Bowling Notes.

Mt Benger Mail, 18 March 1914, Page 3

Bowling Notes.

The Dunstan Bowling Club's new green at 'Clyde was officially opened on Saturday afternoon when tnere was 3 large muster 0 f bowlers and their friends. Besides the local members, players were present from the Roxburgh. Alexandra and Cromwell Clubs. The 1 'resident (Mr McKeanh in a short speech, declared the green open and referred to the efforts put forth by the members since the idea of a bowling green was first mooted, the result being that the v were now in possession of a very creditable green on which the burden of debt was fairly low. Mrs Burrdws bowled the first bowl and made a very good shot. During the afternoon a rouple of light showers fell making the green rather damp although they did not stop {he play. A plentiful sJupply of refreshments was handed round by the ladies, this being a pleasant break in the afternoon's euioyment.

A number of local bowlers pui pose making a trip t« Alexandra on Saturday for the purpose of having a friendly game with that club. Their green is said to be in very good condition and an enjoyable outing should b« the result.

The local green is looking pretty \tsll at present and players are keen. One of the members has kindly donated a couple oi seats to the club and these arc considered a very useful and substantial gift, and much appreciated.

The Green Committee has arranged to put into operation the plan suggested last week of having relays of men for watering the given, A very gratifying response has been made to the call for volunteers—which is just as might be expeotsd from bowlers.

1 had intended before now \o say something about attitude at the mat, and this purpose v\as confirmed when last week I saw a player dragging his leg Iwhind him in a manner which was not only decidedly ungrateful but vvkich tore up the surface of the green very badly. It is imjiossible to dogmatise about this matter of delivery as tli® best players are not necessarily graceful players—some cracks, indeed, having anything but a becoming style. The beginner, however, might as well adopt a graceful, easy style that will make him Wei free, comfoi table, and unconstrained. The great variety of attitudes may be roughly divide:! into four classes.

Many an old player may be seen on his " bunkers," as a Scotsman would say. He bends his left leg and almost sits down on his right heel. T&cn, either with or without a short step forward, he launches his bowl. This is a very cramped position and decidedly unbecoming.

Others appear to kneel ou the mat with the left le_r, and then deliver the bo« 1. This, though ensuring steadiness oi aim, is not recommended. A very popular style is " the stoop." In it the player, standing on the mat with his body l>ein in a stooping posture and his bowl almost touching the ground, «urveys the ' ourse, makes up his mind, and then celiverg the bowl with scarcely any action. Tile chief defect of this i< its stillness and lack of case. The next is somewhat similar. The player takes a stride fjiwa»d. anil then acts as in the previous tiyle. Personally I have a strong prefer**-® for the last of the five which was well exemplified in the play of Mr Wood of Balclutha on our opening day. The bowler sta«kds quite erect with his heels together, awaits instructions from his skip, pictures to himself the course his bowl must follow to " wet there," and then, taking f>no step forward, drops his left knee and with a simultaneous sweep of the ami, deli* ers the bowl at the moment- when it touches the green just behi*3 the line rf hi® i left heel. .

tr-- - At a meeting of WusewLv*« in loynbue 11*11 (London;, Mr Will Thome, M.P., said thai the purchasing power of a sovereign, since 1895 had been re* ducod to Ms 3d. It was decided to unite toi obtain a lixed maximum price for the necessaries of life and a minimum wage for workers. It is also intended to appoint buying agents for tht' Housewives' Lnion, and it is thought thai the bravest shopkeepers will not dare to raise prices when all th* customers are organised. The fouaders conclude that the working women's interests wUl.sontrol the market*. 'T'eoplo who co in mi t th*ee offences (sly grog-selling) know well what they aro doing, and then they come crying to the court to help them," was the caustic comment of Mr W. G. Kiddell (Wellington), S.M.. in an application made for time in which to nay a fine of £2O that had been imposed a few days previously. Mr P. W. Jackson, who represented the defendant, pleaded that leniency was aenerally dealt out to first offenders, ami this was his client's first offence. Ho had been additionally punished bv losing his billet. His Worship so far relented as to allow seven days to defendant for paymeut ot the penalty imposed.