BOWLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 776, 19 January 1905, Page 12

BOWLING.

(By the “ Skip.”)

The big tournament at Gisborne was a great success. 'I he weather held fine from start to finish, and as twenty-two clubs were taxing pait there was plenty of good play shown. The Gisborne team, although, of course, favoured by playing on their own green with their strongest possible team, yet deserve every credit tor their victory, for it was, indeed, no small performance to play ten matches without a single loss. Martin, Coleman, .Massey and Ponsford (skip) formed the winning combination.

Of the Auckland clubs Carlton did by far the best and they only missed championship honours by a hair’s breadth. After losing two matches in the early rounds they recovered in great style, winning all their subsequent games by sheer merit. In the final with three points in hand on the 20th head the team no doubt were congratulating themselves on a sure victory, but Gisborne getting four beat the Northerners by a point.

That last head must have been worth going a long way to see. The Press Association's excellent account of the tournament says : —Martin s first bowl was four feet short, Nixon drawing within' 2ft of the jack. Martin drew the shot a foot from the jack. Nixon, with his second bowl knocked off Martin, and lay alongside the jack. Coleman, with his first bowl, carried the shot bowl off the jack, leaving Gisborne lying two. When the skips went down, Gisborne were lying four, Coleman and Massey each having drawn one. Kilgour played a, grand shot with his final bowl, but knocked one of Martin’s in : Gisborne 16, Carlton 15. The wonderful thing was that a certain driver like Kilgour did not send up a fast one instead of taking on so dangerous a draw. The error of judgment cost his side the match and his club the championship. Such is the luck of the game.

Intending competitors are reminded that entries for the events to be decided at the Auckland Bowling Association’s tournament (January 28, 30, and February 4) close with the hon. secretary, Mr G? B. Osmond, on Saturday next (January 21) at the rooms of the Amateur Sports Club.

The Devonport Club will be represented by the following teams in the Auckland Bowling Association’s pennant contest : — D. Harvey, Lelievre, Eagleton, Ralfe (ski])) : Harty, Armstrong, Gardner, Harrison (skip).

The teams chosen to play for the Auckland Bowling Association’s pennant are as follows :—Mennie, Carlaw, James, Handcock (skip) ; Moodhead, l ambert, Easton, T.edingham (skip).

T’he final of the Te Aroha Fours match was played at the Mount Eden Club’s green on Saturday between Devonport and Rocky Nook. After, a keen fight the latter club won by 20 to 15. Rathbone, Butler, Bouskill. and Carlaw (skip) comprised the winning quartette.

The Auckland players who attended the big tournament at Gisborne returned on Saturday. They speak very highly.of the management and of the hospitality extended by the Gisborne people to the visitors.

According to the London correspondent of the “ Australasian,” Mr Charles M'ood, Mr John Young, and Mr James Paul, as leaders of the Australian and New Zealand teams which visited England in 1901, are being communicated with asking them to become patrons of the new Bowlers’ United Club, now under course of formation in London. The conveners of this new movement are seeking to advance in a more practical way than yet accomplished by the internationalism of the pastime, in order that there should be some more practical results from visits like those made by the Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian teams have been manifested up to the present. One of the first features which the new club under notice intends to practically display is bowling “lantern” evenings, when the leading notables of the pastime at home and in the colonies, famous greens and views of important matches, are to find reproduction in the screen. It is hoped that any colonial clubs also adopting this form of novel attraction for winter nights will exchange slides with

the United Bowlers’ Club, whose headquarters is provisionally at 78. Tempi® Chambers, London, E.C. Australian or New Zealand bowlers who may be in London up to the commencement of March shoidd not fail to accept the welcome awaiting them by the members of the London Caledonian Curling Club, which has its headquarters at Prince’s Skating Club, Knightsbridge. Curling- is. of course, the sister pastime of bowling-, and a good number of the London Caledonian C.C. are well-known bowlers, notably Dr. M’. G. Grace and Mr Gilbert Little. There is room at Prince’s Club for five rinks, and the total area of 10,000 square feet represents the largest sheet of artificial ice in the world. The London Caledonian C.C. is in affiliation with the parent society, the Royal Caledonian C.C., and thus in fellow membership with the Otago Central, Mount Ida, Blackstone Hill, Upper Manhuerikia, Cambrian, and Alpine Clubs of the, “New Zealand Province.”