BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 20963, 21 December 1929, Page 18

BOWLS

(By

“Lead.”)

NEW YEAR TOURNAMENT. Tuesday, December 31.—Singles at 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 1. —Rinks at 8 a.m. Thursday, January 2.—Doubles at 8 a.m. Friday, January 3.—Finals. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Conditions have not been ideal for bowls. Several games have been postponed owing to wet weather. Most of the post|x>ned games have been cleared up, but they’ have been played at odd times and it is difficult to keep in touch with them. The New Year tournament will be the next event of interest to Southland and visiting bowlers. Six greens will be used and there is every reason to believe that this season's fixture will be even a greater success than similar fixtures in the past. Last year’s tournament was very successful and is still a pleasant memory to Southland bowlers. Many of those who were here last year are returning for the New Year and the committee in charge of arrangements has every arrangement made to ensure the smooth working of all branches of the tournament. Mr D. H. Thomson, who was largely responsible for last year’s success, is again secretary. Entries have come in from as far north as Oamaru and northern clubs represented are Meadowbank, Phoenix, Anderson's Bay (two rinks), Caversham (two rinks), West Harbour. St. Clair and St. Kilda. There will be 23 rinks from the Southland province. The singles will be played in sections of four and the pairs in sections of six. The rinks will also be played in sections of six, each rink being guaranteed four games. There will be no end rinks. Splendid trophies arc available for four prizes in each event—singles, pairs and rinks—and these exceed £39 in value. Another event of interest to the bowling fraternity will be the jubilee of the Caledonian Club, Dunedin, which takes place on February 8, 9 and 10. The secretary, Mr L. J. Edwards, Box 229, Dunedin, invites all old members to communicate with him. Dominion Tournament. Entries have closed for the Dominion tournament, those received being as follows:—Singles 171, pairs 169, rinks 88. The entries for the rinks are as follows;— Dunedin Centre 41 Christchurch Centre 15 Southland 8 South Canterbury’ 7 Wellington 6 Auckland 3 Marlborough 2 North Otago 2 South Otago 1 Central Otago 1 Nelson 1 Wairarapa 1 Last year, when the tournament was he'd in Wellington, the entries were:—Singles 264. pairs 224, rinks 130. For the tournament held in Dunedin in 1926 the totals were: —Singles 256, rinks 134, pairs 232. Five more entries will be received for the singles to fill up another green, and two more for the rinks. Read and Digest. The following advice—with which it is necessary’ to take the proverbial pinch of salt—is tendered to bowlers in a wellknown Wellington club. The advice is framed anil hung on the wall in the locker room:— Never be afraid to take the green. There is no charge for it. If you are short, pretend you played for a block, even if no one believes you. Never refuse to play No. 2. A good player in this position wins more games than he loses, and can make or mar the game. He can also tell the skip how it should have been done. The skip should never show his team how much green to take. He may think he is helping, but is really causing profanity. The skip who makes his team play on the blocked hand and keeps the open one for himself so as to get. the credit for drawing the shot, deserves all he gets, and usually gets it. The skip who walks up after every bowl to see the head, pays his No. 3 a high compliment. The latter should reciprocate by taking a stroll round the green to see if the flowers are growing. There Is not enough exercise in bowls. The skip should never grumble at his men. They can the more easily forgive when he fails himself, as he oflcn docs. The team has generally most cause for complaint. After the match has been won, the skip should always take full credit to himself for scoring the victory. When the game is lost he should blame his team. This means that, the skip may’ hold his job for six months, while the team is chopped to pieces. It is also the reason for some of our present skips.