BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 20044, 4 December 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

BOWLS

(By “Bias.”) December 8. — Invercargill v. Southland. Te Rangi v. Northend. Waihopai v. Woodlands. December 15 (or date mutually agreed on) — Woodlands v. Waikiwi. January 26. Waihopai v. Southland. Woodlands v. Invercargill. February 9. Southland v. Te Rangi. Northend v. Woodlands. February 23 Waihopai v. Te Rangi. Northend v. Invercargill. Bluff v. Woodlands to be played on a date and green to be mutually, agreed on. All clubs to play a minimum of three rinks. Fortune has not favoured bowlers during the past week,, and none of the matches have been got off according to programme. The weather has been bitterly cold and wet, and many players have been content to spend the afternoons and evenings at cards and billiards.

The uncertainty of the weather and the meteorological prospect of a bad run for the remainder of the season make it encumbent on clubs to get off their club matches with as much promptitude as possible. In that connection those clubs which have adopted the sudden deajh principle for their singles and pairs games are to be commended because this will mean that a good deal of time will be saved while ensuring a fair prospect of having the games disposed of under tolerably fair weather conditions. Every fine afternoon has had to be taken advantage of in the conditions experienced so far in the season and the two life system in these circumstances is merely an aggravation. The two life system is all very well for a tournament where players have come j from a distance to participate and desire to have their money’s worth of bowling I pleasure before returning to their business ! again, but in club matches sudden death is : to be preferred as the best means of getting ■ through the domestic programme without undue loss of time. Only one game was played last Saturday, and that between Southland and Bluff, the latter club finishing up 11 points in the lead on the day’s play. Only one Southland rink —Mcßobie, Clark, Donaldson and Hewitt—secured a lead on the Bluff members. Up to the 17th head Southland was one in the lead, but with two ones and a two to their opponents’ one they finished four up. In the Wednesday Northend-Waihopai match the latter club went down in all three rinks. A most disastrous defeat was inflicted upon Stone, Burn, WattTand Winders by Battersby, Robinson, Wesney and Lillicrap, who were 23 up at the 21st head. The Waihopai representatives scored on only five heads. Verey, Edie, Robertson and Officer (Waihopai) fought a plucky game j with Shand, Trim, Glennie and Stean being | six behind at the 19th head. They scored on the last two heads with a three and a two, finishing up only one behind. Honours I were even in the third rink at the 16th head, but from then on Northend took up the running and established a lead of six at the concluding head. Waihopai will have to put its best foot forward to make up the deficiency.

It is pleasing to note that the first entry for the New Year Tournament has been received from the St. Kilda Club, Dunedin. The rink members have entered for the championship doubles, championship singles and the champion rink competition. The date of the fixture is rapidly drawing near, and an early entry will assist the Centre executive in completing arrangements and save the usual rush at the last minute. All I the northern entrants of last year have been circularised by the secretary of the Centre with a view to securing their entries again this year.

An increase has taken place this year in the membership of the Te Rangi Club. Whereas last year that club could raise only eight rinks and that at a pinch ten can now be comfortably be raised. There arc also i sixteen lady members. Several games in the | club competition have been played, but things generally have been at a standstill ' on account of the weather. The club is about to lose a valuable member in the ( person of Mr Sam Griffiths, who has been transferred to Dunedin. Mr Griffiths is an I A grade player and has been associated with I the Te Rangi Club since his entry to the ' sport. His services will be sadly missed. A start has been made with the chain- | pionship doubles at the Northend green, j and several are set down for early decision, i One game is at present unfinished at an 1 interesting stage. A. Smith and Thomson I were playing Hannah and Shand, and with ; six heads to go there was only one point difference in the scores when the game had to be postponed. Large entries have been received for the championship singles, and ' the supervisor is asking members to play as many games as possible before the j Christmas holidays and the New Year ■ Tournament. As the games are conducted • on the two life system it takes much longer to complete the rounds than on the knock- ; out system.

