BOWLING NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7336, 14 January 1911, Page 7

BOWLING NOTES

(By Sir Francis). A number- of sugeestions have been put forward with the object of doing away with the mrwieldlinrss of the modern tourmment without diminishing its interest. One of the most practical Mens is the elimination of the pairs matches. Take, for example, the great bowling carnival now drawing to its close in Auckland. For six days bowlers have been hard at it from enidy mornin t g until late, at night toiling away in theblazing sunshine hour after hour, so that the programme could be duly got through. The moment one. game was concluded another was undertaken, and even then the schixlule could not possibly have been adhered to unless the games had been cut down to sixteen and then eleven heads. Had wet weather interrupted the play the tournament must perforce have run into its second week. With the over-incrensing popularity of the game the tendency of the Northern Bowling Association's annual tournament must be to grow larger, and the time seems to have fully arrived I when something must be done towards keeping it within due bounds. The cutting out of the pairs mav oossiblybe a better way out of the difficulty than anv restriction as to the number of full rinks from each centre.

With, so many -prominent howlers absent in the north matters have boon rather ouiet in Wellington during the week, but the return of the tourists next week will soon liven matters up again. ■ /. Most howlers, so long as they can get a pleasant camp, do not appear to take anv very absorbing interest in the details of management.' This is very no-fc-'ceable in cluh affairs, where the hon. secretary is generally allowed to do nearly nil the work, and the management of the club is carried on by just a few enthus'asts. Verv much the same kind of thing is to be "found in association control, where there might easilv be ch'Bos. Certainly no. progress would be made but for the cood work of a loyal few. In the Northern Bowling .Association the much-h">uc<nred custom of allowing the other fellow to act: was verv nofr'ce'We at' the conference of delegates in Auckland on Thursday. Of 6fi delegates on the snot_only eijrh+een turned up at the meeting, and most of these were over an hour late. This seems the more remarkable "as the busin~os was of n rno** - what ' controversal character. The redeeming feature in the incident was that the business was got through in less time than m.i* r ht otherwise have been the ens*, and the d»ciwons arrived at aopear to be-correct ones. One of the chief arguments against Vhs suggested olianire of constitution was that if a bowlpr belonging to an aifiliat»d club is travelling through the Dominion he cannot have a friendly roll un with players at any town he, may virft if their club is not affiliated, unless he first obra'ns a permit, otherwise th*re is' a risk of disqualification. It is held '•hat this will in a large measure destroi that spirit of freemasonry among disciples of the. old game which has always been held, and. rightly so.'to be one of its chief attractions.. Whether this ■ really will be the case remains bo be proved. ' A number of bowlers, who hove been unsuccessfully competing at the Northern Bowling Association tournament, returned homo.by tho Main Trunk express yesterday. Marquis, of Kelburne, who has been representing his club in Auckland, came back yesterday as far as Wanganui, and leave? for C'hristchurch on Saturday, where he intends taking part in the New Zealand Bowling Association's tournament. It takes a lot of bowling to weary the thorough-going enthusiast. Colonel FSrie, 'of the Auckland and Thorndon Clubs, went north to ■ watch the contests at the b:<" tournament, and returns to Wellington very'shortly. He is a snapshot artist, and some of his pictures of bowlers in characteristic attitudes are very amusing.

Colonel Collins, ex-presid?nt of the Northern Bowling; AssoMat'on, who wis in Auckland for the tournament, and incidentally to po'nt out the merits of the new rules, was a pr.ssenper to Wel•linfrton by yesterdny'6 express. Is drivinc on the increase ? It is n questicn which I have heard discussed more than once during the Northern Bowling: Association's tournament, and the opinion has been freely expressed that not only is it so. but that the "dynamite" players are spoiling the pjame. In one match I looked on at there were no less th an seven dead heads in a short game but the men who stuck to drawing ca-ne out on torj. As one player amusingly put it—"a prreat artist may take five years to paint a nicture, but any fool can spoil one in five minutes." One may play perfect bowls, but one drive, often a very bad shot, may spoil the whole thins owing to some extravagently lucky wick. Certainly the over use of the drive tends to destroy nicety of play, but just how the matter can bo dealt with it is difficult to say. Possibly a restriction in the number of drives allowable in any game mifrht be worth consideration. The results of the finals of the champion fours and pairs, which are to take place in Auckland this morninjr, will be awaited with keen interest bv bowlers all over the North Island. 'WTrehever teams win will certainly d<*=eTve tli« honour and the pri7es,' for the battle has been very strenuous, and the victory will not bo a blood'rss one. AC the time of writin.T the weather looks by no r , '«" , ns T\romi«i!i>r for anv play in Wellin'rfon this afternoon, and in any case the Erree:is will be verv heavy- TT"w-ever. bowlers have nit had a srreat deal to complain about 'his seac."n on-*. :'f is. they can phi'o'ophically remember that there are plenty of good days ahead.

HTJTT r. WELLINGTON. The fclloivin.T tonms have Wn picl-e-l to play for the Hntt Club ap-ainc' WijlHnpton on the Wellington green to dav:— Calender. PuroV, Cmlbv TTollard. P. TTemiry. Sevrrour Si-npfon ■ VV. S. F»ndrv. Harlow Cuff. Pincli-ir-S'-ovens. Trerdwell. !!•>»• wiv-th. M-r-by Macaskill, Nicholson. Dawson. Allport.