BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18456, 18 January 1922, Page 3

BOWLING.

By Jack. Unless there is a speedy change for the bid ter in tho weather conditions visiting bowlers will carry away a poor impression of Dunedin in this respect. The weather has been broken since the commencement of the tourney, and consequently tho greens, which during the holiday season were keen enough to satisfy the most fastidious, have, generally speaking, been leaden. Until yesterday, however, the executive was able to keep up to lime with its programme, but yesterday’s weather conditions were such that play for the day had to be abandoned. As is often the case in a big tournament, much of the play lias been of an indifferent standard, nerves being to a considerable extent responsible for this. As the weeding out process proceeds a bin* improvement can bo looked for, and, judging by the calibre of many of tho players’ taking part, the semi-finals and finals should produce some play. Six players remain in the singles —Kerr (Mastcrton), with two lives, and J. Rigby (North-East Valley), D. Sraitn (Caledonian). G. Adcss (St. Kilda), Perry (Masterton), and P. Carolin (St. Kilda) with one life each. Kerr plays a fine all-round game, and if ho can reproduce tho form which has carried him so far he will be very hard to beat. There are no fireworks about his game, but ha appears to have all the shots in his locker, and he is an adept at getting out of a tight corner. It is a difficult matter for any player to land a “pot” against him. His club-mate. Perry, who has one life, is also a fine all-round exponent of the game, and will take a lot of beating. Of the local players Rigby and Smith are both in groat form at present. Rigby baa probably never played better bowls than Lo has this season. His club

form has been especially good, Tonkin (tl>3 ex-champion of champions) being among his victims. The game between Perry and Rigby was worth witnessing. It was a neck and neck race, in which each player gave of his best. Rigby’s finishing effort on the last head was as good as one could wish to see. Elis first bowl ran about 18 inches past the jack, and Perry replied by placing a fine shot about nine inches in front. Rigby again ran over, but with his third made a perfect trail for three. Perry

made two good attempts to pull tho game out of tho tire, but failed. D. Smith • ((Caledonian) is also in fine form, aoid Smith in his best form, in the opinion of tho writer, is second to none in Dunedin as an exponent of bowling, but, like all others, he has his off days. In defeating Seddon (St. Clair) by 26 to 0 Smith showed what he is capable of when in the mood. His drawing was at all times accurate, and cutting a bowl out appeared to be a simple matter to him. Last year’s champion, Brackenridge, jun., of Wellington, performed fairly well, but quite failed to reproduce tho form that landed him on the top of the tree last year. It ia unfortunate that E. Harraway, J. Scott, and W. Foster were unable to take part in tho singles championship, as these, players would have added considerably to the interest taken in tho contest. It is rather early yet to comment on the 1 pairs and rinks matches. In., several instances the green winners have been found in the pairs matches, but in some cases the section winners have yet to be found. At least in one instance the possible was scored in the pairs games, D. Stuart (St. Kilda) bagging an eight against Longworth (St. Clair).

Ihe games in on© of tho sections on the Kaituna Green resulted in a somewhat unusual manner. With four games completed two pairs had won three out of four, and several others two out of four. In tho fifth and last game the players with three wins to their credit went down, while the winners of two games added another victory to their list. This brought six pairs level. In the rinks games, which commenced on Monday, the most noteworthy feature was the two defeats sustained by Harrawuy's rink—one of the ‘‘official” rinks selected by the Dunedin Club in honour of its jubilee year. On paper the rink looked the goods, but it is well recognised that form on paper counts for little or nothing. It should bo mentioned that Harraway has been indisposed, and was unable to take part in the singles and pairs games, but, of course, that cannot be advanced as an excuse for defeat, as the Dunedin skip would hardly have taken his place at the head of his rink if he had not felt equal to the task. „ With regard to the selection of official rinks to represent a club, the wisdom of such action is open to question. Such rinks are naturally composed of leading players in a club, and in the case of Harraway's rink every player is a recognised skip. This means that where the club is represented by two official rinks, each solely composed of skips or thirds, a number of players in tho club have little chance of getting into a rink that has even an outside chanco of success. Up to the present tho machinery of the executive has worked quite smoothly, and I do not think that a hitch of any kind has occurred. Mr Hanning (secretary) and his assistants have not spared themselves in their efforts, and nothing appears to have been left undone that might in any way contribute to the success of the tournament. A bowlers’ social will be held in the Early Settlers* Hall to-morrow evening. All bowlers taking part in the tournament, also umpires, recorders, and presidents and secretaries of clubs are cordially invited to be present. For the first part of the 1922 Rotorua bowling tournament, to bo commenced on February 6, 55 entries have been received, and for the second tournament, commencing on February 20. 20 entries have been received. The entries are all from North Island clubs. The Wanganui Centre has forwarded an

