BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 129, 29 February 1928, Page 8

BOWLS

Low murmurings against the present decimal system of deciding the result of Pennant matches foretell an early doom of the new method- It seems to me, taking a more or less disinterested view of the system, that it has not met with the approval of the majority, because the majority either do not understand it at all, or, it they do, disapprove of a method in which the result of each individual game counts, in the percentage of points for or against a club- In short, it is much too 'complicated for the average bowler to be worried about, and that fact has diminished the interest in the Peu nants this season probably to. a greater extent than the Centre would care to admit. Still the fact remains that tiK new system has not “caught on,” and I would not be at all surprised to see a reversion on the straight-out four-rink contest, in which there was always an appreciable interest taken. The new system has been a laudable attempt to interest as many bowlers in each club as possible in the major inter-club contest of the season, but in extending the scope of the contest, the interest in it as a test of bowling skill has been frittered away. At the end of the sixth round of the Senior Penmints, Petone and Karori were equal, but as the result of Saturday’s games, iu which Petone secured a GO per cent, win and Karori only a 50 per cent, win, the honours, such as they are, tall to Petone, with a 2 per cent, lead over Karori in the grand aggregate. Fancy. >t club winning by 2 per cent.! Anyhow, there is still the postponed second round to play on Saturday next, which may alter tho position fractionally. In some clubs there is open disapproval of the system which encourages a club to dissipate its strength in putting too many rinks in the field. I am sure the Hataitai Club —which has won the Pennant for the last two seasons—will not again approve the new system. Loo:; what happened last Saturday, when of four of their rinks who went to do battl> against Thorndon, three suffered defeat, and these rinks were skipped by such re doubtable men as Feilding, Brightiug, and McWhnnnel, The only one to win at Thorndon was Martin, who probably in ranking would not come up to tinstandard of the other three skips mentioned. yet who succeeded in defeating Naylor, who is regarded as one of tho best skips and most brilliant players in Wellington, though Ids light has been a little dimmed this season. So you never can tell. The two leading clubs, Petone and Karon, are to meet on Saturday next in the final round of the pennants, but on the same day Karori has also to play Island Bay, and Petone has to meet Thorndon, so the fat is still in the tiro As to the junior pennants, section B has been won by Islam! Bay, and in section A there is still another round to play next Saturday, when Central and Khaudallah, who are ahead, will meet. The winners will then play off with Island Bay. A team of visiting bowlers from South Australia arrived al Auckland from Sydney on Mqnday last with the intention of touring New Zealand. The personnel is as follows: Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Castino Mr. and Mrs. E. D. 11. Harris, Mr. and Mrs. 11. C. Barton, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. T. Sellar. Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Davie, Mr. and Mrs. R. Bower, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. I’euno, Mr. and Mrs. (I. Naylor, Messrs. F. G. Cully. L. Von Doussa, J. Kemphroy, J. C. Catt, W. Hagar. W. E. Temppie, S. G. Davies, D. j. Allen,

(By No. 3.)

1 P. C. Potter, T. G. Alexander, W. F. I Harrison, and J. B. Cherry. The itinerary of the team is as follows:—Leave Auckland for Rotorua, March 2; leave Rotorua for Hamilton, March 6; leave Hamilton for Te Kuiti, March 7; motoring through to New Plymouth from Te Kuiti arriving New Plymouth March 7; leave New Plymouth for Wanganui morning of March 9; leave Wanganui March 12. arriving same evening inNapier; leave Napier morning of March 14, arriving same afternoon in Wellington; leave for Nelson, March 16, 7-30 p.m.; leave Nelson for Westport by motor on Sunday, March IS; leave Westport for Reelton and Greymouth, March 20; leave Greymouth for Christchurch March 22; leave Christchurch for Dunedin March 26; leave Dunedin for Oamaru March 28; leave Oamaru for Wellington March 29; leave Wellington for Sydney March 80. A pairs tournament promoted by the North Auckland Centre- a new body—is to be held at Whangarei on Thursday and Friday, March 16 and 17. There will be trophies to tho value of .Zli 6s. for the winners, and <£3 3s. for the runners-up. Entries are to close with rhe secretary. Mr. T. H. Steadman, at 5 p.m. on March 9, at Whangarei. This will be the last of the tournaments for the season. and it is meet that it should take place in the Dominion Association’s farthest north centre. The event will look attractive to players who fancy themselves as four-bowl men. The Clayfield Club won the Senior Pennants in Queensland this season, beating Ipswich to the tune of 136 points to 63—the biggest margin ever recorded in a Pennant final. Mr. F. Shout, one of the Clayfield skips, is an ex-Aucklander, and a cousin of Messrs. H. and S. Short, of Wellington. It was observed during the visit of the Victorians last week that 66 per cent, of the bowls used by them were of rubber or composition, showing in a . marked degree how the new material bowls are gaining in popularity over those made of lignum vitae—the wood that lasts for ever. Not that there is any new argument in favour of.the rubber or compo. bow) over the wooden one, except that it is possible far smallhanded players to get a full-weight bowl well within the compass of his grip, which is difficult sometimes to get tn a Taylor or Jacques bowl. Some players argue that the rubber bowl pulls up mere quickly after its run than the wooden one; that it does not require so much green when the rink is a very keen one; but the steady players of many years’ standing still stouflv maintain H>at (he wooden bowl can always be relied upon to do its work if it is correctly laid down, the inference on their part being that such is not the case with other breeds of bowls. As a matter of fact, I have never seen a change of bowls affect the play of a bowler materially. There are those players who become dissatisfied with their own play, and are inclined to blame their bowls, and change them in sheer desperation, but I have yet to learn an instance where the change has worked a noticeable improvement in the man’s play. Perhans there are those who have. If so. will they testify?