BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14684, 18 November 1909, Page 10

BOWLING.

Notes bt Jack,

Wanted, a standard bowl! This is the ; position apparently of the council of the N.Z.I!.A. It is a rather peculiar position, too, in view pf the fact that bowl-testing has been carricd on at intervals for some years past. .It would bo tedious to trace tho history of tho attempts made in the past to arrive at some dtlinite decision as to the "draw" which should be insisted upon and the method by xvhioh that "draw" shall bo ascertained. Nor is there anything to be gained by inquiring why after some years the association is not possessed of a satisfactory stahdard bowl with which to compare tho "draw" of bowls which can be accepted by the association as being up to its requirements. True, thero is a standard bowl, biit in the past it was not considered to havo sufficient bias, and the result was • that it was not used by the official testers. The standard bowls which they did use are not now available; hence tho present position. Mr Scott, tho present official tester, naturally desires to have everything in businosa shape before commencing the testing, and after the trials held it was thought the council would have oome to a decision on Tuesday evening. That body, however, referred it to a cornmittce. Tho ditty is so. important that (he united wisdom of the mombers might have been devoted to it. Whatever standard i 3 decided on is sure to cause some dissatisfaction, and the question should be settled wholly and solely on what is best in tho interosfs of the game.

It may be recalled that after the visit oi the Dominion team to Australia a good (leal was said and written about tho '•peters" used by sonic of the New Zealanders. Those disparaging remarks greatly pained many of our players, as it was a reflection on our sportsmanship. It is to be hoped therefore that whatever standard is adopted it will no longer be possible to reproach our bowlers with using " pokere." It appoars tho standard bowl adopted by Queensland is wider than the Now Zealand standard bowl, and . that New South Wales is likely to acccnt the Queensland test. According to statements published in Australian papers, the New Zealand draw is 4ft 4in in 77ft. The Queensland draw is said to Ire. equal to Sft 2in in 77ft, or sft. 9in in 96ft.

Many will regret that the idea of holding iv tournament at Timaru during the Christmas holidays has been abandoned,'as it would have provider) nn ideal outin" South Otago, it is to be hoped, will benefit. A suggestion has been thrown out that the South Otago Centre might ascertain the •accommodation available, particularly for ladic.?, and let the town clubs know the result. .

One of ihe most interesting of olub mutches on Saturday will probably be that bctweon Taieri and Dunodin, four rinks a-sida playing on each preen, i " Surprising!" was the exclamation heard on all hands on Saturday by these playing on tho new grwn at Mornington. , . referred to the excellence of the playing surface There was a splendid sole of grtts, the green was as level as a billiard table-remarkably keen. There was a strong gale blowing, but the green is so well sheltered from Ihe prevailing wind that the running of tire bowls was interfered with only by unusually stron" ffUStt. Tl.e Mornington Club has cvor\° tniijg necessary to make a success, and 'if ordinary rare is taken of the green which Mr Hooking Iwa prepared for. them it will bo one of the Ixsst in the district. IJunedm C'inb has managed to lose one intercliih match for the past two or (lire jea-sons. Last year it was to Cav-rshsin oy one point, and the year before that lu Ralmacewen. This year an earlv start has been macje, and to St. Hilda belongs the honour of winning against the senior club As to the reasons for tho dofcat-woll'

they arc almost as many as the players who took part. One Dunedin player frankly admitted that on the day's play at St. Kilda thobwt team won. The wind was, of course, troublesomo, and may have disconcerted the town players more than those who are accustomed to playing when ft still breezo is blowing. But the wind "as a trifle baffling on tho Dunedin green, ami there Alters Beniley, Hunter, and Doll accounted ' for Messrs Irvine, aeoisen anri M'Lennan, while Messrs n„ a" »1> 15 nil. 011 tho St. Kihln. green Mr John Wl.xo ran away fiom Air J. Johnson, the scow at one stage being 28 lo '5. With a Z, a wjigle, and 4 at the last three heads, tho Dunedin men reached a dozen. M Sin. clatr was 11 to Mr Smea ton's 5 at tho ninth h"ad, but. after that tho Dunedin men only scored twice, while tho ex-Kni-tuna player scored 20, tho fi, m l being 25 to It. Mr Paget Gale scored 22 at Si" 'D- Carami '' iun':i----29. Tho St. ICilda men scored at seven heads in sucocssion aftor the thirteenth the Dunedin players securing a single at tho last head. Mr J. Gilmour started off well against Mr M'Curdy, tile scores being 12 to 4at the seventh head. Tho Dunedin skip won at four of. tho next 14 heads bringing Ilia total up to 18 against St! Kilda's 29. As if to prove there was no fluke about- Saturday's win, the Saints put down three strong rinks yesterday from tho .Dunedin Green.