application to the Dominion Council asking if it would bo possible to hold the dominion tournament at Wanganui at some future time. Tho council decided to hold the matter over to tho next meeting, to be held tin’s month. In tho final of the Wellington Bowling Centre’s annual tournament Fountain’s Wcl lington Club rink won out against Gilbert (Lyall Bay) after a very interesting game. According to reports of the match, both skips gave a very fine exliibition, but Gilbert lost ground in the first few ends, Foun tain scoring a 4 and a 5 in succession’, I<Vom tho sixth head on, however, there were few pots, and for the most part the rinks had to be content with scoring singles. Gilbert gradually gained ground, but Fountain was able to hold up his end to gain the victory by 22 to 17. Fountain, who is very well known throughout the dominion as a bowler, was at one time a prominent player in the Dunedin Centro. For the first time on record the Southland tournament has shown a substantial credit balance (reports the Southland Tirne-s), and after paying all expenses in connection with the fixture a profit of £4B remained. Of this amount tho centre decided to vote £6 to (he four local greenkeepers in recognition of the special services they Tendered during the tournament. The remaining £42 will be devoted towards wiping out past debts, and by the lime all outstanding accounts have been paid very little will be loft. Nevertheless the position is eminently satisfactory, and the centre is to be congratulated op being free from debt for the first, time in many years. The tournament was. of course, run on very economical lines, and carc was exercised in tho direction of refreshments, while tho smoke concert, which has always been a losing proposition to the centre, was abandoned. By the death last week of Mr W. Davidson the Mornington Club lost one of its oldest, and most popular members. Mr Davidson attended (he first meeting of the club in 1908, and was elected as one of the directors of the company which was then formed, a position he ably filled until his death. In 1909 ho was elected president, being the first to hold the position. He was in tho chair for two years, and until two years ago he was a very energetic committee man. He was a keen bowler, and took an active part in the club competitions. Mr Davidson will be sadly missed by his clubmulcs, both as a player and also as an advisor. The members of (lie Dunedin Bowling Club invite all elderly bowlers (members of an affiliated club) to be present on the Dunedin Bowling Club’s green, Cumberland street., on Saturday, February 11, 1922. on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of tho '‘elderly bowlers’ day.” Tho executive of the Dunedin Bowling Centre has courteously arranged that no intcrclub matches shall bo played on that day. For the convenience of visiting bowlers, and to afford as many opportunities as possible of meeting together and renewing the days of “ Auld Lang Syne,” the green will be open for play from 10 a.m. on the Saturday morning. The gathering for the afternoon is fixed for 2 p.m., and to enable the rinks to be drawn and published in Friday’s newspaper, all bowlers wishing to take part are asked to see (hat (he, secretary of their club has sent their names to the secretary of (lie Dunedin Club (Mr H. F. .M. Mercer, Sun Fire Office) on or before Tuesday. February 7, 1922. Tho accommodation on the green being limited, it is desired that no player under 70 years of age lie asked to play. An effort will bo made to make room for members of bowling clubs affiliated to the Dominion of Now Zealand Bowling Association over that, age who have been members of a bowling club for not less than 10 years. Should the number of these players