THE ROLLING GAME OF BOWLS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1164, 3 November 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE ROLLING GAME OF BOWLS

A Budget of Notes

It was unfortunate that the wet weather towards the end of last week caused a postponement of the first round of the Centre's interclub rinks competition. If the rain had cleared off and the sun come out a few hours earlier it is probable that the fixtures would have been proceeded with, as Canterbury greens make notable recoveries, even after a thorough soaking.. However, few bowlers would have many regrets, considering the benefit to the country through such a, fine rain.

One inter-club match was played. The Sumner bowlers got word through from Rangiora that the green there was playable, and three rinks made the journey to the North Canterbury town. They came home completely victorious, each rink having scored a win—rather an unusual performance against the stalwarts of Rangiora. The green was heavy, and a bowl had to have considerable powder behind it to make it run the length of a full rink.

Thirty entries have been received for the Rangiora Club singles. They have been divided into three sections of ten. Sixteen pairs have entered for the handicap doubles.

New Brighton Club has now 72 members—a total which some city clubs will envy. Mr T. Innes has been elected to the ground committee, vice Mr J. Wright resigned. The committee is contemplating further improvements to the ground, and an improved water supply is part of the scheme.

The Centre has no official Postponement Committee, and it should have one. Last Saturday morning the secretary (Mr D. E. Wood) was kept busy answering numerous telephone inquiries as to whether the games were to proceed, and he found it a difficult thing to get into touch with the«meinbers of the executive. A small committee, which could easijy be assembled, would make a very useful addition to the administrative machinery. Decisions regarding postponements could be posted in a central place in the city, where the notice could easily be consulted by anxious bowlers.

Twenty-one entries hayc been received in the Sydenham Club's champion singles competition. The competition wiil be split up iiito three sections, and played according to time-table, the first round to conclude on November 1-!.

For the Sydenham champion doubles, 18 entries have been received. This competition will he divided into two sections, the iirst two rounds to finish on November 11. Eighl entries have been received for the champion rinks, and the first round is to finish on November 14.

The Sydenham Club doubles will not commence until some time in December. Eleven entries have been received.

A rather, surprising thing is the small number of entries for {he Sydenham Club singles, only five having been received this year, as against 21 last year. For the colls' competition seven entries have been received.

Lin wood has got ahead with its club competitions. They were commenced last week, and owing to the postponement of Centre competitons on Saturday, the ground being in fairly good condition, further progress was made. In the rink games (Section A), Kilner beat Kershaw, and Burson beat Good. In Section B, Read beat Burgess. In the doubles (Section A), Burson beat Read, and Penlington beat Ambrose.

In the Opawa Club competitions, nine entries have been received for the champion rinks, 29 for the champion singles, and 17 pairs in the champion doubles.

The president of the Sumner Bowling Club (Dr. Gosset), who has been on a health visit to Rotorua, is expected back next week.

The Smithson Buttons, for rink competition, which have been in the possession of the present holders during last season, are being played for at Sumner to-day, and a challenge is already lodged against the holders after to-day's match. Entries for the various competitions closed on Monday last. Six rinks have entered for the championship. The draws for the other competitions are posted. *** * *

The only club competition so far at Edgewarc green is the Lorimer Buttons contest, between J. D. Colville's rink and Herd's rink, the latter being the challenger. Colville's rink won the buttons from Gagliardi's rink, after a fine recovery from a bad position. The holders succeeded in retaining the buttons after the encounter with Herd's rink. Again Colville's rink was down in the early stages of the game, the score being 9 to 17 against him on the 10th head. His rink equalised on the 15th, and the final score was Colville 25, Herd 21.

The sons of several Edgeware bowlers have figured in the casualty lists during the past week or so. Mr C. Allard's son was killed in action, while Messrs J. W. Beanland, W. Bennington, and T. Marker have had sons wounded. The sympathy of bowlers will go out to Mr Allard and the other gentlemen, whose gallant sons have suffered in their country's cause.

The first challenge match for the Alston Doubles Badges was played on the United green on Tuesday evening, between Morsley and Swallow (challengers) and Evans and Spiller. The game resulted in a win for the holders. This is Spiller's second win, he having won the initial game played last week to find the first holders of the badges.

As showing the advantage of good drainage, the United green played really well on Saturday afternoon, in spite of the very heavy rain of the previous day. The green at the present time is in better order than it has been for several years.

Two games have been played in the United Champion Singles. S. Smith beat T. Thomson, and If. Lillington beat H. Wright. The club is getting to work in good style on the other competitions.

W. "J* i\i * r!The Edgeware Club is trying the "lerits of a worm-killer supplied by

By "TOUCHER"

Mr J. Tavlor, a well-known member of the club. The mixture has the two-fold merit of being fatal to worms and good for the grass. The wet spell gave a fine opportunity for a test, and results are very satisfactory. r\i * ;K 4» %i

A remarkable example of the peculiar fashion in which fortune distributes her favours in bowling was seen on the St. Albans green on Thursday evening. W. Henley and J. R. Thompson were matched in a friendly game against Dr Downes and H. Raphael. One would expect a fairly even score, but when the game was finished about the 16th or 17th head, Henley and Thompson had a tally of 40, while Downes and Raphael had scored 6. The winning pair could not go wrong, and the losers found all the ports excepi the right ones.

Vi J* V- A i,l- - *P A' V a? At the meeting of the Dunedin Centre Executive last Saturday Mr W. G. Hay brought forward for con- • sideration an amendment to the pro- ■ J . u) _ f posed method of scoring under the new scheme of interclub play. He moved —"That the method of assessing banner points as adopted at the last meeting of the execu ive be added to by giving 2 points to each club winning a majority of rinks against all-comers on each playing Saturday, and 1 point for a draw." The amendment was suggested (1) to avoid the anomaly that a club should receive no recognition when it wins, say, six out of nine rinks and yet loses by a small minority of points; and (2) to provide generally some recognition for the merit of winning on rinks. Mr Hay contended that, unless the amendment were carried, there would be a strong inducement for players to strive for every possible point, and it would be the duty of one rink to "rub it in" if they happened to strike their opponents out of form. This could not make for sociability, which, after all, was the main thing. He pointed the peculiar positions which might arise under the present order of things. The chairman (Mr A. H. ,"X Allen) strongly supported the amendment. He said the anomalies j which could occur at present were ridiculous. A club might be up in 14 out of 18 rinks and yet score nothing. Mr H. Wright did not care for the dual system. He preferred a system which allowed a win outright. Mr J, Abbott and Mr G. Dunn were againsl the amendment, the latler remarking that the whole trouble arose through the banner, which should he retired to (he Centre ollice as an ornament. It was more trouble than it was worth. The amendment was carried by 4 to 3. % * }\- * *

"The rain it raineth every day." Really, we arc getting too much of a good thing. Yesterday evening the early arrivals on the greens had no more than got their coats off and their blazers on than the premonitory evidences of a downpour appeared. It started gently, almost regretfully, but presently it pounded down in the heartiest style. Players on the green had to gather up their bowls and retire to the pavilions until the shower was over. Starlings took possession of the greens, and some entertainment was found in watching them stalk the worms which the moisture lures to the surface. The night was very wet, and this morning broke none too hopefully.

*K A -- At i*'The greens about the city have never been looking better. This is one of the benefits of the ample rainfall. The growth of grass has been really splendid.