WHEN SILENCE IS GOLDEN.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 993, 18 March 1909, Page 10

WHEN SILENCE IS GOLDEN.

The following remarks by “ Boomerang” in Melbourne “Punch” apply with equal force to Auckland bowlers and are well worth repeating: —

In spite of all that, has been said and written about the duties of players in various positions, it would seem as though the old ideas still prevail, viz-, that there are three third men and four skippers in every rink. It is not an uncommon thing to see the “ reins of government ” completely taken out of the hands of the captain by the third man, and the captain himself, in order to see things go on smoothly, allowing his individuality to disappear.. When the players change ends we see the leader meet the skip half-way up the green and suggest something; then the third man, as soon as he gets to the jack end, deems it his duty to “ sit ” over the other end and tell the other man what he must do. Then again the same third man, if he agrees that the hand or the shot selected is the correct one, says nothing till the second bowl. He suddenly discovers then, without any alteration to the bowls, that there is something nobody

else has seen before, and a dialogue begins, while the other two listen, and either agree entirely or attempt to gag the third man. The leader will screw up his face and by gestures at the back of the end —where the third man can’t see him —tell the skipper “ not to do anything of the kind,” or, if he is a man of advanced ideas himself, he will shout, “We’ve everything behind!” or something else. Now, there’s no doubt that all this is done unthinkingly, and the players have the same object in view as the skip, viz-, that of winning the game, but it must not be forgotten that the captain has been making a study of the end from the first bowl, and he has certain ideas that he desires to carry into effect when he changes. He might be a player who is clever at trailing the jack into a bunch, or one who is effective at blocking- He might have discovered his opponents’ weak hand, or he may see the possibility of the enemy getting a bunch or taking him out and lying half-a-dozen if he does not draw a second. But what is the use of all his thoughts and all his generalship if he is a weak man, always ready to allow someone else to run the show for him, and display to the visitors how incapable he is to be in charge.

Nothing looks better, and nothing works better, than to see captain and third man consult when they cross, quietly, and without fuss. Nothing looks worse, however, than to see a third man, after playing his own two bowls, go to the other end and immediately take possession, and, as is very often the case, insist that such-and-such a shot >be played- A rink should be worked as noiselessly and with as little demonstration as possible, from the leader’s first bowl up to the last from the skip. As previously pointed out these things are done without thought, but there is no reason why it should continue. Third men should walk to the other end, look, and say nothing- If the end is so changed that they consider the captain is not in a position to know, then they should direct accordingly. It is a common mistake made by thirds to suppose that after the skip has made a stroke and not altered anything, that they are at liberty to say something like this: “Look here Jack, come round here; you can do this!” or “I wouldn’t play that way if I were you!”, etc. etc. The day is surely not far distant when a rink will be worked entirely by signs. As things are now, the leader has onlj r to call out, when the skip trails the jack a little: “Good shot, Bill; now we’re four,” and the opposition third man looks at them, and tells his skip in turn that such is the case, whereas he might not have said anything. Captains neither like going against their men. nor arguing the point, but when they do it must not be forgotten that it is their right, and the whole solution is in the hands of the three men in the rink themselves, particularly the third. The club appoints a man captain, and if he is inferior to his third man and has to be led by him in the matches the club will soon alter things, and put the third where the captain was- Another aspect is that there are so many different temperaments with men. Some are upset by arguments on the mat, others do not improve by being kept waiting, while others feel “ small ” by having to be told, though make no outward complaint. Third men, I am sure, will take these hints in the spirit that they are written, and help to advance, not deteriorate.