BOWLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 62

BOWLING.

Seerettr!«> arereoueitai t« forwud pvtlcolvi of (inn plt;e4 ■Id of (ortkc«njinj tnMchu.

Bf TOUCHER.

The Oamaru tournament proved to be j one of the most successful yet held. The j I weather was perfect, and the greens in splendid order. The Waimate Green was used on Friday. Sixteen rinks left Oamaru by the 7.30 a.m. train, arriving at 9.30 a.m., starting play at 10 o'clock. The green I played splendidly. j ' The Phoenix old green has the reputation 1 of being one of the finest greens bowlers have had the pleasure of playing on. The ' I new green has its peculiarities, but this is to be expected. At times the bowls were • to be seen taking an opposite direction from j that expected by the deliverer. The i Meadowbank was spoken of by all as being '. in good order. : I The executive left no stone unturned to ' make the tournament a success. The work ; i done by the secretary (Mr Gibson) was unre- ; mitting, and his universal courtesy helped < make the meeting one of the pleasantest " lof its kind. When asked a question, he seemed to be always able to give an answer < \ satisfactory to the questioner. The rinks ] | engaged numbered 64, and the doubles 122, I constituting a record. Members from the : ! recently-formed clubs in St. Kilda, NorthEast Valley, and Oaversham were amongst ! these competing. The hospitality shown by ' the Waimate bowlers and their lady friends t was both marked and gratifying to the i visitors, and those who were drawn for the Waimate Green will never : | regret their luck in being ballotted j ■ j out. Many were asked if they were drawn i 'in the Doubles for the Waimate Green, ] would they go, and in every case the answer ' was in the affirmative. Out of the number ; balloted out to go to Waimate only one ; refused. This came as a great surprise to : all, more especially when it was found ouL : that it was a new club; but I am sure it i was a mistake on its part, and one not likely to be repeated. The kindness shown ' by Messrs Goldston, Akhurst, Cockayne, < and Manchester will live long in the memo- ! : ries of those who had the good fortune to j . go to Waimate. The return journey was < an exceedingly pleasant and harmonious j ] one. I ] | The Waimate Green, to the surprise of 1 many, was not used for the Doubles. Had i it been it would have assisted the secretary '. (Mr Gibson), and very little difficulty would : have been experienced in finishing up the ( i tournament on Tuesday morning at the ! 1 latest. . i ; The next best feature of the outing to ; the trip to Waimate was the drive on Sunday to Papakaio, returning via the Steward ' Settlement. Seven four-horse drags were 1 used in conveying the large number of bowlers who wished to take part in the out- ] ing, and even then many were left behind, i as it was impossible to get vnoi-o convey- j ances, all the horses for hire at the livery i

