ROUND THE BOWLING GREENS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 4

ROUND THE BOWLING GREENS

WILLIS AND SENIOR SHIELD MATCHES (By “THE SKIP.’’) Ideal weather conditions have favoured Wanganui bowlers of late for their Senior and Willis Shield games, as well" as for mid-week play.

That most popular centre fixture, “Veterans’ Day,” was a most successful function. Fifty-two veterans took part in the two games and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The weather was splendid and excellent arrangements had been made by Mr. A. C. Crawford, the Centre and Wanganui Club president.

The next Centre event is the open pairs tournament, which takes place on February 16 and 17, and is followed by the open singles tournament on February 18 and 19.

These tournaments have created considerable interest in past years and have been productive of excellent play which drew a good “bank,” especially in the final stages. ♦ * • • The young bowler, anxious to improve his game and develop match temperament, is strongly advised to to take part. The Centre’s champion of champions singles player is found by each club first finding its club champion per medium of games played throughout the season. Many a good singles player is “outed” early in these competitions, perhaps through keeping match appointments after particularly strenuous business engagements—ranting from mixing concrete to brain fag through worry!

The fact that the open singles and pairs are set for a fixed date enables players to make arrangements to be free from such troubles. These are held by many bowlers to be a bitter test of skill. ♦ * • •

A gathering of afternoon bowlers will take place on the Wanganui Club’s greens to-day at 2 p.m. when, in addition to having inter-club or mixed games, the matter of holding weekly gatherings on the various city greens will be considered and conditions drafted.

In the larger centres this need is met by the various clubs running pairs and rinks tournaments periodically, a small entrance fee being charged and inexpensive trophies being presented to the winners.

An effort has been made to promote similar tournaments in the Wanganui Centre, but the proposal did not receive the support it merited. Properly conducted, these tournaments would provide interesting play for the growing army of bowlers who are free to play in midweek afternoons and, in addition, would help the exchequers of the various clubs.

To-day’s gathering may be the means of setting the ball (or bowl) rolling in this direction and the writer wishes the project the success it deserves.

Reverting to the open single tourney on February 18 and 19, an appeal is made to bowlers who have the spare time but do not wish to play, to act as umpires or markers. Club secretaries will gladly take names of bowlers willing to act and hand them over to the Centre secretary. In past tournaments there has been a shortage of markers on some greens. Perhaps you are not in that unhappy position of being dominciled so far from your club that you practically don’t get any bowls. If you are, then it is reasonable to assume that your physical state suffers. Man, in late years, requires a certain amount of regular exercise, and it may be of service to many to know the way I get it, states a Sydney writer.

Walking is insufficient; you must exercise your back, which means the kidneys. Bending, and stepping, and swinging the arms, is not only good, but necessary for other organs and muscles. I am of the opinion, based on experience, that it is not necessary for me to go on to a bowling green at all, when a championship is approaching, as I can get all I need at home. If everybody did that, clubs would t automatically snuff out, but there are many placed as I am, who cannot get to a green, only at rare intervals. There cannot be the slightest doubt but that the exercise obtained by bowls is most beneficial, physical and mental at the same time. I never fail to have a set of bowls at home, and every day, for several minutes, at a time, or evening, go through the movements as though actually taking part in a game, on lawn or carpet, not necessarily dropping the bowl. One only has to miss these exercises for two o r three weeks to find out their true value. Go on to a green for an afternoon, and the next day you feel as though someone has kicked you all over the body. This does not occur, however,

, if the exercises are taken daily, with ! the added advantage that you main--1 tain your form. Become habit--1 minded, apply auto-suggestion by 1 making mental pictures concerning your game, mode of grip, step, facing correctly, etc. Making the movements habitual psychologically means fixing them in the subconsciousness. You may be regarded as a crank, but those who so regard you don’t pay your rent, and wouldn’t give you the steam off their coffee. St. John’s Club Notes. The position in the various club competitions was reviewed very fully last week and further analysis is held over until next week. It is pleasing to note that most members are assisting the match committee by getting their games off promptly. The final games in the Senior and Willis Shield competition will be played on Saturday, when St. John's will meet their old friends and rival, the Wanganui Club. St. John’s are well out of both competitions, having won but two out of the five matches played. The same figures apply to the Nixon Cup games, played before Christmas.

The club's full rink competitions will be resumed on Saturday, February 20. So far three rounds have been played, leaving three more to be played, allowing for each team having a bye.

Although it was stated at the last meeting of the Australian Bowling Council that bowls had been again included in the programme of the 1938 Empire Games, after haviflj been omitted from the original list of competitions, chiefly owing to the council’s assurance that visiting bowlers would bear their own expenses it is now reported (writes “Jack Thrower,” in the Australasian) that representatives of both South Africa and New Zealand will have their travelling expenses paid, and that possibly their hotel accommodation during their visit to Australia will also be provided for. While this will assure strong representation from those two Dominions, it will probably have the effect of again raising the question of the payment of the expenses of fowling teams engaged in interstate matches in the Commonwealth when playing in another State. There is a very strong feeling in some of the States against the introduction of this principle.

Jottings From Wanganui East. The Wanganui East club is represented at the Rotorua tournament which opened last Monday, by Messrs. Bird, Colman, Bamber, Rush. These four are out for a holiday, so decided that .bowling would form part of it. E. Hutchins is also attending the tournament, but is playing as a member of the Rapanui Club, to which he belongs as well as Wanganui East. Hutchins and Rush also took part in the Dominion tournament at Wellington last month, the former playing in all three competitions —singles, pairs and full rinks.

The Wanganui East Club was represented at the Veterans’ Day last week, the president, Mr. A. W. Jones, skipping the runner-up rink. By a singular coincidence the winning rink was the one which his brother, F. I. Jones, was skip. The other representatives were Penn, Streeter, Colman and Ellis. The two latter are not yet eligible, but were pressed into service on account of two absentees. Colman, being in the winning rink, was the recipient of one of the pewters presented by the Wanganui Bowling Club. In the Senior and Willis Shield contest the Wanganui East Club have won all four games played in the former, with one loss in the Willis. The two remaining games are with Gonville and Wanganui West. Next Saturday’s contest will be with Gonville.

Members are busy getting off their Gordon Pairs games. The winners should not be hard to pick after the present round is played. Several members are talking of taking part in the Centre open singles and pairs tournament which starts next week. Entries close with Mr. Clinkard to-day (Wednesday). The various club competitions are well in hand. In the full rinks the leading skips are Burns, Holloway, Haworth; in the threes, Purnell and Gaunt are in front; in the twos, Tippins and Barrowman; while in the leads Jenkins and Ingleman are in front. The A singles has four still in the contest—Hutchins, 3 lives; Fletcher and Haworth, 2; Raine, 1. A pairs: Fletcher and Raine, 2 lives; Haworth, 1 life. B singles: Barrowman, 3 lives; Tippins, Dixon, 2; Rogerson, Ross, Boss, Penn, 1 each. B pairs: Ross, 3 lives; Penn, McKessar, Barrowman, 1 each.