Last Saturday “Bias” came across the following paragraph in the Croquet notes contributed by “Bisque”—“Unfortunately there are a number of uninformed persons who condemn the game (croquet) without any knowledge whatsoever concerning it. Some of these critics will actually go so far as to say that there is nothing at all in croquet and that they could master it in an afternoon. Such ignorance is, of course, pitiful and is a very grave reflection on a community which spends so much money on free education. Many years ago, about the time of the crinoline, croquet was rather a simple game and used to be popular with curates. Now, however, since it has developed into a game of skill the curates prefer to play bowls. All games have gone through a process of evolution and croquet is no exception to the rule.” Doubtless

many triumphant wives have found great pleasures in displaying this to bowling husbands, but the only comment that is needed is to state that “Bisque” has fallen into the trap dug by herself—“unfortunately there are a number of uninformed persons who condemn the game without any knowledge whatsoever concerning it.” The point is a small one, but worthy of mention. The leading bowls writer of Northern Tasmania, who is also a member of the Australian Bowling Council, has some comment to make on the two-life system. He says—“ The question of two lives in the Australian single-handed championship has led to a lot of controversy on the mainland. It was raised by New Zealand, where the system is in vogue, and efforts have been made to induce the A.B.C. to adopt it. Many of the Dominion bowlers anticipate taking part in the carnival to be held in Melbourne during Christmas, 1927, and they are reluctant to come so far, and be put out in the first game. But, on the other hand, such an innovation would be too great a tax on the time allotted to the carnival, and when an aspirant for championship honours has once been defeated, he could hardly be regarded as a champion. The one-life system, although disappointing to those travelling long distances is, I think, the

only fair one, and I hope the Victorian Bowling Association will not agree to any alteration, even if it results in fewer entries from those who support the change.” The age-old superstition surrounding number 13 created some jocular comment on the Otago green in the match with Valley recently, when it was discovered that three rinks playing side by side, and all in the same section, were anchored on 13 (writes I “Measurer” in the Dunedin Star). Strangely enough, none of the rinks succeeded in get- i ting off the unlucky number either, the re- * suit of this section being that Falconer beat I Dunn (Valley), 30-13; McKinnon beat , Strang (Valley), 28-13; and Marshall (Vai- I ley) beat Kennedy, 22-13. . A correspondent of Sydney Bowling Life makes a rather novel suggestion. He writes as follows —“I am in no way opposed to driving—l love it. My contention is: drive scientifically and obtain your objective, at the same time keeping kitty within the area upon which play is permitted (which includes ditch at the back). Otherwise, allow a point or points to the opponents as penalty. Out of bounds in any game surely should carry a penalty. Think of those beautiful and often scientifically played bowls round the jack. Then hear the third say: 'You can’t do anything, Bill; smash ’em up!’ Then ‘skittles.’ My contention is that Bill should be able to do something, and by still playing bowls. However, should he elect to ‘smash ’em up,’ by all means let him; but should the jack be sent out of bounds in his endeavour to prevent his opponent scoring, then let him pay a just penalty.” A short time ago an article contributed to the Evening Post dealing with bowl testing in Queensland was reprinted in these columns. The matter has been re-opened by Mr A. Moore, of Brisbane, who writes as follows to the Post: “I have read your article on bowl-testing in Queensland, and was pleased to note that it was favourable to what is being done in Queensland. How-

