OPENING OF TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26996, 3 February 1949, Page 6

OPENING OF TOUR

AUSTRALIANS v. DUNEDIN CENTRE ONE WIN AND ONE LOSS The Australian bowling team opened its tour of New Zealand yesterday morning with a win over a Dunedin Centre No. 1 team on the St. Kilda Club's green. The Centre team consisted of centre members and officials who included several of Dunedin’s well-known tournament players. Although the visiting party comprises many well-known Australian bowling administrators, most of them are also prominent as pennant bowlers, and they accomplished a good performance in their first match under strange conditions to defeat the Centre team by 130 points to 123 points. The visitors won four of the eight games played. The weather was fine and warm, but t blustery westerly wind made the playing conditions somewhat difficult. The Australians found the playing surfaces faster than those to which they were accustomed, but they gradually got the feel of the greens. The visitors were officially welcomed at a function before the start of play on the St. Kilda green. The official party included the Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron, the president of the Dunedin Bowling Centre, Mr R. L. Fairmaid, Mr J. Davis, immediate past-president of the New Zealand Bowling Council; Mr J. J Marlow, first president of the New' Zealand Bowling Association; Mr C J L. White, president of the Otago Council of Sport; Mr R. H. Paton, a member of the Wellington Bowling Centre; Mrs E. Longworth, president, of the Otago Ladies’ Bowling Association; and Mr W. J. Leeder, vice-president ot the St. Kilda Club. The Australians met a selected representative team from clubs affiliated to the Dunedin Bowling Centre yesterday afternoon, the local team being one which would have provided strong opposition for any team. The visi oi'S put up a very creditable performance, the final score being 184 points to 119 in favour of the Dunedin Centre’s No. 2 team. * The wind dropped. cc.nsiderably fpr play on the Dunedin Club’s green in the afternoon, and the play consequently was of a better standard. This was also .pdrtly because of the fact that the visitors had had the opportunity ■of a “ practice ” game in the morning. The greens were in excellent order and again earned favourable mention from the touring team. Although the Australians won only one of the eight games played, the scores in several were close. To local bowlers an interesting feature of the play of the Australians was their application of the Australian rule of delivering the bowl with both feet on the mat as against the New Zealand rule which requires the bowler to have only one foot on the mat Those who saw the Australian rule in action commented very favourably on its advantages to a player without affecting the delivery in any way. * Morning Match The following were the results of the morning games, Australian names fl rs tA. Bryant, S. Hutton, G. Christie, F. A Pidgeon 14; D. J. Simpson, T. Ellison, A. Cook, C. S. Peake 18. H. J. Miller, R. Whale, H. S. Henley, W Smith 18; P. Hellyer, R. Hamilton, J. Paterson, J. Timmings 11. C. Hughes, W. Sumpton, W. Milne, J. Gibson 17; E. Smyth, R. S. M. Sinclair, C. R. Caffin, R. L. Fairmaid 13. C Waldron, F. Ranby, P. Marsh, W S. Kay 19; R. A. Johnston, J. Dixon, R. S. Jack, S. Devereux 16. A. E. Packer, H. S. Waters, A. Pacey, E. McKenna 16; W. J. Leeden, a S. McDougall, G. Jolly, W. F. Mills 13. H. Sampson, D. Serisier, H. Green, R. Law 14; G. Luke, R. McLeod, J. Nicolson, W. O. Clark 16. ... S. F. Newlands, H. Fry, H. Gould, A. Moir 16; R. Burford, W. Jacobsen, R. Morrison, R. Gemmell 17. W. T. Henham, F. G. Spurway, W. Wootton, T. Gibson 16; J. Butler, G. A. Coughlan, E. Longworth, A. Dodds la. Totals: Australia, 130 points; Dunedin Bowling Centre No. 1 team, 123 points. Afternoon Games The following were the results of the afternoon games, Australian names fir A. : Bryant, S. Hutton, G. Christie, F.. A. Pidgeon 17; A. Free, M. James, G. A. Nelson. C. E. Tyrrell 26. C. Hughes, W. Sumpton, W. Milne, J Gibson 16; J. Clyde, S. Hill. E. H. Raveriwood, A. S. McDougaU 26. H. J. Miller, R. Whale, H. S. Henley, W. Smith 11; J- Graham. J. Paterson, L. Watson, J. Hope 25. n C. Waldron, F. Ranby, P. Marsh W. S Kay 17; A. Israel, N. Ellis, L. J. Ireland, W. J. McKay 26. A. E. Packer, H. S. Waters, A, Pacey, E. McKenna 11; C. Hudson, E. Davis, A. McGregor, N. Jolly 27. H. Sampson, D. Serisier, H. Green. R. Law 15; T. Hindle, A. E. Tilleyshort, A. G. Linn, A. Macdonald 12. S. F. Newlands, H. Fry, H. Gould, A Moir 14; G. A. Fortune, W. Jordan, h! M. Mackay, H. Belcher 20. W. T. Henham, F. G. Spurway, W. Wootton, T. Gibson 18; G. Watt, H. Walker, T. McCarten, S. Riach 22. Totals: Australia 119 points, Dunedin Centre No. 2 184 points.