BOWLING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12064, 28 January 1902, Page 4

BOWLING.

NORTHERN TOURNAMENT.

VIOTO3IA WIN CHAMPIONSHIP. [BY TELEGRAPH.] Wellington, Monday. At the bowling tournament great interest was taken in the final for the championship banner, which resulted as follows: ! VICTORIA. PALMERSTON. I w naddon 'v Cottle \ ',, Saxon i lfi Monk til Df(jr | lO Qooder .! Banting J f Mac-ifior.*!* ] Buick ] i Avery \ 9 MThoo L n Braokenridge Nash j ' (Name missing) J Mowlem ) Total ... 41 Total ... 36 Victoria thus won by eight points. The tie now existing between Palmerston and Wellington for second place will be played to-morrow. A game for Huddart-Parker’s cup was played to-day, Gisborne beating Bluff Hill by 21 to 13. In the third round for the Commercial Club trophy the winning teams were skipped by Mowlem, Newell, Perrett, Bunting, Little, and Saywell, AN INTERESTING SPEECH. [special to hawke’s bay heiald.] |*B3 TELEGRAPH/] Wellington, Monday.

Mr Paul, of Now Plymouth, the veteran bowler* and captain of the New Zealand team which visited England, > Gotland, and Ireland last summer, had a few words to say at the Northern Association’s smoke concert anent the trouble which arose some time back between the Maorilanders and the green skimmers of the land of the kangaroo, and about which "explanations” of an unsavory nature subsequently emanated from Australia, Mr Paul said that in answer to an invitation some ten or a dozen Maori-

landers expressed themselves perfectly willing to join an Australian combination for the Home tour. When the Moas reached Australia they made inquiries about the proposed campaign, but were unable to elicit any definite information except that it was proposed to elect a stipendiary at .£2OO a year (secretary to carry out the arrangements in connection with the tour). The Moas felt that such an official was not required, and was, in fact, an expensive luxury, but nothing definite was said on the subject until they reached England, when, at a meeting called by Mr Paul, it was decided tbat rather than let the matter become a cause of dissension, the Maorilanders would stand in, but the latter decided to make a stipulation that their combination must not be broken. They would play as Maorilanders indivisible or not at all. This caused the Kangaroo reps, to spring off their little furry tails. They answered in a " stand and deliver ” tone of voice that the Moas must fall into line or suffer excommunication. Mr Paul, with native caution, refused to commit himself right there. " I will give you a final answer to-morrow night,” he said. Accordingly the Moas met and decided to pull out altogether, for the following reasons:-(1) That the KooMca combination would be unworkable, as it would necessitate 40 bowlers with their camp followers and retinues pervading the country, and a number of players standing out of every game, besides being an infringement of all sane laws of hospitality; and (2) tbat it would be better to separate so as to obviate any possibility cf a row or a scandal. The Australians received the intimation with rather bad grace, and, in fact, with chagrin, and a certain amount of bitterness. The New Zealanders, on the other hand, were actuated by the kindest and friendliest spirit throughout, so the latter set out to play a lone hand. They were excellently well received wherever they went, but more especially so in Scotland, where at times the hospitality was wellnigh overpowering. Of 27 contests played the Moas were on top 14 times and beaten 13—a good record when it is remembered that in Scotland they met eight tip-top men on every green played upon, that the New Zealanders on several occasions bad to play with substitute Moas, some of whom were hardly out of the novitiate, and that the team was frequently in difficulties becauee of the varying strength of the various greens. Mr Paul surprised many of his hearers with the bald assertion that in England the greens as a whole are very po'>r indeed. On the other hand those of Scotland are “ as near perfection as they can be, pictures to look at, and for play fine as billiard tables.” The greens reflect the players. The Scot fairly bnbbles over with enthusiasm. The Englishman is phlegmatic, and rarely gives signs of real pleasure or mortification. The veteran would have us take note of the fact that the British greens are larger than ours, running out generally from 66 fe*fc up to 75 feet, whilst 42 feet is their minimum.

Inter alia, Mr Panl raised his protest against the habit which is growing locally of players who, with one eye on the “gallery” and the other on the ball, cavort up the green to admire the results of their own incomparable handiwork and to await the applause which such practices sometimes evoke from the uninitiated. Another thing which the veteran condemns is the “lyddite game” which is becoming fashionable with those clubs to whom victory is the desideratum. Mr Paul can hardly find words in which to condemn this .Nihilistic practice of “smashing up heads.” “There is a great deal too much of it,” he says. “It is not really bowling. In Scotland you seo very little of it played. This skittles game is to me most abominable.” At any future time Maoriland decides to send a team to tireat Britain Mr Paul said it ought to consist of fourteen men to play three rinks. He would like to see a sort of pledge exacted" from the members of the combination to “ see the job right through,” as nothing spoils the chances of victory so much as the chance emergency man. The veteran is firmly impressed with the idea that a wellselected team of New Zealanders would make things interesting for the best that the United Kingdom loan produce. He quotes with modest pride this cordial extract from the letter of one of Scotland’s best bowlers: “ The New Zealand bowlers are the finest lob of men we have ever had on a bowling green here.”