BOWLING CARNIVAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8451, 20 April 1889, Page 2

BOWLING CARNIVAL.

TEAMS FROM AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON, AND WANGANUI. CONTEST POSTPONED OWING TO WET WEATHER. FULL PARTICULARS RESPECTING THE PLATERS. " The Game of Bowls " is one of great antiquity, and baa bean played in a variety of forma for generations pait in Great Britain, In the Colonieß it has not until the la»t five or six years beoome such a recognised game as either cricket or football ; bat from the interest now Beamingly taken in " trandliag the bool " it bids to become a formidable rival to them both. In all the principal townu of New Zealand bowling olnbs are established, and the bowling greea is now one | of the chief regorts for gentlemen during a summer afternoon. [ THE PLEASURE IN THE GAME. To the uninitiated — to those who look on at the game for the first time — there 'seems little to amuse or to esoite. Mr Robinßon Looke, in bis "Rambler's Notebook," says:— "When I first saw the game I was surprised that a party of elderly gentlemen should waste their time in suoh a simple manner. There is a plot of smoothly cat grass, say a hundred yards long by sixty wide. A little white ball, about the size of a billiard ball, is thrown forty yards from the bate, and then each player in turn rolls a large wooden ball at this smaller ball, which ii called the ' jack.' The side having the largest number of balls, or ' booli,' as the North Englishmen call them, lying nearest the ' jack ' count that many points — the ga*ie usually consisting either of the first making of 30 points — each ball at the jack counting a point, or in scoring the most points in seven throws. That's the game of bowls as I first saw it, and aneasiar, nore simple game I tkought was never invented. Why, it wai child's play. Anyone oooid be a good ' beoler ' in no time at all. So thought lin my ignorance. I have since learned that a skilful man nay, with hard work and constant practice, become a fair to middling player in the course of five or six years, and that in saven or eight he will be competent to play in unimportant matches. Our best player haa been at it thirty years, and he is often beaten by members of other olabs, one especially, who has ' booled ' man and boy, nearly fifty .years; and to-day, in spite of his bowed form, he can ' lay hit bool reet on the jack,' or make ' a touoher, 1 f oar times out of five." THE BOWLING GREEN. It is indispensable for the success of the game that the " green " should be level and kept in good order. This duty is left to those gentlemen of ardent temper, -who never let any false ideas about hurting one's feelings interfere with tha strictest enforcement of all the rales. It is this committee's duty to see, early in the spring, that the green is re-sodded, properly rolled, and prepared for the season's work. Daring the season, they must exercise continual watchfulness to see that it is not injured in any way, that players always stand on the mats provided for that purpose while bowling, and that no matohes, oigar stubs, or anything else are thrown upoa it; a»d if they see a player running on the green except in soft-soled slippers he is immediately fined, and is Made to pay it too. The New Plymouth Bowling Green is considered to be one of the best in the colony. Other clubs may have as good surfaces, bat from the elevated position of tha New Plymouth Club's green a very pretty view is obtained, and a pleasant aspect adds considerably to the enjoyment of the game. DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME. Each player on joining a club bays a pair of bowls, which varyjaccording to the taste of the player, some preferring heavy ones with a strong " bias," and others lighter oneß with very little " bias". The bowls are not ronnd. but rather oranged -shaped. The "bias" is given in the peculiar tuiaing of the bowls, increased oftentimes by quantities of lead. The effect of this bias on an inexperienced player is moßt remarkable. He takes his stand upon the mat, grasps his bowl firmly in his hand, locks steadfastly at the jack, measures the distance with his eye, calculates the force required, and lets drive straight at the distant jack, standing back proudly to see what a beautiful shot he has made. The bowl speeds merrily along straight for the jack for perhaps ten or twelve yards ; then it gets "on its fact," and in the most unaccountable manner begins to dasoribe a semi-uircle, and finally comes to a standstill eight or ten yards to the right and five yards in front of the little jack. Inexperience trieß another bowl, changing faces. Result •—exactly the same, oily his bowl this time stops yards away to the left of the jack. " There must be some inequality in the ground ]«st there, that makes the bowls act so." Not a bit of it. The ground is all right, smooth as a parlour floor. It's the " bins" in the " bools." The player must know just how far oat of the straight line from base to jack, and with how much force you must roll your bowl in order to overcome thiß bias and make it semi-circle right up to the jack. And that is a little accomplishment that takes long and steady practice to acquire. THE OBJECT IN THE GAME. For the uninitiated we wijl briefly describe the objeots of the game. The green is large enough for three rinks to be played, and each rink is composed of eight ' players — four on a side. The players in each rink elect their " skip," who directß those on his side where to place their bowls. The object of the player in each rink is to deliver the ball from the hand along the Burface of the gre3Q in each a manner as to place it close to the " jhek," a snaall white ball, which is rolled on to tbe green at the commencement of the game by one of the players. The party who gets the first thirty points by beiug nearest the "jaok" after all the bowlers have played are declared the winners. There is usually considerable exoitement when the last player trundles his ball, for if he alters the position of the ballß already placed, it means the losing or the gaining of the game. THE BOWLERS' VOCABULARY. The bowlers' vocabulary is entirely their own. For instance, if the player is going to bowl so that the curve will be from right to left,' he "plays the forehand," that is, the left will be the heaviest side of his bowl ; if the curve is from left to right, he "plays the back band," the heaviest side on the right. If he " takes plenty of grass," then his bowl has a heavy bias and the distance compels his howl to make a wide detour before reaching jack. He is " too narro," i.e. narrow ; when his bowl makes the curve before reaching its destination and rolln nway to ono eido. Tho play is " too teu<let ' when ho doesn't reaoh jack, and "too r_°..y "'when he goes beyond it. When bo to, ohes a bowl near the jack, andjthua movtx, it out of tho way to his own advantage, he has '■ rested on " the other bowl. As soon as the game is finished, " Game up " is cried, and new rinks are formed,