BOWLING

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1926, Page 4

BOWLING

OPENING OF SHIELD MATCHES FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY. The shield bowling competitions commence throughout Taranaki this week. On Saturday the following fixtures will be played;— Northern Division. —Waitara v. -Paritutu, at Waitara; Vogeltown v. New Plymouth, at Vogeltown; Fitzroy v. West End (home and home). Southern Division (Saturday players). -Hawera B v. Park at Hawera. Teams already selected are:— ■Paritutu, against Waitara, at Waitara.—Brown, Briggs, Mackie, Jackson (s); Curd, Phillips, Mclntosh, MeWhinney (s); Harvey, Lister, Lobb, Sims (s); Moverley, Des Forges, Haughcy, Looney (s); Elliot, Whitehead, Vincent, Walls (s); B. Sole, Bullin, Thomson, Adam (s). A ’bus .will leave the Paritutu Club’s green at 1.15 p.m. Any player not available notify by Friday. West End, against (Fitzroy, at Fitzroy Green.—Taylor, Jury, Hoskin, Billing (s); MePhillips, Fraser, Brash, Petty (s); Dalrymple, Guild, Mander, Johnson (s); Blyde, White, Morey, Honeyfield (s); Grainger, May senr., Watkins, Douglass (s); Hooker, Pearce, Christoffel, Putt (s); E. Jury, Casey, Boulton, Lee (s); Coppen, Gilmore-Smith, Bigwood, N. .Sole (s). West End, against Fitzroy, at West End Green.—Julian, Reston, Medley, Lobb (s); Marsh, Ward, MeAllum senr., Beale (s); Gyde, Hay, G. Sole, J. D. Sole (e); Hamblyn, Styles; Turnbull, Bruee (s); Luscombe, Brown, Hurlstone, Oliver (s); Mason, T. Sole, Surrey, Stevenson (s); Sinclair, Monaghan, Dunlop, Fd. Newell (s). West End rinks to play at West End Green. —Christoffel, Walker, Graham, Morgan (s); West, Bedford, Beatson, Alyward (s); Grace, MeAllum junr., Norfolk, F. Mason (s); Mackay, Bruce, Inch, Wallis (s); Whitcombe, E. May, Putt, Ellis (s); Early, M. May, Duffin, Charters (s). New Plymouth v. Vogeltown. at Vogeltown.—Taylor, F. Coleman, Patrick. H. Smart (s); Bell, F. Carter. A. N. Smith. O. N. Johnson (s) ; Mace. M. Avery, Washer. Nasmith (s); W. Roberts. Thomas. Freeman, Telfar (s); C. Carter, A. L Moore. H. Fookes, A. Higgs (s); A. S. Olarke, Collins, Robertson. Griffin (s); Goldwater, Bellringer, F. Hooker. Horton (s). The following players will play a friendly match against Fire Brigade on the New Plymouth green at 2 p.m.— Butler, McNiven, Hawkins, Hill (s); J. Honeyfield, Linn, Fletcher, Woollett (s); Alexander, Skinner, McLeod, Drake (s); Shoemark, G. Grey, T. C. Fookes. Thompson (s).

THE SHIELD MATCHES. SELECTION OF PLAYERS. (By “Toucher.”) On Saturday the first round in the Shield contest of the Taranaki Centre commences in the Northern Division, when Vogeltown meets New Plymouth on the former’s green, Paritutu journey to Waitara, while Fitzroy and West End engage in a home and home contest. The first round in the Southern Division will also open this week, when in the Wednesday competition Patea will play Hawera A at Patea, while on Saturday Hawera B meet Park at Hawera. Some clubs never flatter themselves or their friends with a hope that they will gain a premiership. The last twenty years’ experience has shown that some clubs are nearly always possible winners, and that others, and a much greater number have never even an outside chance of winning their division. Clubs, like men, appear to have individualities, and their characteristics make either for persistent progress or the inertness of complacent self-satisfaction. The cause, whatever the result, may be suitability or otherwise of locality. Some clubs seem to be unable to attract bowlers of skill and keenness, while others draw them as sugar does flies. All clubs cannot be premiers, but it is pleasant to note progress in any, and it would be agreeable to many bowlers to see some of the smaller clubs this year win the different divisions. METHOD OF SELECTION. The best method of selecting teams for these Shield matches and similar contests is just as much a question and is as productive of quite as much argument as bowl-testing itself; perhaps not quite as much argument, but not so very far short. In principle the picking of a team by a sole selector appears to be the best, and every now and then it gets its chance on trial. This system of selection, however, never becomes a permanent institution, and we often see the club which has adopted it as the way out of the difficulty turning back again to the selection committee. Several other suggestions have been made for the selection of teams, such as the election or appointment of skips, the skips later meeting together to select their own teams. This system has worked satisfactorily in Victoria, and was tried in the Hataitai Club (Wellington), but this club the following year went back to the sole selector system. PICKING SHIELD TEAMS. How often does the cry go out from various clubs that they could win the shield only for the reason that the club has not picked her very best players. That there is much truth in this statement cannot be denied. Bowlers —more or less —are perturbed as the day approaches on which individual bowlers find their positions allotted to them. Many schemes have been tried for the purpose of getting together solid and effective combinations to do battle in the competitions. So far, no form of selection ever has given entire satisfaction, and I venture to eay no method of selection will ever give entire satisfaction. The reason, or cause of failure, is not always because a club is not powerfully strong in number or skilful bowlers, it is because teams are so made up that it is impossible to succeed with them. Often, glaring instances of indiscretion are manifest in the form of unsuitable players being pressed into rinks. Year after year clubs solemnly avow that nothing of a repetitious nature will ever occur again, only to find at the end of the season that the “usual” has occurred once again

CAUSES OF FAILURE.

