BOWLS TALK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1949, 5 January 1914, Page 3

BOWLS TALK.

THE VERNACULAR OF THE GAME. [BY SYiVIDS.] There is something almost Masonic about the ancient game of bowls, no matter whore it bo played. Not only does this characteristic cover the social side of the gamo—and there is possibly no game that fosters that tine spirit of comradeship to the same extent,- as bowls—but it also is a species of craft, in which a player has . to go through certain degrees before ho is considered a master craftsman. Some never achieve that eminence for various -reasons, for bonds is essentially a gamethat calls for earnest attention and regular play, if any degree of efficiency is to bo achieved., The- uallow -beginner, who always has haunting doubts ns to which side of the bowl the- bias is on, or who does not trouble to look and see. before putting up every shot, is generally made a lead, so that whatever trouble ho is going to causo will not occur at a crucial time during the progress of the head : then on getting familiar with tho handling of his bowls, and gaining a. smattering of knowledge respecting strength and green (both' of which call for the nicest judgment), ho is promoted to bo No. 2 in the rink. It is a proud day for the young player when ho is elevated to the responsibility of No. 3, the man who is expected to do precisely what is wanted when called upon by tho skip. Kd shot is too difficult for a skip to ask a No. 3 to do. A skip often, compiles a problem that is as nearly impossible as auy-

caii '( no-* :thij]B\is^iinpossibloj',siaii"d.Uhch].-'wlien..it comes; : / to): bisytuni :^i:btfpiin; f' f attci!i|'itsi ;winetlung';inuclv,Vasier?hiinselL,4.^;Theve; are somo excellen'ttNbs. ; .3, wh6"do\real]y' well. in.. that; ppsitiDii,Vbiit|,whpl?neypr ; care .'■■■ , to' , asmne...the, graveW^csponsibili;? '», Often iring from accepting thejpost ofjiskipiu' -,110 is;tho joy mysc!f.";MSometiinesXtho;inanJfee!s' : within himself'that bo" 'docs"'not > possess. -theS^ualitie3j.rcquired; ; :'of;;SarSskip— tho; cnpiicitv''tb.'build upja?head -see'-at a glancerhow'bis''owa S; and his; opponent's, bowlssHayWwhat:;.way'.-tho : jack' will. ruh\ifHrailed ;frbm;:eithor,,haiid,; what :aro the weaknesscsf of ;;tlio} other, side, ; and what' their "strength,!/- " a nd- on top of it "all the ability:}.telecontrol.his team; in-such best 'out' o l'them; and:to'."'3raw, .'"run,' and drivo' ; 'with- deadly.,.accuraflj;:*3'Tct knowing .t.hat'..these>.,qualitiesr. ! i.nore,.-or less well devcloped, ; o>re''ineeded ; " : it must bpi'clearly understood/that.j'tnerO'iyis nevor any Teal'dearth of ..candidates" for' ■ skipship. ■';.;■' OhV-. : dear'";.no— every-,"-club teems wit.li':thera';.;-;Therc'are some pushful characters who .'want to .'skip during their: first' seasoiiiiSrsTlicyJarc/ tho; ; in-. eniants ■~; "terrible:? of f tho ti game, ,; ■ and. have ■; to ■ be ; - watched.;rf;i;f/rhey :-are after experience, -'.'and ">'mako no hones how thoy get. ikvfiThoy.getjin frequently when there are: a number':. of '.'don't cares" in . the - game, and, the position -'is gouig ! a:''be.gging;','r~.The fato.'Of- such is recorded on ■ tho..r.score -board. A young player wants''to get in at least two, if--not- more, id ull ■. seasons ■ before ho attempts to captain, a rink.' ■ Tho seasoning ho will get: in the earlier years is tho only real training for the position of skip. Besides, precocity is.abhored on a bowling'green;:l,S'i*; ; :a:. ;;.v ,:.,' . It takes - : thoj young, bowler a- season to pick .up the vernacular of the game. Every game has its;own peculiar terms,, and bowling is full of them.-The language of the case-hardened skip is. of ten Greek to the non-bowling onlooker, who cannot, fathom, the;.twists.;'and turns that are given'the: King's English to express certain.features .of,tho game..:. "Heeh,:mon,.yo'ro narry! Yo wanted tocam-wi a bit p ! steam oil: the back hand to git 'it as "thin as that!" What could the'ordinary'man' 1 in the' street make out of that ?, Yet- the nest player has to.,understand.and be.guided by it to some extent at least.-;.;..

"Now, look. Jack, I want yeu to bo well up," said one skip in last week's tournament, "but- get, well out, as it's drawing very wide on that, hand, and try and trail' kitty two'.inches—crack an egg on it!" \*;'.-.-\:s l ii / :.: ;.-.' : . -.. ; .

