BOWLING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160811, 19 November 1920, Page 6

BOWLING.

By; “Jack High.”

The inter-Centre match, Wellington 1 - v. Wanganui, is to be played in Wangaxiui on Thursday .next. Wellington will be represented by six or seven rinks, and according to all accounts, they will be “hot stuff.”

Of the Wellington players chosen no fewer than ten are on the Centre Executive, while nine of those picked to represent Wanganui , are delegates to the f local Centre,

There were over 70 names submitted to i the local Centre of players available for the match against Wellington, and the selectors—Messrs A. P. London, E. Scrivener and A. E. Bragg—had anything but an enviable task in having to pick out the 28 required. They appear to have made a good selection, the teams chosen all looking fairly strong on paper, and if they do as well on the day as they might reasonably be expected to do, the visitors should be given a ha,rd game. In any case the match should be a very interesting and enjoyable one,- and there is sure to be a-big attendance of spectators on whichever green it is played. It says much for the enthusiasm of St. John’s bowlers when they turned out one hundred strong on Saturday last to indulge in their favourite pastime. The weather conditions were far from inviting from a bowling point of view, the wind blowing great guns and there was a winter nippiness in the air which prevented players from discarding their coats. The bowls at times cut some peculiar antics and players with a wide drawing bowl were at a very decided disadvantage, as very often they would see their bowls galloping off into the adjoining rink. It was, generally speaking, more a question of good luck than good play as to which side,, put the numbers up, and as a consequence there were one or two surprises.

Good progress has been made with the pairs games at St. John’s,, and by the end of this week the first round should be completed. Players‘have apparently not struck good form yet for the singles, as very few of these games have been played. With a continuance of the fine weather of the past day or so, no doubt players will begin to roll up in the afternoon and evenings.

Teams for the Centre tournament at Christmas are now in the progress of making, and if all accounts are true St. John’s'will put up a record number of rinks for this popular tourney. The Patea Club sent down a strong rink to play Westhourne for the Keesing Cup, which trophy the seaside club recently won from Waver ley. It was unfortunate for Westhourne that C. Firmin and J. Passmore were unable to play, as the substitutes chosen could not fill their places adequately. In the early stages of the game Westhourne did well, but when Patea started long heads they soon made up their leeway and drew ahead, finally scoring a win by 21 to 16.

The advantage of having the hack stuff was never better exemplified than in this game. With the score 9 to 3 in their favour Westbourne rvere lying three on the eighth head when the skips went back, but the visitors had some hack bowls, while Westhourne had none behind. The Patea skip (Carey) got the kitty back with a beautiful shot, and as a result got three out of the head. Exactly the same thing happened on .the next head, Patea scoring another three in a similar manner, and thus two great shots by the visiting skip made a difference of 12 points to Westhourne, as.<each' shot meant robbing Westhourne of three and adding three to his .own team’s score. It was only because he had the back timber that Carey was able to so radically change tlm position. On the day’s- play Patea were much the better team, and well, deserved their win. A Gonville rink is going to Patea next week to endeavour to Dririg the Cup back to Wanganui. Gonville players who intend to compete in the club championship singles and pairs, and the junior singles should see to it that their names are down by to-morrowi (Saturday) evening, as it is intended to make a start with the games next week. Gonville made a start with their club fours last Saturday, when there was a big muster of players, and the interest displayed proved that it was a good move to revive this competition. The weather was very unfavourable, as a cold tricky _ wind was blowing,- which militated against good play. Most of the games were very evenly contested, and there were one or two surprises. The winning rink will take a lot of picking, judging by the results of the first round. The local Centre made a good move when it proposed arranging some inter-Centre matches this season. The first of these games is to be played against Wellington next Thursday, and in March Auckland Centre will send a touring team here, while later on Taranaki will also pay us a visit. These inter-Centre matches are an excellent idea, as not only will they promote good fellowship, hut they will he the means of giving many Wanganui players a chance they would otherwise not get of meeting some of the best players from other districts. It is only by so doing that the standard of play is likely to he, improved. The Wanganui Club’s full rink games were started last Saturday, when the teams in section A played. It was pleasing to see the interest' taken in the games, which were keenly fought out, and close finishes were the order. There is no doubt that the club full rink games are very popular amongst members of this club, and the same may be said with regard to other clubs. There is a strong feeling that more Saturdays should he devoted to these games, and that there should be fewer Banner and Junior Shield matches.