| ever, there is one slight error in connection 1 with the test bowls returned to the A.B.C. The reason they were returned was that the . two bowls sent to us (one wood and one rubber) did not measure the same, have the same bias, either on the table or on the green. We therefore had no option but to return them. As to the draw of the bowls returned, there was little difference between these and our own bowls, but we required to know exactly which of the two sent was the standard bias, adopted by the council. Each year we from experience are more certain, that a yearly test is necessary, it is not at all unusual to find that bowls we pass in the beginning of one year either fail to pass the next year or have one or more in the set that have increased in bias.” There are many Lancashire and Yorkshire trained bowlers in the metropolis who still believe that single-handed play is the most thrilling phase of the game. Mr Arthur F. Warner says—“ The single-handed game is the real game of bowls, because therein comes the temperament of the players. The □ecret of success, I believe, given good aver- ' age ability, is concentration. To concen- ! trate your mind entirely on the game before ' you, and the winning of every end, will I carry you through. Consequently, the lack ; of it may lose you many a game, as it has done me more than once. There are, however, many ways of out-bowling your opponent, and certain tips which might be found* useful. For instance, on a fast green, if you lie a shot or two, and there is a good open draw on the other hand, with plenty of room to run through, leave it for your opponent; he will most likely run through every time, and with his last word (being nervous) get a yard short.” The bowlers of Wellington are planning to entertain the Duke and Duchess of York at a tournament, and have hit on a fine scheme in proposing to time their Veterans’ Day to synchronise with the Royal visit, instead of the usual time, a month earlier. It is hardly likely that an enthusiastic lawn tennis player like the Duke would bo interested in an ordinary bowling tournament, but Wellington is par- | ticularly well off in veterans, including reI tired veterans of the Police Service, and it would be an eye-opener, even to our muchtravelled Royalty to see how successfully I this essentially British sport has been trans- ! ported to the Antipodes, the only port that can be actively indulged in by the veterans of four score years and more, who hope to be honoured by Royalty on March 7 or 8. It. is very unlikely that this scheme will be turned down, if it is submitted early to the Governor-General, and all the bowlers of New Zealand will wish Wellington every success. For some reason which has never been explained, previous Royal visits have taken place in the winter, like the fleet visits, and now that we have escaped that misfortune, through the New Zealand tour taking place before the Australian festivities, instead of after, the bowlers of Wellington i might just as well make the most of it. Municipal bowling greens are few and far between in New Zealand, but at Home they are numerous, and according to Mr J. K. Ross, of the Onehunga Club, who recently returned from England, there is now a general tendency to establish more of these greens. Mr Ross informed “Trundler,” of the Auckland Star, that at Hastings, no i doubt encouraged by the large floating population of holiday-makers, there were no ' fewer than five Corporation greens. People ' pay 1/- for a game, and this includes bowls j and “slips,” or goloshes. Like every visitor I to the Old Country, he was much struck by the poor pavilions and the beautiful greens. ' There were one or two nice pavilions in • Scotland* but in England they were of an ' inferior description. The greens, however, | with their thick growths of Cumberland turf, were a picture. Mr Ross noticed an ex- | treme reluctance to keep the turf short, so j that all the greens were heavy, although the i long turf apparently saved the greens, for | there were no bare patches. Regarding the ! Britishers’ play, he is reluctant to express i an opinion, except to remark that wherever he went he saw no driving whatever. Another New Zealander who nas just re- ! turned, Mr H. R. of Remuera, stated that he had no hesitation in placing J the game in England and Scotland well be- ' hind the New Zealand standard in every • respect, the greens themselves, the pavilions, and the proficiency of the players. The ■ greens looked very nice, but they were so ' very heavy that he was not surprised to find the standard of play very low. At the last meeting of the Dominion of ‘ New Zealand Bowling Association’s executive, it was decided to officially invite a party of Victorian bowlers to visit New Zealand during the 1927-28 season. In this I connection it is interesting to note from an article recently written in the “Bowls” newspaper (Melbourne) by Mr John P. Munro, that in 1884 the Victorian Bowling ; Association sent an official team of four rinks to New Zealand. In addition to matches against Dunedin, Invercargill, and Christ- ' church clubs they played a team picked , from the clubs throughout the whole of New Zealand. On their return home this Victorian team was known for years afterwards as “The Maoris,” and under that title in 1886 they played a friendly match against a team consisting of sixteen players

from the various dubs in and around Melbourne. This team consisted of Messrs Ross, Pringle, Falconer, Moss (c), Tiley, Blyth, Currie, Birrell (e), Little, Elliott, Wright, Amess (e), May, Grieve, Jeffries, and Birtwistle (c); and it is not thought that a single member survives. Then in 1890 an official four-rink team was sent by the Victorian Bowling Association to New Zealand. This team had as its captains such players as the late G. G. Munro (Hawthorn), S. E. Jeans (St. Kilda), Blyth (West Melbourne), and H. Ellis (Kew), the last-name probably the only member now living. The other members were Messrs A. Aitken (Armadale), Brunning, C. dark (Fitzroy), A. Fritsch (Auburn), J. Hemmings (Dandenong), Holmberg, J. Mairt (Melbourne), May, Maddox, G. Newman (North Fitzroy), Newtown, Pilley, J. Wright (Kew), and W. Aitken (South Melbourne). This team, too, were known as “The Maoris,” and as such they played against the New Zealand team, which visited Victoria in 1895.