Bowling BOWL TESTING

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 103, 28 October 1933, Page 24

Bowling

BOWL TESTING

By "Number Two."

GREEN V. TABLE

QUESTION ARISES AGAIN

Among the matters that have come up for discussion again is bowl testing, the executive of the N.Z.B.A. -having given the president and secretary pover to act in procuring new stamps !'<# 1934-35 after consultation with Mr. \Y. A. Scott, the official tester. The question is: Should the green test or the table test be adopted? ' New Zealand has had the green test, in operation for some time now, and there is a section of bowlers who maintain that it is unsatisfactory arid should be discarded in favour of the table test, such as is in force in Australia. An ardent advocate of the table test is Mr. \V. N. Tucker, of the Victoria Club, who in an interview on his return from Australia a month ago, declared that his investigations on the other side of the Tasman ha,d led him to believe that the New, Zealand Standards and methods of testing required thorough overhauling and modernising. The Australian table, costing about £250, is 30ft long, and has a slate, bed., on which is first stretched a special canvas. Then comes a layer of rub-, ber, and on top another special canvas which approximates as closely as possible to the 'perfect bowling green surface. The test, says Mr. Tucker, is severe, but it is fair, for the bowl discloses its faults without variation, ,a feat almost impossible in the green test, where a slight breath of wind or an unevenness in the green will make all the difference. In tho course of a letter to . the "Evening Post," a Christchurch bowler, writing under the norn de plume| "Disgusted With Green Testing," says:— "Bowl testing with the different makes and bias of present-day bowls is quite a problem and the New Zealand Bowling Council made the problem still greater when they, decided on the green test, in preference to the table test. The "table test is the test of Great, Britain and Australia. All makers use the table test. No maker of any standing will agree to the green test. Why? Because the- green changes every half-hour of the day. Unfortunately the Dunedin centre was 'talked' into the green test, but.it took many years to persuade the North Island centres to discard'the table test. One great disadvantage of the green test is the fact that a tester, at one centre will pass and stamp your woods, whereas a tester at another centre may condemn them; this has been done at local tournaments. For some year* there have been complaints about Southland and Otago woods being narrow, and there was a considerable amount of discussion by the council in Wellington during 1932, but the extraordinary thing about the discussion was the fact that particulars were never passed on to the Otago or Southland Centres by delegates from these districts. Beeently the bowl inspector (Mr. W. A. Scott) dropped down to Invercargill and condemned the whole of Southland's outfit. They are now faced with an expenditure from £25 to £oO for new running rail, new lathe and new testing bowl. Why all this if the outfit was in good order a few years ago? A most iniquitous and ridiculous decision! This may occur at any centre any day. • • • ■• . "There are dozens of clubs an the North Island prepared" to vote, again for the table test, and this is one ot the first duties of the council, .namely, to find out the true position and feeling throughout the Dominion, table itest v. green test. We will ha.o an my^on of, Australian bowlers over for fta Dunediff tournament in January, i»**, and each player will be called upon to Save his wood stamped with New: Zealand stamp,' although the Australians play with No. 4 bias bowls. How ridiculous. There is a strong feeling in New Zealand that a great 'Knights of the Wood.' . . • What became of Mr. W. A. Scott's report. o» SwTthlt was lying on the -uncil table at a recent meeting? All clubs should have a copy of tteMtig not^be locked W. „ Surly tfc« re was some information for *he P6o?l^ VThe above letter certainlycalls an answer on certain points, and it mil SSSSSSSSss Ss. should give . lead tacouneilo on the point—it is to be hoped that -tnw bng-standing controversy will at last be settled; .