 3 1 9 Tainui 3 1 9 Kaikorai ... ... 2 1 8 Otago 2 1 8 Caledonian 3 2 71-5 Balmaoewen 2 2 6 Green Island ... I 1 6 St. Clair 2 2 6 Taieri 1 1 6 Cavershaon 2 3 4 4-5 N.E. Valley ... 2 3 4 4-5 Roslyn 2 3 44-5 West Harbour ... 1 2 4 Anderson’s Bay ... 1 3 3 St. Kilda ... ... 1 5 2 Leith 0 4 0 Poirt Chalmers 0 2 0 Portobello 0 1 0 Opoho 0 2 0 Rules of Four-rink Championship.