Bowling Notes

Free Lance, Volume IX, Issue 455, 20 March 1909, Page 17

Bowling Notes

By Wrong Bias.

I SEE that Mr. Fiatman, ex-M.P., having no longer to bother his head about politics, has taken the lead in starting a bowling club for Geralchne. As chairman of the meeting to set tne bowl trundling, he said the club would be "the means of bringing strangers into the place and adding to its attractions." Geraldine can stand a few more strangers m its public squares just to diversify the scenery, and certainly its attractions are mot overpowering at present. * • • The following hints from "Boomerang," in Melbourne "Punch," are worth attention. They will fit a good many people: — "In spite of all that has been said and wntten about the duties of players m various positions, it would seem as though the old ideas still prevail, viz., that there aTe three third men and foui skippcis in every rink. When the players change ends we see the leader meet the skip half-way up the gieen and suggest something ; then the third man, as soon as he gets xo the jack end, deems it his duty to 'sit' over the end and tell the other man what he has to do, and very often what he must do The other two listen, and either agree entirely, ot attempt to gag the third man. The leader will screw up his face, and by gestures at the back of the end — where the third man can't see him — tell the skipper 'not to do anything of the kind,' or, if he is a man of advanced ideas himself, he will shout: 'We've everything behind!' or something else. "Nothing looks better, and nothing works better, than to see captain and third man consult when they cross, quietly, and without fuss. Nothing looks worse, however, than to see a third man, after playing his own two bowls, go to the other end a-nd- imme-

diately take possession, and, as is iei^ often, the case, insist that such-and-sucli a shot be played. A rink should be worked as noiselessly and with as little demonstration as possible, fiom the leadei 's first bowl) up to the last from the skip. It is a common mistake made by thirds to suppose that after the skip has made a stroke and not alteiod anything, that they are at ltbeit> to say something like this: 'Look heie, Jack, come round here; you can do this!' or "I wouldn't play that way if I were you!' etc., etc. The day is surely not far distant when a rink will be uoiked entirely by signs.'" * # • On the Wellington bowling green the other day an odd coincidence in names happened. Three very keen players — Butcher, Skinner, and Tanner — took up a rink on the green and looked around for a fourth player to join them in starting a game of pairs. If there had only been a Dyer present the whole trade-process from killing to dyeing would have been represented. In spite of the rain which fell on Friday, all the local greens were occupied on Saturday afternoon. You see tie days are closing in now, and it is only the afternoon brigade who can afford to miss any chances. As for them, a little rain now and then doesn't matter. It's only a pleasant excuse ior trying a hand at crib or bridge inside the pavilion. The Senior Pennant matches produced no surprises or exciting interludes. Wellington beat Kelburne solidly and comfortably 95 to 60, and Victoria just as solidly (96 to 65) hammered down Thorndon, while Petone chipped 87 points off Karori. and left it with 61. Wylie's 27 to Holdsworth's 7 was certainly a pungent kind of cough drop. The most notable points about the Thorndon- Victoria go was McKer row's boot© of 9 against Snaddon's 18, and Munros good game against Hueston, 21 to 19. Both these skips were on the job. The Lower Hutt continues to hold up its end of the stick very gamely. Four Wellington Club Tinks went out on Saturday, and were handsomely taken in and done for. being beaten by 12 points. Orton Stevens had the lively satisfaction of beating Neil McLean by a point, and Moult got a seyere bump from Macaskill, who scored 28 to 12. Dall managed to get out 2 points ahead of Oallender, and Stan, Brown won his game against Hendry by 19 to 16. It was keenly contested from start to finish.

The Wellington Centre's New Year Tournament proved so successful that it was decided to hold a three-days' tourney at Easter. But some of the players barred Good Friday, and. so the tournament is to be confined to the Saturday and Monday. Mr Churchward receives entries up to the 31st inst. I notice that both Invercargill and Oamaru are also holding Easter tournaments. Tom Mackie will be at the fore at Invercargill, with a orack team of Taieri lads from Outram. Mr. J. C. Maddison, the .well-known architect (president of the Christchurch Bowling Club), has just presented a handsome trophy for competition by bowlers belonging to the Christchurch Centre. It is in the form of a column topped by the figure of a bowler in the act of "greening" his bowl. It is for a singles contest, each winner to hold it for a year, and to receive the Christchurch Centre's gold medal, as well as the title of "Single Champion" for the year. "Single" Champion doesn't imply that "no Benedicts need apply." Kerr and Pollock, a capital combination, have pulled off the Club Doubles at Newtown this year. Two very promising colts in the Newtown Club who have shaped remaTkably well this season are Tovey and Watson. They will make their mark. Among the two-year-olds, Warwick, Monk, Ranson, and J. Sexton, are entitled to honourable mention.