BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 63, 8 December 1926, Page 8

BOWLS

(Bv

No. 3.)

Of all members Of a bowling club the one appointed for selector is deserving of the greatest amount of sympathy. Of course he never gets it. It would be asking too much of any bowler not selected to play in the pennants or shield games to sympathise with the selectors. Only too often he conceives that his talent has been overlooked by a purblind official who cannot distinguish between a bowler and a bee’s ' foot. That attitude of mind is merely silly. Those who are not selected for inter-club games may rest assured that the selector has done his level best to give liis club the strongest representation, and the amount of worry entailed in the task should not be accentuated by black looks or cheap cynicisms One club which has had its little troubles on this score this season is the Hataitai Club. Following upon the retirement of Mr. Claridge from the position of sole selector, Mr. Brighting was appointed, but as he was said to be losing sleep over the job he resigned after a fortnight, since when Mr. Peter McWhannell has taken up the duties. A sound skip himself, this player should do well, providing he steels himself against criticism, that is apt to jar the nerves of the sensitive. There is a rather good story told of two skips belonging to the one club who were appointed joint selectors. “Well, , who is going to skip the pennant teams next Saturday?” said one. “Oh, I don’t know,” was the reply. “I suppose you’d better take one rink and I’ll skip the other!” “Right you are; let it go at that.” Another yarn is told of a selector whose job used to worry him so much that he used to tumble and toss about in bis bed when be should have been asleep “What’s the matter with vou?” at length complained his wife. “Oh, I can’t get the rinks right for Saturdav.” “is there any money in selecting?” asked the querulous wife “No,” was the reply “Then why in heaven’s name don’t vou give up the job. and let me sleep in peace?” Bowlers are once more reminded that the entries for the Wellington Centre and th' Dominion Association tournaments close on Saturdav next. The big tournament is to be held in Auckland next month Those intending to enter should remember that in the case of rinks all members of a rink in the Auckland district must be members of one and the same club whilst rinks from outside Auckland district may include one member only from

another club (who must not skip the rink). ~ . Many players are apt to assume tnat the bigger the tournament the better. Whilst tlie honour of running a Dominion tournament is not one to be lightly dismissed, it does not necessarily follow that the tournament which attracts the greater number ot entries is the most satisfactory to all concerned. Indeed, the greater the entries the more chance, there is for having to play on an indifferent green. That is to sav, that the best greens are alwavs selected for tournament playfirst, and as the entries increase other greens not so good as the best have to be used to accommodate the plavers. That? is why a good many excellent bowlers are not always among the entrants in the big tournaments. Mr. Navlor, the bowler who put the Upper Hutt Club on the local champion board, has joined the Thorndon Club. Naylor has won the centre s champion singles and pairs, whilst he was a member of the Upper Hutt Club, and is as sound a bowler as Wellington can boast.