BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20174, 11 August 1927, Page 4

BOWLING.

The Dunedin Bowling Club has decided to add to the present pavilion and tenders are now being invited for the work. The addition will add to the convenience of the members, and separate accommodation for the members of the Ladies’ Club is provided. , _ x A most successful social evening, 500 card drive and dance, was held by the St. Clair Bowling Club in its spacious pavilion at ings avenue last Saturday evening There was an attendance of 80, and all thoroughly enjoyed a most attractive evening’s amusement. The winners of the prizes for cards were —Ladies; First prize, Mrs J. W. Adams; second prize, Mrs Pitts; gents— First prize, Mr J. W. Jones; second prize, Mr W. L. Kidd. During the playing of cards Mr Walls, of Messrs M'Cracken and Walls, rendered items on the Gulbranseu player piano. After supper was served dancing was indulged in till midnight. The table decorations were very attractive and a source of much favourable comment. This was the first social given by the club’s newly-appointed Social Committee— Messrs G. A. Bishop, H. Halliday, R. Scrymgeour, H. L. Humphries, and J. W. Adams —and the result was very gratifying to the new committee. During the evening the president, Mr G. A. Bishop, announced that it was the intention ot the Social Committee to put on at least two. or perhaps three, more social evenings before the opening of the club’s green this season. The nature of these socials will bo announced with the dates on which they will be given later. Although little has yet been beard of the big bowling carnival to be held in Melbourne next Christmas, Australian papers are making references to the bright prospects of New Zealand and Australia meeting in a real test. The Melbourne Argus says that it is proposed to play alternately in the o countries, beginning at the Melbourne carnival, the second series of matches to be played in Wellington during January, 1929. The first tests are fixed fo. December 22, 23, and 24, the carnival proper being timed to commence on the following Monday, Boxing Day. “Driver” remarks in Table Talk:—“Although any player will be able to nominate for the rink and single-handed championship of Australia, only the cream of the two islands will gain selection in the four rinks team to play tests. If the proposal that an Australian team be pitted against New Zealand is given effect to it should decide which country has the better players.” This reference is a little ambiguous to those who have not been following the scheme. There is first the rink and singles championship, in which any team o. person may enter from any country in the world. Then there is the inter-State championship, not test, in which New Zealand has been invited to select four rinks to play against a similar four rinks from each of the six Australian States. The latest additipn is to play three test matches, Australia v. New Zealand, not necessarily four rinks, but any number we like to put in. The idea is that the number should not be decided till it is known how many are going, for it would suit both sides to enter as many as possible out of those who go. The secretary of the Australian Bowling Council touches on this point in a letter to “Boomerang” of the Sydney Referee: —“The New Zealand carnival council anticipates that six or eight rinks will compete in the singles and rinks. There can be only four rinks in the interstate games, but New Zealand desires all its rinks to participate in the test match, to be played prior to the carnival.” , , , The last clause is hardly correct, for what is really wanted is that if New Zealand sends six or more rinks, we should have the privilege of deciding how many of them are to play in the test. Similarly when Australia returns the visit, they should be free to name the number to play in the test. _ “ Boomerang” himself gives a cordial reception to the proposed visit of New Zealand bowlers. After observing that one of the chief attractions at the carmval will be the four-rink contests between New Zealand and the various States, he adds that New Zealand should really also meet an “Australian” sixteen. In a private letter the secretary of the Victorian Bowling Association includes two very interesting statements regarding the proposal to play the test matches prior to the carnival: —“This was favourably commented upon at the last meeting of my executive committee. It has been decided to include test matches in the programme at Christmas.’’ From these kind observations and the references to the proposal in other Australian papers, it looks as if nothing now remains but for all New Zealand to go straight ahead and enter the competitions for the singles and the rinks. Sixteen will be chosen from these to play in the interstate championship, and an indefinitely larger number for the test. “Boomerang,” that aggressive scribe in the Sydney Referee, is taking the Auckland bowler, Fleming Laurenson, on the mat” over bis styie in delivery. _ His objection is that Mr Laurenson insists on making the band a chute, and be advocates that the thumb, instead of gripping near the disc or on the disc, should be placed on the crown of the bowl. Mr Laurenson can easily look after himself in such a controversy (writes “TTu..dlcr” in the Auckalnd Star). His enthusiasm on the educational side of the game is warmly appreciated in the Queen City of the North. As a matter of fact, when we come to look further into his howling career, it is found that long before he came to-Auckland he was looked upon as a sound authority on the basic principles of delivery in bowls. His lectures in many clubs in Auckland arc widely appreciated, and bowlers, who have generously benefited by his enthusiastic C and studied instruction, are nowfreely scattered throughout the clubs of this eitv. It is advocated by Mr Firmin'' Laurenson that it is just as easy to become a stylist in bowls as to carry bad habits right'through one’s bowling career. His practical work in improving bowlers and setting them permanently on the high road to bowling success is the complete anwer to the soundness of his theories. It will therefore be most interesting intimately to watch the progress of the controversy with the selfopinioned " Boomerang ' of the Sydney Referee.