One naturally'looked to sec if ..tho player about to deliver his ■ bowl was also armed with an egg, with which to make a mess of tho kitty, but there did not seem to bo any. fowl-seed in sight. Jack went "narry" after all and topped in two opponents' bowls towards . the little white "jack''' or "kitty."

"Gosh! You've gone and upset tho apple-cart now. I wanted you to be wide. Your bowl has blocked up' tho port, and they're lying three. The only tliing I can do is to come in on tho forehand with a'running'shot, and try to rest those two'out—might get "the three. :

By a stroke of luck'the shot'came off, and the player who liad declined to go wide put up one finger to denote that no lay tho shot. Then ho had to play his second bowl and asked what he would do. ■■'«-'■-, a;'v. .-': ■

"There's only one' thing' to do," shouted the No. 3;', "Put in' a Paisley— be a bit Scotch on the foro hand!"

The interpretation of this-instruction was that the-skip .was to lay down a bowl that was a bit' short of the jackit is known as canny or ..Scotch piny to lay down a .-Paisley .in the. track 'tho opposing skip is likely,to.take...with.his next bowl. :■'- .■,'---\".'^-''" : - ■

"Burn the head!'-,- Tliis'camc savagely from a bass voice in the nest rink. | Here was something new—something which smacked of primitive* man, and was probably a link with those days. when the hairy prchistorics played bowls with boulders on a mountain side-. The man spoken to took deadly aim, swung hia arm well back, and then hurled his bowl with all his might at: tho jack. The bowl smacked another immediately to one side, glanced off and carried the jack far into the next rink. "Dead head!" everybody shouted, and as 1 looked for the charred remains, all that was seen was all the bowls being sent up to tho other end of the green in readiness to bo played again. During the afternoon there were plenty of bowls sent up that- had "no character," lots that- were "lazy," and some that ran "into the scuppers," but the neatest allusion made in the writer's hearing was to. tho effect that a 'bowl which went very wide of the jack : was Commented upon by the skip .:. as. .being "rather suburban." ",'■ '■■'■:■"-,,:■',-:■' MANAWATU CENTRE'S TOURNEY. I 4 ■;.'■ ■■'■ THE FINAL DAY.f :V'''' #^ ■ <Bt TekiraSh.—Prws Association J ';■■'., PalmeTStflf) N., January 3/ ' The bowling tournament of the Maliawatu Centre was finished on Saturday, when Mr. J. A. Nash, the Palmerston Club's president, won a section by 22 points to 14, getting through without Ia- loss. The secretary, Mr. Taskcr, of Palmerston, was runner-up. Great interest was aroused in the play between Mr.\Nash and Mr. Nicholson, of Woodviile, in the sixth,round. Each of them had secured five wins. Mr. Nash, however, won the round easily. There/.was a keen gamo also in the seventh" 1 round, in- B Section, between Mr. Taskcr and' Mr.' H. Nash. Details of the play arc as follow:— : "' Seventh Roiiudi J?; :""■'■""■" A Section.—Nicholson.' 25 : >'."■' Tui'neV 14; Dannevirke 24 v. Gunning 4; Jolly, 18; Solitt, 17; Nash, 20; Rsnsoia, 11. - B Section.—Tasker, : 16 v. H. Nash 13; Smith 15 v; Wardrop-12; iM'Gibbon 15 v. Pyke 11; Sinclair,, a .byoiv^i.;;,-. : ; ; ■'■ ■ ' .. Final.;'-'-^^SkSS^Jjv 1.. Mowlem, DiMn,.-Young^a'nd Nash (s.), 22/''.i':.yvKs? v ' : '-'"' : a.\'S:'"' ■ 2.V. Short, Fraser,'''A; Pickering, and F. Tasker (5.),.]4;V .The position of the various rinks at the'conclusion:'of .the play was:— ?■;■-'.. •- ;■,•.■.■.'•■ : .■,. '■;. • A Section—J. A; Nash 7, Nicholson 6, Jolly 4J, Sollitt 3, Ransom 3, Prior.2, Shannon 15, Turner l.:-r,. :■.->-, ■-■■- B Section.—Tasker. 7, ■ H. "Nash .5, Smith 4, M'Gibbo'n 4. "Pvke. 3;' Sinclair 3, 2. .. ~.',.,-„-■ ■■'■ ' Disappointment was".expressed': that F-cilding, a member' '■' of ; .;the: centre, though well able to'' send two':teams, was not represented. „o'/tS"''..''-'''./%:>~ ■

Bowlers, you can obtain*'Thosi* Taylor's specially selected first quality extra heavy bowls in all sires from E.'Houlclswortli. Tobacconist (opp. lioyat Oak), Cuba St.*