BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19107, 28 February 1924, Page 4

BOWLING.

By Jack. In regaining possession of the Redpath Cup from Canterbury on Friday Otago had little to spare at the end of the game. Otago look tho lead early and held it right to the finish, but there was little more than a score of points separating the teams at any stage of the game. Chaco's winning" margin—15 points—is hardly sufficient to justify tho conclusion that the local players were the stronger combination. In fact, I am inclined to think that the visitors .were tho stronger all-round side, but the keenness of tho green placed a bigger handicap on them than on tho Otago players. Canterbury has few greens with the pace of cur keenest surfaces, and Messrs Crawford and Thomson had the Dunedin green polished into its best condition. A strong, gusty wind made the element of luck play a considerable part in tho game. It is very seldom that a province can send a team away from homo as truly representative as the Canterbury side which made the trip south. In this respect it may be stated that out of the 32 players originally selected 51 took part in the game. The two outstanding scores in the game were W. Wright’s 3'l to Chegwin’s 10 and J. Redpath’s 36 to C. Amtman’s 14. Wright’s rink played like clockwork, and tho skip was always there when wanted. In the Redpath-Amtman game the Canterbury men —Angus (third) and Redpath (skip) in particular, played splendidly and quite eclipsed their rivals. Fustier (third for tho Otago rink) was much below his best form, and Amtman’s form was not up to the standard necessary in a representative skip. Still it has to be remembered that it was an easy matter to fail under the existing conditions. This was demonstrated in the ga,me between E. Healey and W. Carswell, the Taieri champion going down bv 10 po.nts. Tho wind quite upset the veteran’s play. and a stranger looking on could never have realised that it was one of the dominion’s finest exponents of the game that was being trounced so comfortably. Tho Canterbury players, like the donor of the cup (Mr J.“ Redpath), proved thenjselves fine sports to a man, and the local players will retain very pleasant recollections of their brief stay in Dunedin.

The interelub championship is now nearcompletion. Saturday’s games made no alteration in the position of the leading teams, Caledonian still retaining a twopoint lead from St. Clair, with Dunedin one point further back. As only two games remain to be played, a two-oomt win for Caledonian next Saturday will leave them in a fairly safe position for the banner, but as Caledonian’s next opponents are St. Kilda in four sections and Dunedin in one section, the result is very open. Caledonian had nothing to spare on Saturday, winning one and losing one section against Taieri and winning two sections out of three against Kaikorai. Air Abbott (Caledonian selector) has been experiencing a lot of difficulty in placing 15 rinks on the green recently, and players should realise the amount of time and work he is giving on fcenalf of the club and rally to his assistance. Dunedin defeated Caversham in two sections out of three, and Port Chalmers in each of the two sections Mayed, but wont down in one section to Otago. This, however left them with the coveted two points. Roslyn players have shown a decided improvement ns the season progresses, and on Saturday added another two points to their score, defeating Outram (one section), and winning one and losing ono against. Anderson’s Bav. In the game between E. Wedderspoon (Roslyn) and Irvine (Anderson’s Bay), the former put on the cricket score of 50 to 8. . North-East Valiev still retain their position at the font of the list. The following table shows the result of Saturday’s games and the position to date of the various clubs: —

