BOWLING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22880, 11 February 1938, Page 4

BOWLING NOTES

[By Draw.]

Club seretaries, or those in 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. February 12.—South Otago Centre’s rink tourney; Elderly Bowlers’ Day. February 28.—Final four-rink championship (Dunedin Centre). March 5. —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. Apri] 14-20.—Dunedin Centre’s Easter tourney. Four-rink Championship. The position of clubs at the end of the seventh round is given hereunder —Section A.—

•These clubs have each had a bye. Since the above table was prepared some changes have taken place.^ Section A.—Green Island defeated Mornington, St. Kilda defeated Tainui. This section is still in an interesting position. , Section B. —Leith defeated Balmacewen, Dunedin defeated Kaikorai. Leith’s position in-this section appears to he unassailable. ; The final of the four rinks will be jflayed on Monday afternoon, February Inaccurate Comment. Away back in 1906 a large contingent of New Zealanders, styling themselves “The All Whites,” visited Australia and toured the different States. In that year I won my first prize at bowls, and remember the unofficial singles championship of Australia, run by the Melbourne Cricket Club, at M.C.C. (states a Sydney writer). ■ One of the “All Whites,” Archie

M’Laren, defeated Lou Waxman in the final and carried the title to New Zealand. No official party has since visited these shores until tnis # carnival now on. Will history repeat itsplf? Waxman taunted M'Laren about his straight woods —all wood at that tune—— and it has ever been acknowledged that they were very narrow—Dominion bowlers do not like “ pokers,” and few use them, as I found when twice in their country. ■ ~ . ',, , But my reason for mentioning tnat trip was to introduce G. B. Osmond, an Auckland citizen, who managed the “All Whites” on that'tour. He'is with the present contingent, and informed me that this is his first trip to Australia since 1906. He immediately recognised the great difference in Sydney, and regrets that he cannot revisit Melbourne, where probably greater strides have been made in civic grandeur. _ This paper gives the credit of winning the Australian championship - m 1906 to Archie M'Laren. The competition was won by William M'Laren, a well-known member of the Dunedin Bowling Club. The remarks of Waxmax in connection with M'Laren’s howls are not justified, as this player jwas one of the very few men in the world who had the knack of making his bowls draw less than if any other player was handling them. (M'Laren died in Auckland some few years ago.)

Elderly Bowlers’ Day. This function is being held on the Dunedin green to-morrow afternoon. Good entries have been received,' and M Draw ” wishes the veterans taking part a very enjoyable day. Saturday Competition. Last week was the first time this season in which it was necessary to postpone the games. At the time when the decision was made the weather conditions were unsatisfactory, and the committee in charge of affairs acted ■wisely. Later in the day the' weather cleared, and many of the clubs opened their greens for a friendly roll-up. This competition will be continued on February 19 and 26. Australian Champion. In winning the Australian singles championship at Sydney on Saturday last F. Livingstone, of the Onehunga Club, put up a great performance, and is to be heartily congratulated on his feat. He won the Dominion singles title at Christchurch two years ago, and Be has many club and Auckland and other bonding centres’ honours. The only other New Zealander to win an Australian single-handed championship was the late Mr W. M'Laren, of Dunedin, who, at Melbourne on November 11, 1906, gained this honour by 21 to 20, the runner-up being F. Hardham • (City, Melbourne). There were 109 competitors. The competition was conducted by the Melbourne Cricket Club under the patronage of the Victorian, Bowling Association. Bowlers, get your bowlg engraved according to regulations by John Swan and Co., engravers, Bath street,— lAdv^J

A'. H. Robertson (Onehunga)', Livingstone’s skip in the rink which took part in the Sydney bowling carnival, was runner-up to F. Dobbie (Melbourne) in the Australian singles championship at Brisbane in 1931. It was a hard fight, Dobbie winning by 31-30. L. L. Macey (Remuera) and W. Denison (Balmoral) put up an excellent performance in surviving the fourth post-sectional round of the pairs in the Australian championship tourney, winning 20-15. They were then closely beaten, 16-15, in the quarter-finals.

