BOWLING NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19859, 1 February 1928, Page 16

BOWLING NOTES.

COMING TOUR OF ENGLAND. LOCAL BOWLERS FAREWELLED SURVEY OF THE ITINERARY. Seven members of the party of New Zealand bowlers which is to leave shortly on what is virtually a world tour are members of the West End Club. They were officially farewelled by their clubmates on Saturday evening whrn the president of the club, Mr. G. H. Plummer, presided over a large attendance. The president, Mr. J. Pascoe, and a few members of the Auckland Centre were also present. A presentation was made to each member of the party, and there were also some humorous instructions as to the behaviour and duties of the West End representatives while on tour. Mr. J. W. Hardley, the manager of the party, gave a brief summary of the forthcoming tour. The party will leave Auckland en February 8 and sail from Wellington on February 10. Matches will be played in Wellington before leaving, and also in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, en route. From the entrance to the Suez Canal train wilt be taken to Cairo for sightseeing. The boat will bo picked up again and a landing made at Marseilles. Some of the party will proceed by rail through France and others will keep to the boat for the rest of the journey. The party will have ample time in England to recuperate and acclimatise somewhat before the tour proper opens about May 1. Tour of the British Isles. Matches will be played in the South of England and in Wales, and the tourists will work north and cross over to Ireland. From there they will go to Scotland, and then return to" England. In Scotland fully 26 matches will be played, including a test at Glasgow, so that the players will have a great opportunity to try out the famous Scottish greens. It is expected to close the English tour on July 16, so as to allow members a brief respite for business before the Canadian and United States tour, commencing about August 15. Departure will be made from Southampton ou August 11. A number of games will be played in the Vancouver district, and a pressing invitation has been received for the party to visit California where the game has a good hold, with Los Angeles as the centre. A number of the team will no doubt play in the American State while the others wait in Vancouver. Team Above Average Strength. As far as touring teams go the party's bowling strength is much above the average. The team may not include many first-class players, but its members can confidently be expected to give a solid showing. . The preliminary arrangements for the tour, which have been in the capable hands of Mr. J. W. Hardley, have entailed a vast amount of work. The team is indeed fortunate in being under the management of one who is so enthusiastic and capable. The whole tour is more comprehensive than any yet undertaken from New Zealand or Australia and those able to make the trip can be considered most fortunate. Carlton Players JaraweJled. The Carlton Club also tendered a farewell to three of its members who are included in the team. J. M. Thomson, A. Coutts at'-d W. Arey were all wished the best of lucik and a pleasant trip. The Carlton bowlers took the opportunity at the tea adjournment on Saturday to make farewell presentations to two others of their number, both responsible officers of the club. A. Coltman and D. Guy are leaving Auckland. The former, who has been appointed headmaster of the Matangi school, neax Cambridge, will by his departure leave a gap not/ only in his own club, but also in the ranks of Auckland bowlers. As a club official and Dominion tourney secretary he'has proved himself a thoroughly capable and conscientious officer. As Matangi is halfway between Hamilton and Cambridge there will be keen rivalry between the clubs of the two towns to secure his membership. Guy has been for a long period on the grounds committee of his club and his practical knowledge gained as a farmer has been of great value. He has been a great worker in all departments of the game. Contest for Hardlay Shield. The Auckland Centre representatives had little difficulty in winning the second of tho series of matches for the Hardley Shield against South Auckland on the Hamilton green. Prior to the first match, which was played in Auckland, there were many who thought that the South Auckland representatives would more than hold their own on their home greens. However, the results of the first round completely shattered all such forecasts, and the Auckland men were set a comparatively easy task in the recent second round. The shield by virtue of the laws governing the competition, will remain in the custody of the Devonport Club for' the year. A feature of the visit to Hamilton was the hospitality lavished on the Auckland men by both the Hamilton and Cambridge bowlers. The general consensus of opinion among the local competitors at the Dominion tourney.is that Foster (Caledonian), the winning skip, was quite the best drawing man in the tournament and stood out from the rest of the skips. Strange to say, he does «>t like skipping and would far sooner lead in a good team. It was with tho greatest difficulty that he was induced to join the winning team as skip. DEATH OF SPORTSMEN. TOLL TAKEN IN PAST YEAR. [from our own correspondent.] NEW YORK. Doc. 28. Death claimed many notable performers in the arena of sport in America in 1927. A colourful figure in pugilism passed away —"Tiger" Flowers, the tactiturn negro "praying colonel," who had ruled the middle-weight, boxing ranks. Others who took the final count were: William Rothwell ("Young Corbett"), who won the feather-weight championship from Terry McGovern and lost it three years later to Jimmy Britt, Freddie Welsh, who won tho world's light-weight crown from Willie Ritchie in a furious 20-round battle in London in tho first year of the Great War, and lost it to Bonny Leonard in New York about the time the Hindenbtirg lino was first broken by the Australians; and Young Griffio, the Australian, and cleverest and quickest boxer who ever stood in the ring, whose most notable feat was to face a mirror and challenge anyone behind him to knock his hat off, for drinks or money. Other figures in the sporting world who died were Walter Travis, first American golfer to win the British amateur title; Sybil Bauor, who held 23 world's records among women swimmers; William Prout, noted athlete and president of the American Olympic Committee; Tom Gallagher, widely known ns a master billiards player; Pedro Maupome, billiard champion of Mexico; and Jimmy McLaughlin, famous old-time jockey.