BOWLING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16330, 20 January 1921, Page 3

BOWLING

CLUB DOINGS AND GOSSIP* (BY “TOUCHER.”) (Club secretaries are invited to forward for publication in this column items of interest concerning club doings and proposals. Such copy should reach this office not later than A\ ednesday morning of each week.) The congratulations of Christchurch bowlers will be given to J. Bennie’s rink, which was runner-up in the rinks championship final. The rink consisted of G. ITewis, A. Dickson, AV. H. Alaedougall and J. Bennie (skip). These players are all well-known bowlers, and their performance is a- highly meritorious one, even though they missed the premier honours- Bennie is a well-known ex-Southlander, with a good record in tournaments. It will be remembered that at a New Zealand tournament in Christchurch he skipped a Southland double to victory in the pairs competition, his partner being a club mate, Millar. BREAKING THE RULES. “ There is no game in which rules are so systematically broken as in bowls,” stated Air C- Asctrman at th© bowling delegates’ meeting in Wellington. He complained of “ running up to the head,’’ turning over bowls, infringement which were seldom taken to task by the umpire. “ The onus in each case,’’ he added, “is on the other players. ff they complain they are 4 bad sports.’ The president of the council, after hearing a request from Air Ascliman for umpires for each game, paid a tribute to the work of

the umpires during the present tournament. Further complaints of rules infringements were made by other -speak

ers. ’■ Why don't bowlers buy a threepenny book of rules?” he asked. 4 ‘ If they did that there would be no need for protests.” “ Tf we have to have an umpire for each game, then the game loses its charm,” said Air N. Bell (Hamilton). “ AVe have rules, true, but if a man turns over a bowl to see whose it is, he puts it hack in the same place. There are few • pointers ’ in bowls!” The discussion ended without a resolution. R INKS *OXL Y ? Comparison between full rinks, pairs, and singles bowling competitions occupied. the attention of the informal meeting of Dominion bowlers’ delegates at Wellington on Monday, following a. complaint, from the Canterbury Centre that the present tourney hod involved unnecessary wastage of time. The council's president (.Air T. Bush) pre6ided.

On behalf of the Canterbury Centre, Mr C. T. Aschman protested against

the arrangements made by the Dominion Council for the playing of the tournament, necessitating such an inordinate extension of time for the completion of the tournament.” He considered that full rinks were the chief consideration of the tournament, and in the future, in order to save time, the double© and singles competitions might have to he held at a time different to the rinks- “ Rinks are the howlers’ paradise,” he maintained. “ The doubles and singles do not count, and the time Is coming when tournaments will consist entirely of full-rink competitions.”

There was some discussion of the advisability of making the sections larger, and Air A. M’Kenzie (Dunedin) thought it would not be efficacious to have the pairs and singles played on dates different to the full-rink tourneys. *• There are a. great many of us waiting for the pairs tourney,” said another delegate. “ While there are a great many pairs players taking part in the full rinks, there are a great many ‘ out,’ and anxious to get on with the pairs and singles without wasting unnecessary time.”

The proposal to eliminate pairs and singles was supported by Mr J. P. Campbell (Auckland), who said he thought some other system should be devised, whereby the rinks would be the only tournament event. He believed his centre held the same view.

Air C. E. Hanna (Invercargill) said that his district favoured a “ rinkonly ” tournament—the “ blue riband ” of bowling.

This view was held by several other speakers. In reply Air Aschman expressed his doubt whether Canterbury would favour any elimination of pairs and singles.

“I believe in the twenty-five head, two-match-a-day principle,” said Air Nash. “ We should consider whether we should hold tho pairs and singles during a tournament. llinks provide the greater sport. - . . Also, there

are so many men bowlers who, on account of their work, cannot attend lengthy tournaments. We should have consideration for the man in a weekly billet, who cannot take an extended holiday.”

The speaker urged that pairs champions of centres should meet each year in competition, outside the main centres, in order to increase the interest in bowling in smaller districts. If that were done, the question of lack of green accommodation would not prohibit smaller towns frm getting first-class champion-of-champions competitions. The pairs section could then be left out of Dominion tournaments. Air F. Aleadowcroft upheld concentration upon a rinks tournament. It was decided to ask centres to communicate with the council on the matter. OP AAV A CLUB. J’be members of the Opawa Club are making great progress with their handicap competitions, the champion events having been held up while some of the participants were away on holidays or at the tournament. The results of the handicap events so far are: Singles—Lucas beat Wright. S. Aladdren beat Good. Best beat Houlihan. G. H. Browne. Fee, Farrow and Watkins; Keys heat Eastwod. Best, Fee and Watkins : Houlihan beat Keys; Fee beat Watkins; Watkins heat, G. H. Browne; Sreans beat Wilkinson and Ditfort ; Lee beat Steans, Wilkinson and J. AYatson : Archbold beat Penbertby ; J. Brown beat AA’right ; Chapman heat Archbold and A. S. Bruce ; Gwatkin beat Lucas ; Watson bear Bruce ; Good beat G. Watson ; G. AYatson beat Gwatkin: RolJinson beat A. S- Bruce: AVright beat G. AYatson ; Gwatkin beat S. Aladdren ; Good beat Lucas: Rollinson ?>eat AVright and Lucas; A. F. Talbot beat Good; G. AYatson beat. J. Brown and S. Aladdren. Doubles—AVright and Eastwood beat

AYatkins and .Best ; Fee and Owen beat Chapman and Gwatkin; Avat«on beat Wilson and Brisk and Archbold and Penberthy ; Arch bold and Penbertliy beat G. H. Browne and Good; Rollinson and Keys beat AYatkins and Best.

The club will shortly make a .special effort to raise funds to pay off the mortgage on the green. The art union is being well responded to, and the committee hope, that th© end of the year will see the financial position improved, and that they will be able to go ahead with necessary alterations.