Kaituna had no difficulty in accounting for Cavershnm, although only thrco points to tho good on tho Cavorsham greenthanks mainly to Mr C. T. Paterson's 22 against Mr Tillie's 13. On the Knit-urni green tho visitors could make no impression save" in one rink. In tho early stages Mr D. Robertson ran away from Mr F. S. Stokes, but whim tho wir:d moderated tho Ivaitunn men got. to work in earnest- and finished up with 32 to Cavershain's 17. Mr Pa.vno was iii good form, as ho put up 26 to Mr Forrester's 9. Mr Coltman had Mr Mur-> cliison in trouble n.ll the time, but tho struggle between Messrs Stephens and MacGregov was fairly even throughout-, the Cavorsham skip winding up with an advantage of a, couple. 1

In a generous moment the Match Committee of the Balmaoowcn Club decided that for tho match against Fairfield soino of the icoognised skips should havo a holiday, thus allowing tho more promising of tho younger-, players an opportunity of skipping. The result was that. Fairfield scored n win by 7 points. Tho Fairfioldcra havo tho 'material if they only practise and study the game a littlo more when doiing so. Outram's display against N.E. Valley was somewhat disappointing after the country club's record of last season and in view of its green being the first to open this season. Of course, tho Valley players, thanks to tho excellence of their green, havo not stood still, and in a. fourrink game will put up a good fight against some of tho older clubs.

St. Clair's 23 points down to Roalyn was not unexposed, ns the seaside club bus not had much material to draw upon for the'past year or two. The surprise of tho play was tho defeat., by Mr 11. S. Cole, by 33 to 14, of Mr R. 11. Scott, who did so ■veil in tho Invercargill Easter tournament. It was evidently not Mr Hancock'? day out, as he only put up 11 to Mr Sooular's 28. •

When a young club like Otago ventures to put eight rinks in the field against tho redoubtable Taieri players tho result is easily foretold. On 'Saturday it was a win for Taieri by 92 points. Mr C. R. .Smith managed to draw against Mr D. L. Christie, but overy other Otago rink was down —those competing against Messrs Carswell and lait badly down. A good beating now and again is a wliolcsonic lesson to a young club if taken in the pixipcr spirit, as it assists in keeping in cheok the tendency on the. part of young players to believe after ono or two successes in practico games that tlioy aro quite as good as seasoned players.

W'akari must not bo cast down by the somewhat severo handling they received from the Green Island players, Evidently Urcen Island was not taking too big a risk of ft surprise when they put in eucti strong skips as they did. Only ono of the Malum rinks reached doublo figures, but with steady practice thero should be a different story to toll before tho end of he GOason 24*} to 91 is only a beginning. Tapanui Club oponftf its green Inst Week with the usual formalities, the ladies turning out in force. The green is lookiV well, and promises to bo in good order. It JS to be hoped somo of the town clubs may be ablo to visit Tapanui, Clinton, and •Lawrence during tho season,

, SOUTHLAND BOWLING. Jfcrthend, To Rangi, and Southland lopiesontativcs who travelled to Gore on tho 9th ivoro not very successful in their Mutches, rho Gore Club iron all three nuitcncs, but tho Hokonui lost to Northond, and made with Southland only a draw, ilio ujuthlandors should have won their game fig-ttinsi; tto-ra, as with tiho last end li iP , thoy hod' a considerRbl© advantage, but Fisher's rink °"ot m ., i a jix head against Howie, and with M Natty' to linish against the Goro votcran W. P. Craig tho score? were exaclily level. Jl'Natty played two good shots, but nnnm'd to score only second -place, nn<l Gore won by a single point. l!he Gore Club pOMcseas some first" class playere in Craig, Frobarth, Porks lirown, Itowar, Ingram. Adams, ami l'isner, who can be relied on ns either skips or thirds, and, in addition, some of tho steadiest leads, €o that in a four-rink match on their oivn green they are ueuallv succcsiful. On this occasion they played the same rinks in all three games, and as owing to tho wet weathar having made the Hokonui Green unfit for play, the Goio and Hokonui Clubs ployed on the uore Club's Green, the matches were aJI reduced to four-rink games. This meant t ,t 1 " j OlX ' er give every flayer who travelled to Goro a gaino the personnel of tho riiila of the threo litvercorgill cluba was different each time.

The Hokonui Club possesses samo experienced bowlors, mid a good 1 many of the now chums show considerable promise. Mr C. S. Longuet, Mayor of Invcrcargill, president of the Southland Club, and member of the Southland Centre, has donated a trophy to bo played for by representatives of tho three ■ town cJubs. Each elub is to play t)ho other, three rinks wide.

Thorn will be so many trophy matches and interclufo Onatohcs to tako up attention this season that Invcrcareill bowlers may bo in danger of losing, tne pleasuro of tho sociable afternoon or evening game in tho excitement of what has been termed " pot-hunting.'' Of conrso the term is altogether wrong, for what players strivo alter is the credit of winning in important matchcs, whore tho host talent is found in competition. But there is a feeling abroad that the season's programme is gutting just a little heavy.