At a recent meeting of the South Otago Centre strong exception was taken to the tone of a letter receiyed from the secretary of the Dunedin CentrS inviting the southern centre to nominate players for the Otago representative team to play against Canterbury. As a summary of the report of the South Otago Centro was published in this column last week, it is only fair to the Dunedin Centre that a copv of the letter sent by the secretary should also be published. This certainly shows that the southern centre’s grievance is more fancied than real —in fact, there really does not appear to he anything whatever in the letter to take exception to. However, the following is a copy of the letter, and readers can judge for themselves: “The Secretary, South Otago Bowling Centre. Dear Sir,—The annual interprovincial bowling match. Canterbury v. Otago, is due to be played this year in Dunedin on Friday, February 22. In accordance with the usual custom it has been decided to ask the Central, South, and North Otago Centres to nominate not more than four of their players for inclusion in' the Otago team. If your centre has any players of interprovincial standard who desire to take part jn this match will you please let me know the names on or before February 15? If I do not receive any names by that date, I will take it that‘yo u have no players to nominate. —Yours faithfully (signed). R. Hanning, secretary.” It is quite likely that the Balclutha and Kaitangata rinks which have been playing challenge matches will make a trip to Central Otago shortly (says the Free Press). At a social function the other evening an Otago Central bowler present mooted the idea which immediately “caught on” with those present. Mr John Gold, with his usual generosity, offered to place his motor lorry at the disposal of the players, and the trip was practically decided on there and then. The proposal is to leave Balclutha on Thursday, March 13. and return on the Sunday. Matches will be played at Clyde, Alexandra, and Roxburgh. The team will be Messrs Maiden, Duncan. Pryde, Sharp (Kaitangata), and Gold, MTntyro, Johnston, and W. Stewart (Balclutha), the players being “mixed” so as to make the rinks as even as possible. The trip should prove a very enjoyable one, and many wUI no doubt envy .the participants. On Saturday afternoon the Stirling Club conducted a progressive doubles tournament, in which six pairs took part. A very enjoyable afternoon was spent, the green being in splendid order. The wind at times was trouolesome, but did not deter in any way from the enjoyablencss of the games. Five games were played and the winner for the skips turned up in Mr J. G. Henderson, with 4£ points (his last game being drawn). Messrs H. Little and W. Maxwell were second with 4 points. In the leads Messrs W. Jefferson and T. Duncan tied with 3 points each and divided first and second prizes. THE TWO-LIFE SYSTEM. A correspondent writes:—The two-life system in club ties is a matter that requires a lot of attention by all clubs. I think I am correct in stating that hardly one' club in Dunedin follows out the two-life system correctly. I think if the centre adopted a two-life system—that is, formulate a plan for clubs to follow, it would save a lot of talk and trouble for members of many clubs,, who, owing to changes in their club ties committees, have an altered system every year. Mr Pastier, a. member of the centre, is a first-class man at this sort of work, and if he were asked to draw up a system I feel sure he would do so, and if this were adopted by all clubs in the Dunedin Centre no doubt a lot of trouble would be avoided. I hope you will assist the writer in bringing about this much wanted idea.. (1 would like to sec my correspondent's suggestion adopted, and I do not think a better man than Mr Pastier could be found to draft a suitable scheme.) In the Dunedin Club’s singles championshin on Monday S. Hutchison heat W. Hogg and J. M'Fadden boat G. Nelson (two lives). This left three in the competition, and as Nelson had met both M'Faddon and Hutchison and the latter pair had not met, Nelson got the bye. On Tuesday M‘Fadden and S. Hutchison met, and the latter won after a fine game. Hutchison in the first half of this game was drawing splendidly, and though M’Fadden came with a “wet sack” he did not quite get there. The final between Hutchison and Nelson will bo played as soon as the green is available after its “dose of medicine.” This should prove a good game, as Nelson (last year’s