Owing to the Fountain Banner games to be played to-morrow the Wanganui Club’s full rink competition will not be continued, but to-

morrow week section B will play their first round. These, games are played bn the two-life system, winners playing winners and . losers meeting losers.

It is hoped that there will he a large attendance of local bowlers and their friends, particuarlythe ladies, at the_ inter-Centre match ; on Thursday next, and that bowlers will roll up in force at the “smoko” to be held in the'evening in the Wanganui ■ Club’s pavilion. It will be a very enjoyable function, and serve as a fitting finale to what should, given fine weather, prove one of the finest bowling gatherings ever held* in Wanganui.

A Sydney writer comments dn tlie fact that a lot of men shine out for a season or two on the bowling green and then lose their lustre and drop back into the ruck. A few, perhaps one per cent., continue in the forefront, but the many who from time to time threaten to put them in the back , ground soon drop out’ of the chase. The trouble with the bowler who fails to keep his footing on the heights when he gets there is due, in the main, to conceit, yclept swelled head. Symptoms; A sufferer will be observed, as a rule, to stand on his dignity. He has no time nowadays to practise with the rough stuff. He is a champion, and must have champions to play with. When he goes on the green he wants real practice, must have someone of his class to play against, etc. These fellows often quickly tire of the clubmates who have helped them up, and go off to bigger concerns, where the limelight is supposed to be better. They are really no loss while they are in that mood; in the bigger place they, as a rule; find their level, which is several degrees lower than they are prepared to admit. Every club has these lights of other day S', and has to put up with them. As a rule they are,, apart from their everlasting reminiscences, harmless enough. Get into a train with one of the ilk, and try to read a book or paper, or preferably 'don’t. Before the train leaves the station you will certainly hear, if he has found a brother to listen to him, some wonderful description of some wonderful achievement, and how the other chap was lying three, and how "with my last bowl I , picked up the jack and trailed it to three of my woods,” etc., etc., etc.

REVISED BOOK OP RULES, Bowlers throughout New Zealand should be grateful to the Council of the Dominion Bowling Association, which with the aid of its secretary (Mr S. H. Underwood) has issued a revised edition of the laws of the game and the constitution and rules of the Association. 1 Hitherto these have been separate publications, more or less out of date. No one need now be puzzled about any vexed point; a glance at the index of the new publication will tell at once where to gain a solution. The new laws stipulate what materials other than lignum vitae may be used in the manufacture of bowls. An old point in dispute was the condition of the jack, when it has been knocked against the bank and rebounds on to the rink. A new rule clears away all obscurity. It says: “If a jack be driven by a bowl in play against the bank and rebound on to the green within the limits of the rink, it is alive and shall remain where it rests.” Another knotty situation is dealt with in following note;—“ Any bowl which is prevented from falling in the ditch by reason of its resting on a toucher therein shall be alive, providing that such bowl is not wholly outside the side boundary of the rink.”

Some skips are not aware that under certain circumstances an opponent may object to the marking of a toucher. The rule, says:—“A toucher shall' be marked with chalk to distinguish it, but if it liesjt in such a position that the act of marking may move it, an opponent may object to its being marked, in which case it shall be noted.” Attention is drawn, to the new rule as to stamping bowls. In the constitution the new boundaries of all the centres are clearly defined. The council is now to consist of six instead of five members from each Island, and the annual election is to be held in the last week in July each year, instead of at the end of the year. The centre subscription to the Association has now to be paid before Feb. 1, instead of Nov. 1 as formerly. Provision is made that no trophy awarded by the Association or a centre to any player shall exceed £5 5/- in. value. The little booklet is a complete compendium of all that a bowler should know. The council has had 10,000 copies printed.