BOWLS IN BRITAIN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 263, 5 October 1936, Page 2

BOWLS IN BRITAIN

FOOT-FAULTING AND PRACTICE

INTERNATIONAL BOARD RULINGS.

Foot-faulting and practice on competition greens were dealt with by the recent meeting of tho International Bowling Board, says a London correspondent. A new rule provides that any player practising on an allotted green before a competition starts shall be eliminated. This applies to the whole of the green and not only to a particular rink.

In regard to foot-faulting, the board introduced raised ridge border mats in tVe international matches with satisfactory results, and decided that umpires should he appointed to both ends with power ttJ signal to stop a bowl and have it removed.

The prospects of a British bowls team visiting Australia in 1938 do not appear particularly promising. This was the impression after the meeting of the international board. Tlie great obstacle to tlie visit is the unsettled condition of Europe. There is also tlie persistence of South Africa for the visit of a British team in 1937. The Empire Games and the Australian carnival in Sydney in 1938 are attractions that may i>e a satisfactory influence, but the time is too distant for definite decisions. Tlie board decided to defer consideration of the Australian Bowling Council’s invitation until next January. In the international championship, played at Glasgow, Scotland won for the second year in succession. This gave them 16 wins in the last 30 matches. England has won seven, the last in 1929; AVales four of the last seven, and six in all; Ireland only one, in 1905. Fine sportsmanship was displayed in these contests. No angry exclamations or gestures from ruffled captains. Players never left the green for “revivers,” a rule binding them to a limited absence. The flavour of the international matches was highly seasoned by the appointment of Mr Firth as umpire. There was an admission charge of Is to the ground, and the attendance was 1000. That gate money was a novelty to some visitors from overseas, as were the revolving scoring boards on /ft. rods, so that all parts of the green could read details. A loud speaker announced the totals on the four sessions, as only 21 ends are played. Two hundred affiliated women bowlers recently took part in a tournament at Hastings. AA’omen have played bowls in England for more than 30 years, but only 5000 (in ISO chibs) are affiliated with the English AA’omen’s Bowling Association. There are few greens solely for women, and nearly all clubs are women’s sections of men’s clubs.