Family’s Achievements at Bowls

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26077, 14 February 1946, Page 3

Family’s Achievements at Bowls

Measurer in the early stages in G A. Deare’s Mount Eden team which had the distinction of being runner-up to the champion four at the Dominion bowling tournament in Christchurch, was the club president, Howard Gribble. He was unlucky in that he was unable to stay for the final stages, and a stand-in had to be obtained. Howard Gribble, who was elected to the chief office for the jubilee year, has had 30 years’ association with bowling, 21 years of which have been as a member of the Mount Eden Club. The Gribble family—father and five sons—have been connected with the game for a long period. Time was when the senior member of the family, the late W. Gribble, then secretary of the Rocky Nook Club, and three sons—H. V., S., and H.— took part in Dominion tournaments and reached decisive stages. On other occasions teams 'consisting of Gribble brothers competed in tournaments. Of the five brothers, all of whom are still active bowlers, four have had the distinction of being champions of their clubs. Horace Gribble was champion at Pukekohe in 1925, 1926, and 1927, while S. Gribble 1 took the honours in Whangarel in 1926 and 1927. Howard Gribble was champion at Mount Eden in 1935 and 1936, while N. Gribble collected the Edendale title in 1944. Another brother, W. A. Gribble, of Epsom Club, has won the First-year Championship, the Junior championship the following year, and, partnered by M. J. Hooper, won the Champion Pairs. Gull Steals Golf Ball Since the golf ball shortage became acute it has been no unusual happening for golf balls to vanish from fairways, particularly at blind places handy to a “ quick get-away." At Belleknowes links on Saturday, during the first official match of the season, a thief was detected ‘ redbilled." Playing to the fifth green, a competitor in the Bogey Match witnessed the theft of his ball by a seagull. The bird swooped down on the ball almost as soon as it came to rest, and in a flash a good Silver King was airborne. After a short flight, however, the gud dropped its booty, but at once returned, and. in spite of vigorous action by some nearby players, grabbed the ball and soared away. Unusual incidents of this type are provided for in the Rules of Golf. Rule 17, section 3, states: “If the lie of a ball at rest be altered by any agency outside the match except wind, the player shall drop a ball as near as possible to the place where it lay, without penalty.” Woman Hurdler The approach of the Otago and New Zealand Junior and Women’s Athletic Championship meetings is creating interest in the performances of those competitors who are eligible for these gatherings. Hurdling is a spectacular athletic exercise, and the New Zealand women’s champion, Miss N. Gourlay, who ran for Canterbury last season, but is now on the staff of Columba College, won the 80 Metres Hurdles at the Otago Centre's evening meeting last week. Her time, 12 4-ssec, was good for the Dunedin track, but she achieved a still better performance on Monday night, when she was the winner in 12 2-ssec. This is sufficient indication that she is approaching the form which enabled her to establish a New Zealand record (12 l-ssec) for this event when she won her national title at Napier last season.