BOWLING

Otago Witness, Issue 3782, 7 September 1926, Page 60

BOWLING

BY .

JACK.

Death has claimed a heavy toll among local bowlers during the past 12 months, and during the past few days three more— Mr Charles Fynmore (Otago Club), Mr Harry Street (Caledonian Club), and Mr William Ormond (St Kilda Club) have crossed the Great Divide. Mr Ormond bad not enjoyed good health for several months past, but appeared to be making a good recovery and his end came quite unexpectedly. He visited the Caledonian Club on Thursday week last, but on Friday he was seized- with a sudden and serioua illness and passed away the same evening. In additions to being a keen bowler, Mr Ormond took an active part in the social side of the club, and his death will be sincerely mourned by a large circle of. bowlers. Rather disconcerting news comes from Queensland, where a party of 40 bowlers (including ladies) are proposing to come to New Zealand;, and they say they have been invited to come early in December. There must be some mistake about this, for the only official invitation which has been seut by the Dominion Council was also sent to all the other bowling associations in Australia, inviting them to the tournament in Auckland in January. It seems inconceivable (writes Trundler in the Auckland Star) that anyone would suggest that they should come in December, after all the difficulties which presented themselves when it was found .that the British bowlers were timed to arrive in that month last year. Tt turned out that no part of New Zealand felt equal to accommodating and entertaining them before Christmas* although some of the bowlers in the south, who ought to have known better, were inclined to blame the Auckland bowlers for being unable to reserve 70 of the best beds in the city for them during the Christmas wetok. Eventually. Auckland had to pack them off after only four days in the largest city in the Dominion; and with all these misfortunes fresh in everyone’s memory it can surely be impressed on our prospective visitors from Australia that we cannot adequately entertain them till after the holidays. If these 40 will start off by doing the tournament, where they will meet the principal bowlers from all over New Zealand, probably about 600 to 800 in all, they will have a full fortnight to decide which invitations tp accept from the bowlers of other cities and towns, who will vie with each other in their efforts to return the lavish hospitality which has been showered upon New Zealand bowlers visiting Australia. In every respect January and February are infinitely better than December for bowlers touring New Zealand, for both the hosts and the guests, and thoso who are personally acquainted with Australian bowlers should put this point of view before them before they definitely decide to spoil their itinerary by ooming at the wrong time. The coming season will see many new men on the several greens, and it would be a sound move if each club Appointed a coach to take the beginners in hand. II a player is allowed to develop a faulty delivery at the beginning of hia bowling

career it is extremely difficult for him to change his style later. From a hygienic viewpoint bowls is perhaps the best game played, when a correct stand and easy delivery have been attained, but the crouch S revents the stomach muscles being rought into play, and it is only fair that beginners be taught the easy, graceful motion of such players as Jack Scott, Joe Bentley, and others. In the graceful swing of arm and body in unison there is more pleasure for the player, better ability to play, and a much finer exposition ot the game than the stiff, stodgy crouch adopted by some players. Of course, there are cases where, through some physical disability, a player cannot attain the easy swing, and. such players are not to blame, but through a had start maiy are handicapped;; so it is the plain duty of clubs to nave someone able to teach new' players. New players should be taught the rules of the game. All new members have a copy of club rules, but very few comparatively of the older players know the rules of the game; or, if they do, fail to observe them. Rule 3 is broken in nearly every match, many players standing off the mat at one side or other. The rule is definite, and is: “The player at the moment of delivery must have at least one foot wholly on the mat, such foot to be not less than three inches from the front edge of the mat,” and the mat being 48in x 18in, it leaves ample room, for any ordinary-sized foot. Then there is always the man who will always turn up a bowl to see to whom it belongs. No man is fit to play third who cannot avoid this. If each third player would make himself acquainted with the bowls of his own rink there would be no doubt in his mind os to w'hom a given bowl belongs. If, as sometimes happens bowls with no distinctive mark are being played, and shot is in doubt, first measure and see which bowl is shot, then turn it to find the owner. The man is not born who can turn a bowl and replace it in its previous position. The sinners in these matters are generally old players, for whom there is no excuse. Give the beginners a chance by appointing a coach. The annual meeting of the Dominion Council will be held in Auckland on Wednesday next. The following have been elected members of the council:— North Island—Messrs G. L. Gladding and J. M. Thomson (Auckland): Mr R. N. Pilkington (South Auckland), president of the Hamilton Club, and Dominion champion skip in 1925; Mr A. K. Smart (Taranaki), president of that centre for

the past three years, and runner-up iu the champion rinks in 1923; Mr G. S. Gordon (Wanganui); Mr F. Meadowcroft (Wellington), president of the D.B.A. in 1925.

South Island.—Mr M. F. Barnett (Christchurch), an old member of the council, manager of the New Zealand team which visited England in 1921, and donor of the Barnett “Tiki,” for which Christchurch and Wellington compete each year; Mr E. H. Healey (Christchurch), who is well known to the majority of Dunedin bowlers; Mr J. Moyes (South Canterbury); Mr J. J. Marlow (Dunedin), a former president of the D.8.A., and an original member of the council; Mr D. M. Fastier (Dunedin), who was treasurer last year; and Afr J- H. London (Southland), who has been a member for many years. In addition to these 12 elected members, the Dominion Council also consists of certain members chosen in quite a different way. President, Mr J. W. Hardley, who was vice-president last year, on the nomination of Auckland, and steps up this year in accordance with the custom of electing the president on the nomination of the centre whero the tournament is to be held; vice-president, Mr A.. J. Benzie, a former president of the Christchurch centre, who was nominated by that centre and will presumably be elected president next year; past-president, Mr H. F. M. Mercer, Dunedin, who held the supreme office last year and still has a seat on the council with full voting powers, by a rule passed in 1921; treasurer, Mr A. 11. Yeoman, Auckland, on the nomination of the Auckland centre, according to rule. He also has full voting powers. The secretary will bo appointed by the new council at the annual meeting. Two New Zealanders were unintentional competitors in a pairs howling match at Rockhampton recently. These were Mr J.A. Redpath, of Christchurch, winning skip in the Dominion championship pairs two years ago, and Mr A. W. Cook, former president and secretary of tho West End Bowling Club (Auckland), who was elected a. life member of -the club at the club’s last annual meeting, and nearly lost his life membership when he and Mr Redpath were passengers on the Cooma, which ran aground on the Queensland coast. The Rockhampton bowlers took pity on the “shipwrecked mariners” and invited them to a friendly game. Neither of them dip* closed that Mr Redpath was one of New Zealand’s champions, and the local teem was absolutely annihilated.