champion) and Hutchison are both playing good bowls. When these two met earlier in the competition Nelson beat Hutchison by three points. Tho St. Kilda Chib's singles championship has reached an interesting stage, daridge, with two lives, was drawn' against Smeaton (one life), and ,•* well-contested game resulted in Smeaton Just winning on the post. This left four one-lifers in the contest, daridge and Smeaton being again drawn as opponents, and Hellyer being drawn against Robertson. The former pair met last night, and on this occasion Claridge turned the tables on Smeaton. He will now play the winner of the Hellyer-Robertson game in Iho final. In the champion rinks competition Walker and Cameron will meet in tho final. The North-East Valley Club’s singles championship has been won by J, Tonkin, who defeated C. Owen comfortably in the fined. Tonkin -went through the competition unbeaten. The Otago Officers and the South African War Veterans’ Association (one rink each) mot on the Dunedin grfeen yesterday afternoon. tho latter winning by 17 points to 16. The rinks were as follows: —Otago Officers: Archibald, Worthington, Moir, and W. Connor; South African Veterans: O’Kano, 11. Harraway, J. C. Rigby, J. M'Gregor. The Otngo-Southland representative match will be played at Invercargill on March 19, and on the return journey a six-rink game will be played against South Otago. SUNDAY PLAY. As to whether bowls should or should not. be played on Sundays is with some people a moot point (writes “No. 2” in the Wellington Evening- Post). At any rate, Sunday play is popular with two or three clubs in Wellington, and one of them runs a weekly competition which is confined to Sunday play. There is a clerical precedent, however, for bowls on Sundays, although to quote it may be considered unfortunate by those who ban their woods on the Christian Sabbath. It is recorded that John Aylmer, though Bishop of London, enjoyed a game of howls on a Sunday afternoon, but used such language as ‘‘justly exposed his character to reproach.” History has* dealt more leniently with some men! Charles I was an enthusiastic bowler, and tho signboard of a wayside inn near Goring Heath in Oxfordshire long bore a portrait of the King, with couplets reciting how his Majesty “drank from the bowl and bowl'd from what he drank,” There is no record as to whether Charles I played bowls on Sunday, but if he did, the fact that ho lost his Crown and his head as well might be considered by some ■ folk as condign punishment for his SaWjalh desecration. However, apart from the point of view of religious scruple, there may be one cogent reason why more men do not indulge in Sunday play, and that is the opposition of their better halves. Some wives argue (so it is said) that a man has plenty of time to play bowls during the week, and can leave it alone for one day in the week. The moral of all this is that it bowlers who aro not benedicts wish to roll upon Sundays they had better be on the safe side and remain single. Owing to tho dry weather many of the greens in Auckland have been very parched of late, and “Trundler” in the Auckland Star says that most howlers were more than pleased to see the recent tropical downnour. even though it lasted only an hour Owing to the representations of file Auckland Bowling Centre, the citv fathers relaxed to a limited extent, the restrictions on the use of the hose, but on most greens it was too late, and in any case a sprinkle once a week is not sufficient to keep alive the fine grasses that aro on the Auckland greens, where committees have grown accustomed to the free use of water. This is a serious matter for bowlers, and also sports’ bodies, for if they knew beforehand that they could only use water during ordinary seasons, and were to he restricted, or cut off aLoretb"r. during a dry season, they would have the option of adopting the Australian system, and planting coarse grasses which would withstand a drought. One club (“Trundler” adds) spent nearly £209 in putting down their green again last autumn, and now there is not a blade of grass on it. Even the roots seem to have disappeared, and the prospects of any recovery this season would appear absolutely hopeless, even if it rains regularly for ,the future. Another club spent nearly a? much the previous season, and their green is aboutsas bad. It looked most peculiar the other dav. Tho whole area, was dry, bait apparently there are' degrees of drvness. for it was clearly streaked with well-defined lines, like the canals of Mars. Inquiry showed that these marks were over the drains, with which the green was gridironed. In this case also the green has been apparently ruined for want of, water, and it is problematical whether it will recover, without all the inconvenience and expense of closing it down next month for 're-sowing and top-dressing. In connection with the recent dominion tournament at Christchurch a best green competition was held, and at a recent meeting of the Chrhistchurch Centro it was decided to award the St. Albans green first prize, and divide second prize money between the Opawa and Linwood greens.

Wins. Losses. Pts Banner Pts. Caledonian 3 2 2 14 St. Clair 3* 1 2 12 Dunedin . ... 4 2 2 11 St. Kilda 2 2 1 10 Cavcrsbam 1 2 0 8 Fairfield 1 0 1 8 Green Island 1 1 ■ 1 8 Kaituna 2 2 1 8 Kaikorai 1 2 0 8 Momington - 1 2 0 8 Roslyn 2 1 2 8 Taicri 2 1 2 8 Hal mace wen 2 2 1 7 Otago 3 1 2 6 West Harbour ... 0 2 0 6 Port Chalmers ... 0 2 0. 5 Anderson’s Bay ... 1 ]. 1 5 Outram 0 1 0 4 N.E. Valley 1 3* 0 0 * Signifies win or loss by default.