NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17738, 7 January 1926, Page 3

NOTES.

One of the surprises of the British bowlers’ visit so far has been the defeat of the rink which won the Dominion tournament last January. Wernham, Wilson, MTntyre and Pilkington, the redoubtable Hamilton four, went down to Hobbs, Whitaker, Edney and Wade by IS points to 17. As the score indicates, the game must have been a very close one. Commenting on the result, “ Trundler,” in the Auckland “Star,” remarks:—“This just illustrates the uncertainty of bowls. Here is a team which sets the seal on a long string of previous victories by winning the Dominion championship last January at Wellington, and then they lose to a team of visitors, skipped by a man who thus registers his first win since he came to New Zealand, although credited with the championship of England on one occasion. Surely there is no game whicli shows such inconsistencies as bowls.”

T have the best of reason for stating that the itinerary arranged for the British bowlers by the Dominion Association (which this has its headquarters in Dunedin) is altogether too strenuous for the visitors, writes “ No. 3 ” in the “ Dominion.” Too much is expected of them, both in play and the acceptance of hospitality (which all clubs and centres wish to lavish upon them), but these men are mostly between middle and advanced age, and cannot be rushed about like a football team. Little or no leisure has been left to them to fill with their own devices, and it would be doing the gracious thing to recast the rest of the itinerary even at this late hour, to avoid the possibility of a state of utter exhaustion at its end.

General regret will be expressed at the news of the death of “ Dick ” Wylie, one of the best skips the Petone Club ever had, and president of that club about twelve j-ears ago, says a Wellington writer. Mr Wylie has been resident in Hawera for the past few years. Another well-known bowler “ went west " when Major James O'Sullivan died in the Waikato district last week. The Major’s familiar “shamrocks ’’ were well known on the Wellington Club’s green some fifteen years ago, and “Jim “was one of the most popular of trundlers.

One of the strongest rinks (on paper) that have been nominated for the first tournament at Rotorua will be that to be skipped by E. J. Hill (of the Wellington Club). He will have J. Kilgour (of the Carlton Club, Auckland) as his No. 3; Duncan (of the Wellington Club) as his No. 2: and Nash (of Palmerston North) as his lead.