SOME NOTES ABOUT BOWLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13498, 27 May 1907, Page 8

SOME NOTES ABOUT BOWLS.

MEETING OF THE ENGLISH BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

[from our own correspondent.]

London, April 12. This week a special meeting of the English Bowling Association was held in London to consider the suggestion forwarded from Italy by' Mr. T. Ballinger (Wellington), co-manager"with Mr. Prince of the New Zealand team now on its way to England, that a test match should take place in this country. ■ A communication was also received from Mr. J. H. Mentiply, hon. sec. of the Northern Bowling Association, relative to the team's visit. The general opinion expressed was that the visiting bowlers could hardly be considered a representative team. It was decided, however, to ask Mr. Ballinger to arrange for a meeting between his team and the English Bowling Association, with a view to a match other than a test contest.

In view of this objection that the New Zealanders are not a prcpresentative combination, it should be noted that only recently a controversy took place among members of the English Bowling Association over the question of the "English" team taking part in the annual competitions against the Scottish, Irish, and Welsh Associations, being composed of so many Scots. And what makes the matter more complex is the fact that the Welsh Bowling Association has come forward with an invitation for a game at Cardiff, relative to which no objection whatever has been raised against the contest being considered a test game. Writing from Rome.. Mr. Ballinger states that he anticipates that the team will almost, if not quite entirely, take part in the single-handed tournament open to the world. This is to take place at the Crystal Palace about the middle of May. Six Australian players have already entared, including Mr. Charles Wood, President of the Victorian Bowling Association, and Mr. J. Hannigan, of Sydney, who has bowled upon a number of New Zealand greens. .. Mr. Charles Springer, of New Zealand, took part in a game on the Crystal Palace Indoor Bowling Club's rink on Wednesday night with; Messrs. J. Hanigan (Sydney) and J. Nicholson (Melbourne). Though finding the improvised rink played upon a good deal different from the ordinary green, Mr. Springer soon got into touch with its general run. The visitors I lost by three points. Mrs. Striuger also | tried the qualities of the rink. , So great is the.. interest being shown over the New Zealanders' visit that invitations are being issued daily by clubs, among the most recent being those from the. Saxe-Weimar Club, the Southsea, and. the Hove .Club over the greens of which colonial bowlers have competed before. Dr. W. G. Grace has intimated that the New. Zealand bowlers when they arrive are to receive honorary membership of the London Count}'. Bowling Club, Crystal Palace, and he further states that the first entries he has received for the great single-handed tournament open to the world, which is to take place at the Crystal Palace in Whit sun week, are those received on behalf of the New Zealanders. Last year there were just, one hundred entries in this annual contest, including H. Stevens, of the Northern Bowling Association of New Zealand. The, interest being shown in the on-com-ing New Zealand team far exceeds that shown over that of the New Zealand and Australian '". teams in 1901, and is also greater than that manifested' in the tour . of the Dominion bowlers three years ago. The latest invitation to Mr. Ballinger and the rest of .the: combination has been received from the Reading Club, the secretary of which, Mr. H. Childs, the welh known internationalist, states that his club hope to engage the full strength of the New Zealanders upon what would-be found one of the finest greens in England, while the welcome afforded would be as near colonial in heartiness as possible. It was at Reading that Messrs. Tutt and Mercer took part in the contest when, for; the first time on record, a lady played in a game of an international character. •>• ;