BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 22508, 16 February 1935, Page 14

BOWLS

(By

“Kitty.”)

Congratulations, too, to Te Rangi on their success in the Mayor’s Pairs. This is the first occasion the Club has won this competition during the past 10 years and it is doubtful if, over that same period, a more exciting finish has marked the final than that which gave Frobarth and Shaw their win. Turnbull was drawing very successfully in his game against Northend in the semi-final; Meredith and Speirs by no means had things their own way in the closing stages of their semi-final match against Keast and Steans, but Meredith, who found it difficult to get the strength of the fiery Southland green at the start, led excellently during the critical period; Keast, for a second season man, put up a creditable showing as Stean’s lead and, in fact did not receive the support he was entitled to look for from his skip for Steans did not strike his true form; Keast twice drove well when Meredith was hugging the kitty and, on each occasion, met with success. The question whether it would not have been wiser to have staged the Northend-Waihopai semi-final on a green other than Southland was raised. Southland is particularly fiery just now and the players found that they had to employ the touch of an expert when sending down their bowls. And what price that promising Northend Pressman sending down two bowls on the wrong bias? Even the veterans watching the game could scarce forbear to smile. Bowls in the Dominion is the poorer through the death of Mr M. F. Barnett, whose name in the game will be perpetuated in Wellington and Christchurch through the contests for the Barnett Tiki (writes “Jack” in the Christchurch Press). Mr Barnett was a very early member of the Canterbury Club to which he was a most generous contributor whenever an appeal for additional funds was made. Not a particularly brilliant player, Mr Barnett had no superior over the head, was always ready to take a sporting risk, and had an almost uncanny faculty in assessing the possibilities of any shot. Indicative of his rugged temperament and wily tactics was an incident that occurred in the New Zealand tournament in 1919, played on the Ponsonby green. The Canterbury team comprised W. Mitchell, H. Barlow, M. J. Barnett, and B. J. Finnegan, and they were opposed by a quartet from New Plymouth. With five heads to go the Taranaki men led 17—5. During the previous head or two the northern lead, second, and third had shown more interest in the evening paper than in the game. This contemptuous treatment ruffled Barnett, and calling his rink together he laid plans to outmanoeuvre the opposition. Every Canterbury man played over the head, and when the skips changed over New Plymouth were lying six. The northern skip, still holding the local men cheaply, added another counter, and Barnett affected to urge Finnegan to play in amongst the opposing woods. The bowl went to the back, as arranged by the wily veteran, and still the opposition sensed no danger, the skip adding another counter with his last. “Put the jack in the ditch,” called Barnett, and Finnegan ran it through to score G. It was a desperate attempt that succeeded, and with the command of the jack Canterbury threw long heads, and finished with a margin of 4 on the board. Shield Kink Winners. Since the Shield Rink was instituted 27 years ago, there have been four Shields presented for competition. The first shield, donated by the Centre, was annexed by Gore in 1915 as the Club first gaining three wins. Then Dr Garfield Crawford presented a shield which went to the Invercargill Club witV three wins. Six members of the Invercargill rinks that won Dr Crawford’s trophy then linked purses and presented a shield to go to the Club with the most wins in 10 years. Bluff won with three victories. The' shield now being competed for was presented by the Centre, and it, too, is to go to the Club with the most wins in 10 years. Gore, Southland, Riverton and now Invercargill have each gained a win since the Shield was donated four years ago. Gore, with six wins, have been the most successful club in the 27 years’ history of the Shield Rink Competition. Invercargill and Bluff have each had five victories, Southland four, Riverton and Te Rangi three apiece and Northend one. The cheerfulness under all circumstances, of the skip (R. Hunter) played an important part in the success of the Invercargill Shield Rink (Holmes, Hay, Miller and Hunter), who must be congratulated upon their achievement. The team played as a team in all their matches and their victory was thoroughly deserved. The possessor of an ideal big match temperament, Hunter was always Brightness itself and many a smile did he raise with his “That’s made our position all the better!” when opponents, two or three times, managed to dislodge Invercargill shot bowls. Hunter played a deadly aggressive game in the winning rink’s hardest match—against Southland in the semi-finals—and only once did his cheerfulness waver. Invercargill were lying two on the third last head but Campbell (Southland), with a beautiful bowl, sprung the second out and trailed the kitty to make Southland five up. “My goodness, we’re five down!” escaped Hunter’s lips. Hay, however, took two out and Hunter, playing with great confidence, took another one out. One would find very few skips courageous enough to resort to drawing with the last bowl when so much depended on the issue at that stage. NORTHEND NOTES. Northenders are struggling through their club competitions. None of the championship finals have yet been decided but it is hoped to find the champion pair in time for inclusion in the champion of champion pairs on Wednesday next. The finalists in the doubles are Taggard and Service (s) and Keast and Steans (s). They commenced their final on Thursday but failed to finish owing to the darkness. Service leads 17-12 with three heads to play. It is hoped to complete the game on Monday. Semi-finalists in the singles championship are A. Cutt, R. Taggart, G. Adamson and A. Steans. Cutt meets Taggart, and Adamson meets Steans. Cutt has been playing a splendid drawing game this season and it would occasion no surprise to find him a finalist. Likewise Adamson, who has only to reproduce his practice form to hold the veteran Steans. The odds are that there will be a new name on the singles board this year. C. E, Hannah is slowly recovering his lost health and might yet manage a roll up before the season ends. He has been an interested spectator at some of the more important events lately. Since Sid Smith returned from the Dominion tourney at Auckland, he has been putting into practice some of the tips he picked up. As a skip in the fo'ur-rink championship, he has not yet had a reverse. Last Tuesday evening he was in rare form against P. Thomas, of Waikiwi, and in addition to a good win had the pleasure of annexing two sevens, the second one, scored on the final head demonstrating that Smith could draw just as well as he could drive.

