BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 8

BOWLS

(By “No. 3.")

Whilst the Wellington Centre grave-

ly discusses the propriety of awarding trophies for its annual tournament, and so far has decided against the notion, bowlers in other parts are not nearly so backward. The Suva Bowling Association has forwarded copies of its poster for the July tournament, to be held front July 7 to 21, offering really fine prizes as an inducement for local bowlers to visit Fiji. For the Pacific Singles that association offers a trophy valued at fifty guineas, with ten for the runner-up. The Southern Pacific Singles (as distinct from the D acific Singles) is confined to players belonging to Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, but there are fine prizes for other open rink events which should attract entries from New Zealand, especially as the tournament takes place in the middle of our winter, when there is no chance of a roll-up. It will be interesting to see what resnpnse the Suvans get to their gilt-edged invitation. Bowlers are reminded that the English team—seven rinks and a party of eighty all told—will leave here on Friday for Sydney, en route to Europe and the Old Country. The team will return to New Zealand, via Canada. Mr. James Wall, vice-president of the New South AA’ales Bowling Association, will leave for England early in March. He has been delegated by the Australian Association to confer with the International Bowling Council in London upon matters relating to the laws of the game and the interchange of visits between the English and Australian associations. Arc there any ambidexterous bowlers in New Zealand ? Personally I have never yet met a bowler who could play as easily with one hand as the other; yet A'ictor Casey (formerly of the Carlton and Grey Lynn Clubs, Auckland) has been playing left-handed in Sydney, whilst his dislocated right shoulder is mending. Mr. Casev intends to visit New Zealand in the near future, possibly for the Rotorua tournament, but expects to be back in Svdney in March. How a reallv fine head can be upset without a bowler going near it is told by a member of the Ashfield Club, Si dnev. His rink had assembled a splendid head, of which they were really proud, and were just about to take the count when a dog rushed over the green, seized the jack in its mouth, scattered

’ the head, and made off down one of the paths, pursued by the youngest bowler and a lot of miscellaneous language. It was found afterwards that the imputation that the dog had been trained to act in this manner whenever the count was against a certain rink was without foundation. A rather remarkable game was played between a New Zealand rink and one from Western Australia at the recent A.B.C. tournament in Melbourne. New Zealand lay the game on the twentyfifth head, when Wills, a W.A. skip, dead-ended it with a smashing drive. Another head was played, and this, too, was burnt in the same way. On the third attempt to end the game W.A. lay three shots, which meant a tie—and so the game ended. No game of bowls is lost until the last bowl is played. A bowling “Limerick”: Said a boastful and confident bowler, “I’ll cuddle the kit and console her,” But his bowl was as thin As a flying-fish fin, Or a dog underneath a steam-roller. It is often said that New Zealand is the home of bowls in the Southern Hemisphere, but we must not be too confident. Victoria is every bit as keen on the game as we are There are over 75 clubs within a radius of ten miles of the Melbourne G.P.O. Forty of them are electrically lighted, so that play may be continued up tilt midnight if necessary, and the playing surfaces are said to be as near.perfection as possible. Then there are 29 women’s bowling clubs who have established their own pennant competition in Melbourne.,’ This knowledge should keep us humble, though in proportion to population we have a greater number of clubs. So far the ladies of Wellington have not taken kindly to the game, though an attempt was made at Kelhurn some years ago to interest them Mixed membership has never been successful. Among first-class bowlers, the hard rubber bowl is rapidly ousting the more venerable wooden one. This was particularlv noticeable at the bowling carnival recently held in Australia, when, over a thousand bowlers from all parts of the Australian States and New Zealand competed for the Australian championship. The winner, F. Dobbie (Vic.), used rubber bowls, as did also J. H. Sheedv, winner of the “Consolation Singles.”