ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 688, 13 June 1929, Page 6

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

By

JACK HIGH

On Saturday afternoon, when the Auckland Friendly Societies’ Indoor Bowling Association held its annual tournament, the Ponsonby Drill Hall presented a pretty scene of intense animation. The 18 rinks occupied, with their respective cloths of green baize, left little room to spare on the generous floor of the large hall for the players to walk on, and it was pleasing to view the 144 players with their faces absorbed in the process of the games and a pretty and unusual picture presented of human activity at an indoor sport.

Again it was prominently noticeable that, although the game is exactly similar in principle to the outdoor game, 'some of our best exponents of the latter, who were present, made a very poor showing. Indeed, it seemed in the early stages that they were hopelessly incompetent to deliver their bowls, and oft-times barely got within a yard or so of the jack—which is in striking contrast to their ability at the outdoor game, where they can be usually relied upon to draw to a foot or so, let alone draw a toucher —the I absolute shot —when required. The i circumstance was not without its humour, for in one rink a player of wide repute, who had been selected from the whole of the Dominion players to take part in the recent test match between Australia and New Zealand, was placed number two in a team, and failed to get some of his bowls on the mat at all, let alone draw the shot, as it was customary for him to do at the out-door game on a 110 ft green. His face was noticeable, for it wore a puzzled and even an exasperated look of conscious inefficiency on this occasion It was quite evident that he was out of his element in the earlier stages of the gam©. Under ideal weather conditions bowlers again faced week-end play. The Alount Eden Club’s King’s Birthday tournament was advanced to the final stages, and the two teams left in to contest for the concluding honours are from Auckland, under M. Walker, and West End under I. Clarke. Both combinations are strong with frontrank skips, so that the final game should present the finest elements of the game on the green.

The semi-final game between I. Clare’s team and the Epsom combination, headed by T. R. George, presented a concluding head that is certainly worthy of description, for it embodied the notorious luck that bowling is so famous for. The West team faced this head with a comfortable four upon the board, leaving their opposition five points to gain for a win. Under ordinary circumstances this number would have been very difficult to accomplish. But the impossible almost happened. A failing light made it almost impossible to see the jack when it was thrown, and the players had to trust to luck as to where their bowls finished. However, the woods were rolled with the fond hope that they would finish at the desired spot and counters would eventuate. After the lead’s twos and threes had played, the result was counted, with much striking of matches and close scrutiny, and it was found that Epsom lay six up. But C. ITardley, West End’s number three, had still one bowl to play to effect a save. After much deliberation as to what shot he should play, he elected to drive into where he thought the head was located. The bowl went down the green, and Fortune favoured it. It caught the jack on the edge and turned the latter to the side of the rink, where some of his team’s bowls were lying. West End was thus turned from six down to two up. Naturally, the game was won by this shot, as it was quite impossible for George to alter the position of the head in the dark.

The Edwin Stars are still retained by the Ponsonby Club. Parsons’s team again had an easy win against the Rawhiti combination, including Savin, Stubbs, Chiplin, Macpherson. The challengers’ play was of a high order, but it was not equal to that of their ’ stronger opponents. However, Macpherson is to be warmly commended on this work. As skip he plays some dexterous shots. Allen, of Ponsonby, was most accurate as lead, while Somervell was to be relied upon in the three’s, position to maintain his good standard of play. Parsons again proved a tower of strength to his side. This is the seventh occasion in succession that the team has been successful. It has warded off six^challenges.

The final game of the Onehunga Club’s King’s Birthday tournament was played on Saturday. It proved of a very high order. The teams left in were from Stanley under Johnson and Rocky Nook under S. Jenkin. The members of both teams were welltried players. The scores were even up to the last few heads, when the Rocky Nook players romped home easy winners. This is the fifth occasion that this team has won the Onehunga Club’s King’s Birthday tournament.

The Nomads lived up to their name again last Saturday. Their Nomadic habits led them further afield on this occasion. They wended their cheerful and friendly way to the Hillsborough Club, where they were warmly welcomed by the president, Air. W. Wilkinson, and the immediate past-pre-sident, Air. R. Sheath. The Nomads will pay a visit to the Rawhiti Club next Saturday.