stables being in use. When a few mile past Papskaio a stoppage was made for r« freshments. Mr C. Payne took this oppoi tunifcy of conveying to Mr and Mrs Potte their appreciation of the kindness extendei to bowlers making a visit to the Whit Stone City. Rumour hath it that Mr ai i Mrs Potter will be bidding adieu to Oaman after June through the town "running dry.' Mr Payne "hoped that such was not th< case, but that when Easter, 1907, cam< round one and all would be pleased indec< to see Host Potter and his good lady stil attending to the wants of bowlers. On tin call of Mr Payne three hearty cheers wer< extended to Mr and Mrs Potter. A viev of the drags and their occupants appear in the pictorial part of this issue. The smoke concert on Saturday night als< proved a success. The billiard room of th< Star and Garter was taxed to its utmost many having to be satisfied with a standin; "seat" in the passage. Messrs C. J. Payne Paterson, Taylor, Young, and others spoto during the evening. The songs were of tin latest, and the topical song of Host Potter wherein he made mention of the idiosyn crasies of some of the members of th( different clubs attending the tournament, wai so much appreciated that an encore had t< be forthcoming. Mr Jones, also, had to sub mit to encores. The evening passed off verj well, and many thanks are due to the execu tivc of the Gamaru tournament for the kinc manner in which everybody was. treated. The forethought of somebody in labelling the office alongside the railway station wit£ the placard "Bowling Tournament Bureau" was very commendable. Here -one could gel all the information required as to lodgings and' anything appertaining to the tourna ment, and everybody, who made use of th* office spoke in the highest praise possibk of the idea. The time has come when tournaments should be conducted by the executive making the draw and showing who are to meat in the first round, the number c£ the rink, and also the grer-n. There was no necessity to keep anybody waiting until 9 o'clock, so as to let everybody reaching Oamaru that evening be present. Great credit is due to the caretaker of the. Phoenix Green, for a liner green it wou'.d be impossible to find, and the accuracy of the whole of the rinks must be experienced to be realised. J saw games played on both of the end rinks, ami to my astonishment drew to perfection on both hands — a very rave state of affairs on many of the city greens. The new green was in such splendid condition that one could hardly believe it had only been prepared this season. The 6ward is the finest I have seen on a green so new as the Phoenix. Next year there will be many anxious to see it, and compare it with other greens of the same age. Good play was to be eeen on the Phoenix greens. ,The Balclutha colts, Woods and Gunthorp, played splendidly. Their game with Gifiies and Gilmour will be long remembered by those who had the pleasure of witnessing it. Neither Gillies nor Gilmour could believe that the Clutha were drawing to kitty, and- when either tried ho cculd not do it, much to his disgust. M'Dougall and Davies won the Last Try Match. Ifc was a treat to see the former trailing and driving the white when in difficulty. Interest in the splendid play of M'DougaiL was Jntenss. and Da-vice also played' a sterling game. T. Mackie and W. Allen had not much difficulty in securing the Association ,Doubles. Both played well, and deserved their win. JMaekie was in his old form, drawing splendidly. Waddell and Rule, runners-up in the Association Doubles, deserved a better fate, and both are to be congratulated on attaining the proud position of being the only two belonging to the White Stone City to obtain a- prize, for, as will be seen from the tabulated list below, all the prizes were won by the visitors with the one exception. The Phoenix prizes were won by the redoubtable Sanders family — Tom, Jack, J. "xelville, and D. Melville, the latter being related by marriage. They all played a splendid game against the Roslyn rink, and they have to thank J. Melville for the win, as he drove and secured the coveted object which won the game. They then met their clubmates T. Sneddon. J. Forrester, J. Bailey, and T. Baillie, but Tom and his rink were not to be denied, and they had a very easy win. The whole team played a sterling good game. The competition for the Moadowbank prizes resulted in a good contest between the Roslyn team — G. Wcddeispoon, Scoullar, Mathews, Laurenson — and' the Southland men — J. Rennie, D. Taylor, and two substitutes in the names of Perry (Oamaru) and Thomson (Christchurch). These teams had to leave off on account of darkness, when Wedderspoon was 6 up after twelve heads had been played. Next day Wedderspoon managed to keep the leaW, and ran out a winner, on which he was freely congratulated. Rennie and Taylor played a splendid game, but could not Mem the tide of W^dderspoon and his men. It is some time since Greg was prominent at the tournament, and it is to be hoped he has come forward with the intention of adding more to his wins. In the contests for the Citizens' prizes many very close gamas were witnessed. The winners turned up in our old and reepectrd friend W. Carsw-cll and his team. The runners-up were A. Gillies, J. Gilmour, md two substitutes. It was anybody's game until 6uch time as the last head was play-ed. As many bankers have ?aid, A. Gillies should have drawn instead of driving ; but to many ihe game is played by drawing continually to the jack, while others can play by driving the jack. All do not play the same game. Carswell's win was very popular, as many of the visiting bowleis, more especially those in the Dunedin Club, are very much averse to going outside for men when any number are available in their own clubs. The third prize was played off between Thomson and T. Alaekie, the latter not experiencing much difficulty in disposing of the former and his team. I picked T. Mackie and his team to win right out, and this was assured by a brilliant shot played by A. Gillies. M'lntyre, the pompom driver, made no mistake in burning * the heads when there wad no chance of getting the five the Taieri wanted to win. Siany thought it was a, foregone conclusion, I but in the match with Waddell and his "earn Mackie was in the same position, but with M'Jntyre continually driving, they managed to get the coveted five, md won a splendid uphill game, although Waddell had close on sft to draw a shot with his last bowl and was short, much to the joy of the Taieri team. The play of Thomson and Alloo in the Doubles was of a high standard, and as neither could wait for Wednesday for the sjame between Mackie and Allen, they forfeited the game, bein<r 14— 16 and several