Waikiwi gave Northend a bit of a shock, by the way, and with a head or two to play, there was only a point or two separating the teams. Smith’s final seven made respiration easier for the Northenders. While in Auckland S. Smith was a member of J. Findlay’s rink in the tournament. Findlay, it will be re-

membered, was a former member of the Te Rangi Club. Northend is fortunate in the number of promising “youngsters” coming on. Already two or three have graduated to the A grade and it will not be long before there are some more “knocking.” Outstanding among the younger men are L. Burgess, H. Morton,. F. Farquhar, J. O’Brien, P. Thomas, and H. Halligan. TE RANGI NOTES. Te Rangi supporters rolled up in force during the week to watch their representatives playing for the Mayor’s Pairs and their success in the final on Thursday evening was very popular. This was probably the most exciting final ever seen in this event and Speirs, one of the Waihopa iskips, almost saved the game for his club with his last bowl. Tins is Te Rangi’s first win for many years and congratulations are extended to Shaw, Frobarth, Lumsden and Roscow for their hard-earned vicThe champion singles has now been narrowed down to three players.. Glennie, by his win over Hope during the week, has earned the right to contest the final against the winner of the Pryde-Shaw game. Both these matches should be worth seeing. By their win from Hope and McKenzie Roscow and Lumsden (one life) play off with Frobarth and Shaw (two lives). FOUR RINK COMPETITION. CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE.

THE REPRESENTATIVE TEAM. BOUQUETS AND BRICKBATS. The announcement by the selectors (N. McGorlick, F. G. Stevenson and T. Pryde) of the personnel of the Southland team to play Otago at Dunedin next Saturday has provoked the usual bouquets and brickbats. At the time of writing, only the five town rinks have been named; the Eastern selectors have to choose two from their district and the Western selectors one from theirs. The selectors have never existed who could please all opinions and the wise selector never attempts to do so. .But read a few unsolicited “testimonials about the selection as verbally handed over to the writer by bowlers from here and there :

(1) “Quite a good choice.” (2) “Even though he was a selector Norman McGorlick should have been in the team. He’s been playing good bowls this year.” (McGorlick was not available—“ Kitty.”) (3) “What’s happened to Campbell, of Southland? If anyone should have got in as third he should. Did you see his five games last Saturday? He had far more to do than Hay because the Southland first two men did not leave him in such a strong position as Holmes and Miller did Hay.” (4) “I am surprised to see such outstanding players as Thomson and Miller, of Invercargill, left out. And what about McQueen, the Woodlands lead?”

(5) “The best team we’ve had for years—yet not the best. It is a big improvement on many in the past but it could have been bettered.”

(6) “Fancy putting Hay as second along with Holmes, Derbie and Hunter! He should have been third without a doubt. It is a pity the Invercargill rink was not left the same as last Saturday; that is, of course, if Miller was available. It looks as if Hay’s been placed second just to make room for Derbie.” (7) “The selectors have made a good job of it. I am glad to see they have put McKendry, of Woodlands, in though I would like to have seen that club get even another player included.” (8) “Why must it always be five Town rinks and three from the Country? This is an old standing grievance. My view is that the best players should go wherever they come from. Even if the country supplied the whole team I’d be quite satisfied so long as they were the best team. This ‘unwritten law’ is wrong in principle. Either the selectors haven’t the courage or else they haven’t the power to alter this 5—3 arrangement.”

(9) “In some cases the selectors seem to have gone out of their way to pick whole rinks from certain clubs; in others they haven’t worried about breaking up likely combinations.” (10) “In my opinion the selectors have chosen the best town players and, with the exception of their omission of Campbell (Southland) and Thomson (Invercargill), they deserve a pat on the back.

(!) “Tell me the old, old story—‘the favoured few’ again.” (12) “No man should be chosen simply because he has been in the position to pay his fare to Dunedin in the past. Catering for the ‘idle rich’ is not sport.” (13) “So far as the Town rinks are concerned, the selectors should be congratulated. It is the country rinks, however, who’ve lost us matches in the past. The best players should be chosen whether they are country or town.” (14) “Northend’s rink is a bit of a poser. The two front men (McKitterick and Scandrett) are not strong and it looks as if Wesney and Smith will have to ‘carry the baby.’ The lead, by the way, is a one-hand player. What’s happened to men like Service, Steans and Swift?”

P. w. L. D. Pts. Invercargill 11 9 2 0 9 Waihopai 11 8 3 0 8 Te Rangi 11 7 4 0 7 Northend 11 7 4 0 7 Bluff 10 6 3 1 62 Southland 11 5 6 0 5 Waikiwi 10 3 6 1 3-J Georgetown 10 2 8 0 2 R.S.A. 11 0 11 0 0