Like the Edwin Stars competition, challenging teams are experiencing some difficulty in wresting the Denison Pins from the present holders. A Dominion Road Club team met the Hillsborough team skipped by R. Sheath, in an endeavour to capture the Pins. And, indeed, in the early stages of the game it looked as if the challengers would be victorious, but the defenders came to light in the final stages and notched another win in a very creditable list of performances.

It is a common practice to jibe at the enthusiasm displayed by ardent

devotees of the game on the green, | and specially to raise a laugh against bowlers at their unconscious antics in that tense interval between the delivery of a bowl and its arrival on the head. Evidently it is a time-worn practice, too, as the following lilt indicates —which was written by a humorist as far back as 1719: “See how they labour, as if the day and night Were both too short to serve their loose delight; See how their curved bodies wreath ’ and skrue Such An tick-Shapes as Proteus never knew. One rapps an oath, another deals a curse; One rubs his itchless elbow, shrugs and laughs, The t’other bends his beetle-brow, and chafes; Sometimes they whoop, sometimes the Stygian cries Send their black Santos to the blushing skies; Thus mingling humour in a mad confusion, They make bad premisses and worse confusion.” The Ponsonby Club’s annual meeting takes place on June 20. FRANKTON CLUB (From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Wednesday. At the annual meeting of the Frankton Bowling Club Air. F. Baker presided over a good attendance of members. The annual report showed that the membership during the year totalled 40. An enjoyable and successful year of bowls had been experienced and the standard of play considerably improved. The club competitions during the season resulted: Championship singles: Air. H. Lucas; runner-up, Air. G. \ Frost. AlcGregor Cup: Air. P. J. Garvey; runner-up, Air. G. Frost. Bell Cup: Messrs. W. Crawshaw and C. Lafferty; runners-up, Alessrs. A. Wheeler and H. Childs. Junior Cup (Tui trophy): Air. E. Gallagher; runner-up, Air. H. Childs. The election of officers resulted; Patron, Air. W. S. Higgins; president, Air. F. Baker; vice-president, Air. P. J. Garvey; secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. R. Burton; committee, Messrs. L. G. Astle, H. Lucas, J. Troup, A. W. Wheeler, C. Lafferty and A. Rockell; honorary auditor, J. Preston; delegates to the South Auckland centre, Messrs. F. Baker and E. R. Burton. The various cups and trophies won during the season were presented to the successful contestants.

GROCERS’ MATCHES The wholesale and retail grocers finished the season at Alount Albert yesterday, when they were entertained by the president of the association, Air. A. W. Page. The following games were played:— R. Harrison, A. Lang, L. S. Francis 13. v. F. Bluck, R. De Castro, T. Dickson 9; J. W. Bayley, R. C. M. Fordham. C. A. Addison, S. W. Thompson 16, v. J. H. Jones, E. S. Andrew, F. Preston, T. H. Stevens 5; J. Stewart, F. Boyce, J. H. Garlick, P. Floyd 20, v. A. W. Page. G. R. Stenson, T. E. Price, I. Clarke 4; Jesse Hill, T. Alaxwell, A. H. Roylance 13. v. F. Grigson, J. S. Rowe, E. Thomas 8. NOMADS V. RAWHITI The following rinks will represent the Nomads against Rawhiti on Saturday: J. H. Trayes, Edgerley, C. E. Clarkson, E. A. Craig (Auckland); G. B. Osmond, C. A. Allan, J. AlcDougall, T. R. Procter (Remuera); T. C. Schnackenberg, J. AY. Hardley, J. Ambury, A. Coutts (Carlton); Rev. W. P. Rankin, J. J. Donnell, G. F. Pickens, R. McK. Alorison (Epsom); R. Parker-Hill, IT. Yearbur.v, D. Todd, E. R. Edney (New Lynn); G. R. Hoskings, H. R. Martinson, J. S. McMillan. C. A. Addison (Edendale): AV. .T. Johnson, .3. R. Lundon, T. Fairbrother, J. H. Colthurst (West End): Rev. T. H. Roseveare, J. AVhitehouse, W. Beckman, AY. D. Kelly (Dominion Road).