BOWLING NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 14, 14 December 1932, Page 7

BOWLING NOTES.

(By “Trundler.”)

The entries for the Dominion tournament which commences at Wellington on January 9 closed on Saturday and, as was generally anticipated, there is a sharp decline on the previous year’s figures. The pairs and singles show the greatest falling away, but rinks at 100 are only two behind those of 1931. This emphasises the fact that most players prefer the rinks contest and that many are unable to attend the tournament for more than the time that play will be in progress in this section. The Wellington greens are reported to be in excellent order and there should be some keen competition if the weather is fine. Palmerston North players are experiencing a succession of rather wet or windy week-ends and Saturday was lo exception, a heavy, cold southwesterly gale blowing to mar the ifternoon. At Feilding, the holders if the Dixon Cup and Tucker Badges, VVenham’s rink, staved off a challenge from Pahiatua, and Manawatu successfully defended the Manson and Barr Cup against the Eketahuna Club. Excellent progress has been made with the Palmerston North Club competitions and the following is now the position:—Kinks: Fifth round: Fraser (2 lives) and Ramsay (1 life); Brown (1 life) a bye. Pairs: Fraser v. Bary; Crump v. G. Wilson; A. Wilson v. McKegg; Arnott, a bye. Singles: A. Wilson v. Simmons; Arnott v. Tremaine; Brown v. G. Wilson; Paton v. Gooding. The Auckland Bowling Centre’s annual singles championship tournament was won by N. 8011, of the Takapuna Club, with J. C. Duncan, of the Carlton Club, runner-up. Bell, who beat Duncan in the final by 18 points to 9, was Dominion singles champion a few years ago. THE STANDARD BOWL. There are many points one could write on how a lead should play, but I

would like to draw attention to the ciass of bowl required (says a writer in the Otago Daily Times). In the old days, say, 50 years ago, it was a common practice for players to have four bowls —two made with a 2J or 3 bias and the other two 3 full or 34 —the former pair for leading and the others for skips and pe'haps third players. The ideal bowl for present-day play is a New Zealand standard bowl which gives a draw of five feet on a standard green in a run of 84 feet. The minimum draw on this test is 4ft. ll'in. I am a great believer in a.il bowls being stamped every four years. Mv reason for not making a longer period is that in these days we are all endcavourimr to ride close to the standard (which is quite fa.ir), and we should not be allowed too long a period between testing, for all bowls which are close to any drawing limit mav change and be under the standard in the course of three years’ plav. If a person wishes to nlav 'with a. very wide drawing bowl well, that is all right, but no person should be allowed to play with bowls which do not draw to standard. 1 have always been of the opinion that the northern players of New Zealand pia.v bowls which are inclined to be just under standard. This may be the .fault of testing in their district. For | some time it was a common practice ! for some southern bowlers to send 'their goods north for testing and stamping with the idea of getting a finer draw. However, under New Zealand rules bowls cannot be sent out of a player’s own centre for testing or tampering purposes. A player mav send his bowls anywhere to be remodelled, but must get them tested in his own centre. It’s not the score against your name — It’s how you play the game that counts most with a good sporting community.