BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 18

BOWLS

OPENING OF GREEN AT LUMSDEN

(By

JACK-HIGH)

Although club competitions have not yet been started the bowling season in Southland is now in full swing and bowlers are getting in some useiul practice for competitions and tournaments ahead. Today several more clubs will open their greens. Only two of the city clubs have yet to make a start. Invercargill will hold its opening today and Georgetown will open next Saturday. Among the country clubs the new Lumsden Club promises to have an auspicious opening today. About 100 city bowlers intend to be present, and it is expected that a similar number of country bowlers will attend. The club is making provision for the entertainment of about 200 visitors, so it will be seen that there is every prospect of a record opening ceremony. The city players will leave early this afternoon by special train from Invercargill. A number of the members of the Southland Bowling Centre have stated their intention of being present. Mr J. D. Campbell, the president, Mr D. M. Scandrett, chairman of the management committee, Mr S. C. K. Smith, Southland representative on the New Zealand Bowling Council, Mr R. T Meredith, chairman of the Southland Amateur Sports Trust, and members of the management committee of the centre will assist at the opening ceremony. Greens are on the heavy side just now and bowlers are finding it a bit of a push to get up to the heads. The good weather of the past week should do much to improve conditions, however, and in a week or so some good surfaces should be available. Both the Northend and Southland greens, probably the two most used greens in Southland, are well covered this season, and when the bigger tournaments come around they should be in excellent order. A number of improvements have been carried out at Northend. Shelter hedges have been erected inside the southern and western fences and a new picket fence has been erected outside the southern boundary . The club has purchased a new mower, and it is proposed to paint the roof of the pavilion. Mr J. Ure, the club’s present champion, is in charge of the green this season and already has done much work In the improvement of the surface. Messrs J. D. Campbell and S. C. K. Smith visited the Hokonui green last Saturday. They were pleasantly surprised with the condition of the green for so early in the season. It played true and was fast.

Is it the first-eight of the season? In the opening day game at Northend last Saturday W. Reid skipped a rink which scored an eight against a rink skipped by W. B. O’Toole. To have held every office in the club, to have acted as green superintendent, and to have been a committee member for many years, is the record of Mr G. W. Hyde, whose resignation was received at the annual meeting of the Hamilton Bowling Club. Several speakers emphasized the valuable service Mr Hyde had given to the club in the course of 30 years. The club itself was only 37 years old. Apart from his many contacts through bowling, Mr Hyde is well known as one of Hamilton’s most active Justices of the Peace. When a magistrate is away, and two justices are required, Mr Hyde is invariably one of the first called to the Bench. Mr Hyde’s resignation was necessitated by ill-health, but his health is now reported to be improving.

BOWLS AT EMPIRE GAMES It is expected that 11 countries will be represented in the bowls section of the British Empire Games which are being held at Sydney in February. Already the Australian Bowling Council, which will conduct the bowls championships, has received official acceptances from England, Scotland, Wales, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand. Ireland will probably also be sending representatives and assurances have been received that accredited bowlers from Canada, South Africa, Fiji and Hong Kong will take part. The championships will be played from February 5 to February 12 and will include singles, pairs and rinks. There can be a maximum of only seven players from each of the Home countries, each Dominion and each colony, one for the singles, two for the pairs and four for the rinks championships. Fiji and New Zealand will have that number, and so will Australia, which contains six state associations, but Great Britain will have separate representatives from England, Scotland and Wales, and possibly Ireland. Canada, with its nine provinces, and South Africa, with a similar number, will have seven bowlers representing those Dominions, and so will Hong Kong. But if the provinces in Canada and South Africa had not federated each would have been entitled to compete as a separate entity with seven representatives. Bowls was first included in the Empire Games held at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1930, and Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and England were represented. South Africa and England each had seven players, but Canada had only six, and New Zealand and Scotland had four each.

When the Empire Games were held in London in 1934, Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Rhodesia. Scotland, South Africa and Wales each was represented by seven players. New Zealand had five. AFTERNOON TEA ADJOURNMENTS The afternoon tea adjournment is a matter which practically all bowlers discuss once a year. In Southland the suggestion has been put forward more than once that the adjournment for a cup of tea on Saturday afternoons should be abolished. Some declare it a waste of time; others say it helps the social side of the game. Commenting on it in The Evening Star, Dunedin, “Draw” has the following to say. “Many well-known players dislike the stoppage of play brought about by an adjournment and blame it for many reversals of form, while many argue that it is entirely unnecessary in the Saturday shield matches. Of course, thers are a number who look forward to the tea adjournment, and some to the knowledge that they may be able to take a little from the cup that cheers. The writer is of the opinion that any adjournment from play for a short period would affect both sets of teams in a way that would just about even up matters, and that the stoppages would not materially affect results. In Victoria the majority of clubs supply tea or aerated waters only, and these drinks are set on tables near the playing area, so that no stoppage of play occurs. This system would considerably lower the cost and may be worthy of consideration by many of the clubs in this centre. However, there are bound to be many players who consider that afternoon refreshments are necessary to maintain a social feeling in the game, and as a means of keeping the lady supporters interested as spectators at the many competition games, and truly any game that can hold the interest and attention of the fair sex is bound to progress. The social side gives our mothers, wives, and sisters (without mentioning our sweethearts) an opportunity of following the game; and, since the presence of women does give a brightness in our surroundings, it would be a great pity if anything were

done that would tend to lessen their attendance.”

At the opening of the Auckland Club’s bowling green last Saturday, teams from the following former Otago and Southland bowlers were selected to play against Auckland players:— Adamson, Almo, Bagrie, Barnes Bates, Barnett, Best, Bateman, Bowden, L. H. Campbell, W. J. Campbell, Deare, Delargey, Duncan, Dennison, Dripps, Dickinson, D. C. Fraser, Fowke, Findlay, H. Fraser, Fastier, Gillespie, G. F. C. Hosking, Haycock, O. G. Harvey, Herron, Head, Hepworth, Israel, R. A. Johnstone, Kidd, Kewish, Kemp, Lancaster, Lane, Lawson, Mcßeath, McKenzie. McGill, Maher, McAllen, McAllister, Macey, McMillan, Moodie, Martin, Hardie, Neil, Peters, Ross, Reynolds, Sturgess, Shirriffs, R. H. Scott, W. Smith, Shortt, Tulloch, H. F. Wright, F. Watson, F. T. A. Williams, R. A. Walker, Waterworth, C. M. Whelan, Wetherilt, Waite, L. T. Whelan, J. Williamson.