5 ' heads to go. If the Waimate green had - been used for the Doubles there is not tho - slightest doubt the visitors could all have ■ caught the midday trains on the Tuesday. I In the match between lhcm:on and ; M'Laren in the Doubles many expected to [ see a good fight. Alloo had no difficulty i in beating Bentley, and Thomson held M'Laren very easily, leaving him a winner '. by a fair majority. When Carswell and ! Tait were drawn against Warsaw and I M'Leod much merriment was indulged in, 1, to the amusement of L. Warsaw. Tha fight i I put up by the Caledonians was pleasing to s many who watched the game. M'Lsod ' played a good game, as the 6cores show — i 15—11. I Saturday proved another disastrous day • for local bowlers. In many cases the several i greens were under water. The match between Kaituna. and St. Ki'da took pl'&ce, : both greens being occupied. Honours rested with Kaituna. ! Tbe Kaituna Club have Yesn successful i jn the whole of their jnterclub matches this season — a truly meritorious performance. Tho selector, Mr G. B. Da 11, knows his : . work well. This club has a very ]arge I membership lo choose 'from. 1 j The meeting of delegates takes place this ,' wc;ek to discuss the coming exhibition touri nament. It is to he hoped that the eugr sjc-srion laid down by the executive will not j br> adhered to — that is, that the doublej handed four-bowl game will be on the ! sudden-death principle. Bowlers who took part In last tournament will ever remember the many games indulged in under the progressive- principle; and as many bowlers I will be coming from a distance, it will be | a mistake to go. back to the iudden-dcath ; principle. Strangers' who anticipate mak- ! in? the journey will in all probability go j in p.virs. and to get one giame and them be i put on tho bank would not evince a spirit j of hospitality such as the Canterbury bowlers wish to extend to their visitors from across the water. The Oamaru tournament, with 68 rinks, i will be the means of an Easter tournament J being started in Dunedin next year, for, as many bowlers have cause to remember, ac1 ccmmodatio-i* was very scarce at Oamaru, j and next Easter, with the hotels closed, it I vill be more so : co we cannot do better than start a. tournament in Dunedin for Easter 1907. The following clubs were represented at j the Oamaru tournament:— Christchurch, j two rinks; Canterbury, two rinks; Aehburton, two rinks ; Dunsandel, one rink ; 1 Timaru, two rinks : Waimate, three rinks ; I Palmerston. two rinks ; N.E. Valley, Port i Chalmers, Dunedin, Roslyn, Caledonian, | Kaituna.. St. Kilda, Caversham, St. Clair, I Green Island, Taieri, Milton, and Inver- • cargill. This is the best representation the Oamaru tournament haa had. The Canterbury Club vacate their green this week, when the turf on the old green will he lifted and placed on timber, then carted to the new green and placed inposition. The turf ie to be 2in in thickliess. The new green Js shorter by 10ft in width than the old on<3. The care taker anticipates having the new green in playing order for the forthcoming tournament. I am afraid that there will be : trouble" ahead for thoso who happen to l>e I drawn on the Canterbury preen. I shall l.also await developments in placing the turf J on it instead of sowing seed. The" Afcaroa, green will be in gocd play»ing order for the incoming season. I believe, they have affiliated, and will be represented by two delegates at the forthi coming meting. i Tom Lock and his rink were- missed at the Oamaru tournament, when many expected to renew acquaintance with the Qore> bowlers. Of the visitors to Oamaru, every one was pleased to see J. B-ennie and D. Taylor, from Invereargill, securing second place in th-^ Meadowbank ./prizes. They made the journey more to look on than to play. , The Managing Committee of the Temnka Bowling Club are evidently gocd business men. Although not yet three months fcince the club was formed, they have already selected a site, made and sown down a green 110 ft square with 10ft banks all I round. At present they are busy erecting a fence round the block, and a live fence |is to be planted forthwith. Best of all, I three improvements are all paid for by foundation members' subscriptions ; 6Om« 20 members having paid three years in advance, and about an equal number one year in advance. "If fortunate in getting good weather for a good strike of grass in the ouUimn the gropn should be fit for play early next season. The committed have a sch_f»me on hand to provide facilities for artificial watering and also to build a. place I for the reception of howls, etc.. but as thc63 are not, wanted immediately, action is being deferred until next spring. Tha site chosen i<; a convenient one in the Domam, with the soil and 6ubsoil so excellent that the work of formation was a comparatively easy task.