BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20334, 16 February 1928, Page 5

BOWLING.

By Jack. Tile principal feature for flic week in the local bowling world is tne visit ol the Victorian team. The visitors arrived at Invercargill on Monday, and played their opening match against Southland the same afternoon, suffering defeat by 20-odd points. This, however, was not to bo wondered at, as the tourists had barely time to have lost their sea legs. The Victorians arrived in Dunedin on Tuesday evening, and were warmly welcomed on arrival at the Kailway Station. Local bowlers rolled up in force, and several who owned cars conducted the visitors to their hotels —the Grand and the City. Yesterday the visiting bowlers and the ladies in the party were shown the sights of the city, and in the afternoon a liverink game was played on the Dunedin Club’s green. This morning the visitors will be the guests of local bowlers in two motor tours —a morning drive around the Otago Peninsula, travelling to Portobello via the high road and returning by the lower road. In the afternoon Waitati will_ lie visited, a start being made from the toot of Dowling street at 2.10 pan., arriving back in the city about 5,30, A nmten will bo played aaginst live rinks from the Duncdiu Centre on the Caledonian green, commencing at 6.30 p.ra. The bowl-testing question is a vexed one in Australia at the present time. The Victorians will no doubt be keen to attend the bowl-testing demonstration that will be given this morning at 0 o’clock on the Dunedin Chib’s green by the official bowl tester, Mr W. A. Scott. Mr Scott will be glad of the opportunity to explain to the visitors anything they may wish to learn on the subject. _ Two members of the Victorian_ team Messrs Davie brothers—arrived in Dunedin a couple of days in advance of the main body. They have brought their own car from “Aussie,'’ in order. as_ far as time will permit, to enjoy to the full New Zealand’s scenic beauties. The Messrs Davie motored from the Most Coast to Dunedin, and they frankly state that the scenorv on the route quite astounded them. There is nothing in Australia, they say, to comnnre with the Otira Gorge and other beauty spots through which they motored. Although there was a big margin ot points in" favour of Dunedin in yesterday’s match against Victoria, the scores hardly do justice to the visitors. The local combination was certainly the stronger, but some lino individual play was shown by the Victorians. The outstanding game was that between Bentley (D.) and Wright (V.). The Victorian skip gave a finished exhibition, and his fine play was liberally applauded. Bentley bad a strong rink in J. D. Best, V, Langley, J. Scott (Dominion singles champion), but the local players were fully extended Bentley scored a single on the first head, but two singles, a two, and a four gave the visitors a lead of nine points to one with five heads played. The sixth head yielded one 1 to Bentley, and Wright secured one on the next. A t'.vo and a three to Bentley made the scores IC—7 in favour of the visitors. The next four' heads yielded one to Wright and four to Bentley, who took the lead—l2 —11—for the first time. The advantage, however, was short-lived, as Wright and his merry men put on a four, a brace, and two singles on successive heads, and again established a lead of seven points—l9—l2. The local men then challenged strongly and a four and two twos on the next three heads again placed them one point to the good. The last few heads were fought out keenly, but the local men wore equal to the occasion and finished with a winning margin of two points. A meeting of the Christchurch Centre of the New Zealand Bowling Association was held on Tuesday evening. February 23 was confirmed as the date for the Rsdpath Shield match against Otago. The Canterbury team will play North Otago at Oainaru on February 22 on the way to Dunedin. The five ladies who are included in the party of visiting Victorian bowlers were surprised and delighted yesterday afternoon when they were each made the recipient of a big box of chocolates at the Dunedin Club’s groon—tho gift of Messrs 11. Hudson and Co. Though the game of lawn bowls has been played for some years in Canada, “ bowls,” as the game is understood in the cities of the United States, is one that is played in an alley with ninepins to scatter at the far end. that form of bowls is a very old English game, it docs not extern! so far back as field or lawn bowls, originally played on a crowned green, with straight-running bowls, but nowadays played on a level sward with scientifically biased bowls. All this (writes “No. 3” in the Wellington Dominion) is introductory to the fact that I have just heard that the first bowling green in Chicago has been laid down by the Chicago Golf Club in its own magnificent grounds. This is the oldest and most exclusive of some 60 golf dubs, but members, who have seen bowls played in Canada and elsewhere, were so struck with its possibilities for elder members of the dub that a green has been prepared. When in Wellington as a round-the-world tourist on the Carinthia last year, Mr Frank Wetmore (chairman of the First National Bank, Chicago) and his good friend Mr Strotz noticed in the Dominion that a bowls tournament was being held, and, being mildly interested, went up to the Wellington Club and saw the finals played. In order to get a permanent impression as to how the game was played they took kinematograph photographs of the bowls and bowlers in action, and also of the keenly-interested spectators. Last week I received a letter from Mr Wetmore stating that the green had been laid, and they had already played a few games upon it, but so far the grass was not well enough forward to afford a good running surface. They were hoping that it would be much better next summer (our winter). Bowlers who were fortunate enough to meet the visitors from Chicago will be interested to learn of the manner in which they are pioneering bowls in that city. It is on the car ls that the Now Zealand team v.jll return from England via America. It that is so, there is no reason why Chicago should not be visited and a game played on the new green. THE MISSING LINK. “Who’s tho stranger, mother dear, Look, he knows us—ain’t ho queer?” ‘■Hush,, my own. don’t talk so wild; He’s your father, dearest child.” “He’s my' father ? No such tiling. Father passed away last spring.” “Father didn’t die, you cub; Father joined a bowling club: But they closed the green, so bo Had no place to go, you sco; Nfl place for him to roam; That is why Tie’s coming home. Kiss him, he won’t bite you, child ! ” The monthly meeting of the Moray Place School Committee was held in the School on Monday evening last. Mr F. J. O’Neill was voted to the chair. There was a good attendance of members, and Mr J. Moir, headmaster, was present. The janitor reported that the school had bad a thorough cleaning ami disinfecting during the holidays, and everything was spick and span for the reopening. Both the bugle and fife and drum bands were making good progress. During the holidays two rooms had been remodelled. The School still had a vacancy for new pupils, as over 50 had left at the end of the year, and only 30 new ones had been enrolled to date. Miss Gawn, the new infant mistress, had taken up her duties on the reopening of the school. The treasurer reported that the bank balance to date was £S2 5s 3d. The sum of £3 was passed to procure hooks for the library. It was decided to purchase a serving machine for the school. Accounts to the amount of £33 12s 4cl wore passed for payment. An anonymous gift of a gold medal bad been given to the committee for presentation to Keg. Geddes for Ids splendid performances at the recent swimming competitions held in Dunedin. Messrs M‘Gi!l and Cooper wore appointed the Visiting Committee for the month.