Inportance of Correct Delivery. Correct delivery of the bowl is the most important thing in the game. Whether the player stands erect or crouches is not so important so long as ho gets his bowl away cleanly and as near to the ground as possible. A wobbling bowl is out of control and is seldom satisfactory. The bias of the bowl can be altered by holding it canted outwards, so that the centre of gravity is disturbed and a straighten run obtained, but this practice should be left to those who are unusually proficient. It is called “ playing finger,” and is akin to the practice of putting side on a billiards ball. The young player would do well' to study both stance and delivery and copy the methods of the expert. Standing with one shoulder forward, according to the bias to he played, is very helpful in preventing narrow bowls.

Preparing Surface of Greeny. Greenkeepers generally are agreed that the hard-baked surface is responsible for the difficulty in reaching grass perfection. Some form of aeration is advisable. This is most economically performed after the autumn top-dress-ing by means of a strong-tined fork. The operator levers, the surface to a depth of about 4in at close intervals over the whole green. This may appear likely to disrupt and damage the surface, but results prove the contrary, as the grass improves and the wounds disappear. In Australia a cbre extractor has been devised which is attached to the roller handle and works quite satisfactorily. With it a green can be treated in two days. The holes are filled with a mixture of sandy soil and soot, brushed in, A Reunion. There was a happy reunion on Monday last between Mr F. C. (“ Buller ”) Ker, of Childers, Queensland, and some of the many friends whom he made while in New Zealand a year ago as manager of the Queensland tourist bowlers’ team, which had a wonderfully successful tour through the Dominion. Mr Ker was a passenger by the P. and 0. liner • Strathnaver, and he entertained his friends to lunch' on board. Everyone was particularly pleased to see present Sir Charles Norwood, a Queenslander by birth, who is steadily convalescing from a serious operation. Mr A. IJ. Crawley, president, Nelson Bowling Centre, and the Nelson Bowling Club, specially came by plane that morning to attend the gathering, and Mr Arthur Wimsett, honorary secretary, Manawatu Bowling Centre, made the train journey from Palmerston North for the same purpose, so much do they think of their Queensland friend.

One thing that the party was very glad to hear from Ker was that he hoped to pilot another bowling team through New Zealand next year. These visits do much to improve the good relations between the two countries, especially when a team is in the hands of such a tactful, genial, and businesslike man as “ Buller ” Ker.

Lawn Bowling in U.S.A. Lawn howling in the United States of America is making steady headway, and there are now 49 clubs in "the eastern States and 27 on the Pacific Coast. The American newspaper Press, too, is giving much i more space to accounts of tournaments, etc. At the tournament in California recently there were record attendances, entries far -exceeding expectations. Fifty-six teams entered for the open rink championship, including three from Vancouver; 69 teams .played in the championship open doubles; and there were 104 entrants in the singles. A Highland Park team won the California State trophy, and a group photograph shows these players bareheaded, all neatly attired in white silk shirts, cream flannels, with white belts, and wearing white shoes. Their club name is displayed in a circular monogram fastened to the shirt front. No blazer was worn. Their example might well be emulated in New Zealand .by that minority who in tournament play seem disinclined to display their identifying club colours or to dress the part.

Wins. Losses. Mornington . 6 1 Ro'alyn 6 1 St. Hilda . 6 1 ’■Caledonian 4 ’ 2 Anderson’s Bay .. 3 4 Green Island 3 4 Kaituna ... ... 3 4 ‘ - ’West Harbour .. 2 4 Tainui ... 1 6 Logan "Park 0 7 * Not played, Caledonian Harbour. v. West —Section B.— •Leitb 1.. 5 1 •Kaikorai 4 2 ,*St. Clair ... ...4 2 •Dunedin ... .. 3 3 *N.E. Valley 3 3 •Balmacewen 3 3 Taieri 3 4: •Caversham ... .. 2 4 Otago .. 1 6