VIEWS OF A CHAMPION

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1935, Page 12

VIEWS OF A CHAMPION

NEW ZEALAND BOWLING • ■ CRITICISM EXPRESSED Some remarks s with reference to the control of bowling in New Zealand are made by Mr. W. M. Parkhouse, Wellington, a former Dominion singles championship holder, in an article in the Sydney Referee. “In New Zealand we have the most wonderful collection of bowls and bowlers,” writes Mr. Parkhouse. . “We have 18 different crowns, and those different crowns have got the testers all hot and bothered. As for shape, some of our bowls are weird and wonderful. Some of our bowlers are very clever, and put the bowl down so that it will go straight up to the jack, in other words a dead straight draw, but none of these sports can do it with mine. “On our Dominion Council we have some of the nicest men possible, but these good sports never do much. They appear to be afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, and, therefore, the game languishes for the want of direction from those in authority. lam strongly of the opinion that 15 per cent, of the bowls over here should be at once disqualified. lam sorry to say that there are one or two of our star players who ' would be more convincing if the bowls drew a little more. I “Some of our greens are very good, i and some are very ordinary, and the same can be said of our green keepers, but a change is coming, and, in the near future, the young players now coming to hand will demand that the keeper be an expert on playing surface. Of course, we still have our dear old green committee of one to three, and these dear old ladies spend their time showing the keeper how to do the job that he is paid for. Surely this method proves my contention that our keepers are-in-efficient. I hope I shall see the day when green committees are done away with, and the responsibility put on the keeper. “I hope 1 to see the day when the grand old game is definitely put on the map, the day when, \ like other, sport, the cream will come t 1 the top. The day when champions are no longer expected to carry the duds; the day when the mediocre will be compelled to come up to the good player, and not as it is now the good player come back to the dud. When that day comes bowls will be a great game and not, as it is now, and vexation.”