BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 45, 17 November 1926, Page 9

BOWLS

(By

No. 3.”)

The promiscuous use of < lub colours ou local greens is tolerated merely. Everyone, or nearly everyone, thinks it wrong for a bowler to appear in a blazer that he probably wore a decade before as a cricketer or oarsman, but it does not make for harm any on the green. 1 have known players who invest an ancient blazer or a fearful old hat with the magic powers of a mascot, and are never happy unless disporting themselves in this motley wear, but one asks, what would a green look like if half the bowlers were to show such eccentricity in sartorial equipment ? They have to wear club colours compulsorily in tournaments, and it would be better if players developed the habit of making their own club colours and costume their mascots. Auckland! is moving in this direction. “Trundler,” in the “Star,’’ wrote as fellows last week: The parent club has set the fashion bv a new rule, which will become operative next Saturday fo- the first time: “Bowling costume must be worn by players in all interclub matches.” This is supposed to be an unwritten rule everywhere, and a good deal of discussion has also taken place recently in Australia on this matter, but so far public opinion does not seem to sanction making the rule compulsory Somebody once remarked that if the rule were brought in it would be honoured more in, the “breach” than the observance. If cnly bowlers would honour it in the “breaches," that would be a good start towards the adoption of a custom which is surely the very least compliment which can be paid to visitors. Club colours are also too often conspicuous by their absence, and this omission does not say much for the lovalty of members to their club. A New Club. A new club is somewhat of an event in Wellington. That is perhaps why the application of the newly-formed Plimmerton Bowling and Tennis Club was received so well by the centre at ils last meeting The new green and courts are situated at the southern end of what is known as “Walker’s Flat,” and is overlooked by the road that curls down the hill from Pahautanui to Plimmerton—a sheltered valley that should make an ideal sports ground. Some of the members of the centre wished to know when the green was likely to be opened, and whether it would be open for Sunday play. The chairman understood that the' green was not likely to be opened before Christmas, and probably the club would advise the centre of the event. The existence of a new bowling and tennis club' should give new life to Plimmerton. General Notes. vvitn tile industrial boom at Petone and the Hutt, the time cannot be far distant when another green will be required somewhere between Petone and the Hutt, and 1 would suggest that in cutting up any further lauds there the Government might reserve an acre here and there for that purpose. When laud booms (as has recently been the case at Petone and the Hutt), the primitive desire is to cut up and sell as quickly as possible, without making allowances for breathing spaces.. For that reason 1 would advise provision for bowling greens, both ou White’s Line and over towards the Hutt Park. The late Louis Waxman’s (Melbourne) “Advice to Skips" included these" Never play your men on a bad hand because it looks easy,” and "When there is one hand that’‘draws’ and one that does not, stick to the drawing hand.” Many a skip, to his own undoing, was led by appearances to direct his men to play shots which—on the day—were impossible. The advice given by the Melbourne player is will worth bearing in mind by thoughtful skips. Put briefly, it means—- “ Stick to the drawing hand so long as it is open, no matter how easy the other looks.” Mr. Leon Cohen (formerly of the Thorndon and Te Hiwi Clubs) lias returned from a trip to Europe and America. It is understood that Mr Cohen is returning to Sydney shortly Following upon certain criticism Mr. Claridge has resigned the position of sole selector for the Hataitai Club, and at a special meeting of the club held on Monday evening Mr. Brighting was appointed to the position. He is to select the rinks according to a policy laid down by the directors, which broadly means that the best players in the club are not to be centred on any one inter-club contest, but are, as far as possible, to be distributed over the rinks taking part in all contests. Once again conditions were not at all ideal for play last Saturday afternoon, owing to rain that fell during the morning. Most of the greens were opened for play, but on account of the soaking the going was pretty dead. A cool southerly breeze did not add to the pleasure of those players who insisted on playing. New Zealand is not the only place where bowls are backward owing to broken weather. “Forehead” in the “Australasian” said in referring to the weather “bowlers need hopefulness and optimism if ever they did. As I write the barometer stands at 30 degrees, yet the wind is cold as we would expect if the glass indicated 23.5 degrees, and the mouth were July instead of November.” At the last meeting of the Wellington Centre, Mr. M. Marks (president of the Victoria Club) raised the question of the manner in which rinks were selected for champion matches, and mentioned that it was time the centre should lay down rules under which each club would have to find its champion rink, pair, and singles player. Ou the subject a .-Melbourne paper says:— “This question of selecting club’s representation for champion rink and president’s trop f hy competitions is capable of much argument. And it generally leads to it. Some clubs nominate their eight best single-hand exponents, placed either with care or perfunctorily Some meticulously place skips in skippers’ poistions, leaders in leader’s, scorers second, and recognised No. 3’s third. Others give the coveted honour to the rinks having the best performances to date of appointment. In such a case it cannot be called selection Each of these courses of procedure has logical support, and each mav be followed as the best, after careful and honest consideration and conference. The object, of course, is to have or provide the best representation the club can get. Whether the retention of a rink, as a whole, with the feeling of comradeship and confidence in each other that successful performance engenders, is better and more likely to lead to success than is the substitution of one or more of its units by some one or two players of more repute and better skill, is for the decision of the selectors. The respective merits of the available maximum of skill minus the lack of unity existent in a scratch rink, and of a lower grade of skill, plus the comradeship and confidence of which 1 have made mention, should be carefully valued and decisions made thereon In any case, whichever course selectors follow, their work will be severely criticised Provided it has been carefully and honestly performed, they need not mind In a club of 20 tnen probablv there will be 15 different and honest opinions.”