The single selector or committee of three has been tried, each one in turn being tried again and again, with varying success. The principal cause of failure is often the lack of knowledge on behalf of the appointed ones—to do the selecting—who, in many instances are > positive strangers to their green, excepting perhaps on a Saturday, with the result that many faulty selections ar# made. The single selector is without doubt considered to be as good, or better, than any other form of selecting providing always that the suitable person is available who is free from likes and dislikes • and who possesses a vision of seeing the coveted honours resting snugly at the end of the season in his club. Many clubs now adopt the system of single selector. Ability and strength to *uofeed is the slogan that should be adopted by all selectors. All forms of jealousy for positions should be looked upon with disdain, and personality should not be a bar to one's inclusion, providing tho ability to bowl is their’s. THE THREE SELECTORS. The committee of three selector* has been tried and. more often than not, has been a failure, usually because two of the three selectors are mostly in accord, and at variance with the other selector. Resignations are rife in some clubs in New Zealand because in many instances strong men who are imbued with ths importance of carrying out certain objectives see no possible hope of relief from the orthodox or sentimentality, which unfortunately is said to be associated with bowls, and many other games as well. Only by a genuine desire and lofty ideals can the pinnacle of success be reached, and an incentive spirit be broadcasted among participants which will ultimately lead to all forma of recreation reaching the highest. HOW TEAMS ARE SOMETIMES CHOSEN. Of course it varies with some clubs, but here is how selection eventuates at times. Three selectors are chosen to pick the teams, and one of them in most cases is weak or indolent and gives way quickly. At the first meeting the two strong men assert themselves, and state that “eight skips have to be chosen. Of course, we are two and that leaves six more; now you are only a lead (or third). So and So’s a good fellow and has done a bit for the club.” This makes three, and then follows: “Y’ou know ‘Bricks and Mortar’ is an old club man, so we had better put him in for another skip.” Number three selector meekly says, “But you forget So and So has for three years averaged wine of 80 per cent, of his matches as skip, besides he downed the three of us in the chib’s competition, and others will expect to sec him there.” “Oh, he’s easily got rid of. Put him in as No. 3. Besides he has the hide to tell us where we are wrong.” “Now for the other thirds. You know Jack C. Well, he’s a pal of mine, so I must have him,” says Selector No. 1. “And A. G. must be my second, and T. fy, he’s our most reliable lead, I’ll have him.” “Oh, all right,’’ says No. 2, “but I must have L. C. for third. He is really useful to me, and although rather erratic in play at times, he has had a lot of experience. Then K. A. for second, and the president for my lead. We’ll leave the other rinks to you (turning to the third selector). You ean fix them as you like.” In another club it was thus put by the stronger of the trio. “Now look, ‘So and So,” although he has only just joined us, is a really good man. We’d better put him as a skip and give him a fairish team. Then we’ll be all right with him. Let’s give him—'his crew is fixed. Now I will have Jim Crow, Pat Lark, and Don Swallow. You can have (to No. 2 Selector) John Bull, Mick Irish, and Rub Scott. The other teams we had better let Tom there fix up.” That is how it is done in some clubs in New Zealand, and then the general members of the clubs are heard to remark; "I wonder how ‘So and So’ got his position.” “Well, what do you think of that; Billy K. has let us down in the competitions for the past three years, and here he is a skip again.” “Oh, but just think of what he’s done for the elub as president.” And so it goes on. DOES JEALOUSY EXIST? Does jealousy exist? To true it does; there are those who, by virtue of their professions, are unable to give their valuable assistance. Then we have capable, free men, who have time and ability to give of their best to their club, but the mistrust is ever prevalent. The difficulty has gone on for several decades, and various schemes have been introduced which so far have failed to give general satisfaction. Single selectors, many clubs swear by, whilst others try out selection committees of three. This in numerous cases is a positive farce, because the work is usually left to one man, and great and stormy are the scenes witnessed when one of the said trio thinks he has been ignored. The single selector, it is conceded generally gives the best result. On one occasion a club was very restless, waiting for the selector’s decision in regard to the centre games. The wily official chose an opportune moment to post the names on the board; this done, he at once hied himself away. The following day brought forth storm and flood (of protests), the selector being literally torn asunder whilst he was absent (designedly) and avoiding the unpleasantness of having to explain the why and where of things. Whey the sky cleared and things assumed their normal condition he appeared at the club wreathed in smiles. He did not say “I have scored,’ ’but there were many who thought so, when the club, a few months later, flew the coveted flag from the pavilion. Many strong clubs to-day are positive weaklings because they lack the knack of just knowing how to pick and place their men; yes, they are strong in numbers but lack in placing their men to the best advantage.