CHRISTMAS TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 155, 29 December 1938, Page 16

CHRISTMAS TOURNEY

Monday, the opening day of the local centre's Christmas fours tourney, was most unseasonable, as it had rained during the night and early monung, making it impracticable to begin play in the forenoon. However, three short(ened rounds of 15 ends were got through in the afternoon. The heavy greens, the chilly atmosphere in the evening, and the boisterous southerly wind made skilful play difficult, and materially assisted to put all classes of players on the same footing, with >the result that first-rate combinations on paper found themselves doing no better, or not even as well, as1 some supposedly weaker fours. The closest scoring of the day was that of P. McWhannell (Hataitai), who Sm against P. W. Smith (Thorndon) in B section. In C section, at Kelburn, H. G. Bedell (Island Bay) was 10i9 against F. Russell jNewtown). In C section on Tuesday, at Victoria, the most sensational incident was to the game between C. H. Newson (WelItogtony and D. Claridge (Hataitai). Qaridge was leading by 13-11 when &c twentieth end began. Newson had the shot. Claridge put in _ a fast bowl, which hit the jack against Newsons Sing shot. The jack bounded for•fei^nsfiSt* a.b^ «2wer Hutt) personally repeatedly s*m play ceased, with two heads to

D section was a difficult one m which to make headway, as it untamed such leading skips as H. L. Brighting _(Hataltai), J- M. Naylor CThorndon), J. M. S'enridge (Lyall Bay) O saber* (Petone), and S. A. Johns (Eastbourne). In the ninth and concluding round yesterday at Ktelburn Naylor met Brighting. Much interest was taken in this game. Brightmg won the tournament last year, with Naylor as runner-up. In the present case Naylor was safe for post-section promotion with seven wins, but Brighting, with sik wins, had the hard task of beating Naylor to "reach the post-sectional stage. It was a struggle from start to finish. Played in a most friendly atmosphere, the game, owing to the diversity of play, retained the close attention of a large audience, which included Mr. M. J. Casey, president of the centre. Naylor was 6-1 on the fourth end, when Brighting began to score. Persevering, he came level (11----all) with Naylor at the thirteenth end, next at 14-aH. It was 18-all on the twentieth end, but Naylor secured the winning shot on the final end, 19-18. Further interest was added to the game by the fact that Naylor goes to Auckland as Brighting's N^. S in the Dominion annual tournament. The Thorndon rink was A. Brace, G. Springhall, A. Cullen, L. M. Naylorj and the Hataitai four consisted of A. A. Wilson,

H. E. Moston, R. A. Cometti, H. L. Brighting.

Three rinks from the Wellington Club qualified for post-sectional play and a fourth (Cross) just missed doing so by one game. Thorndon and Hataitai had two post-sectional rinks and Lyall Bay and elburn one each. A. E. Baker (Lower Hutt) put up the record score of the tournament, viz.. 30-1, and the same unlucky skip that he beat went down in the next round by 33-8. 1939 Overseas Tour. The closing date for nominations for the overseas tour of New Zealand bowlers is the 31st inst., at Auckland The party is limited to 40 persons, j including ladies. It was notified at aj meeting of the New Zealand Bowling Council's Executive on the 19th inst. in reply o an inquiry from the Dunedin centre with regard to any Government restrictions in connection with the proposed touring party, that representations had already been made and no difficulty was anticipated. Queensland Tourist Bowlers' Party. Mr, F. C. Ker, manager of the Queensland party of bowlers, which arrives in Wellington on January 9 to commence its Dominion tour, was on the pleasure cruiser Orford, which called at Auckland last week and returned to Australia. Mr. Ker will be back in Brisbane in time to embark with the Queensland party on January 3. He announced that Mr. R. J. Morris, of the Ithaca Club, Brisbane, had been elected president of the team. The Queensland party will, as originally arranged, play six rinks for match purposes; but as there are 29 players in the party as finally constituted, it will also be practicable at times to field a social rink in addition to the match players. G. R. Hooper (Toowoomba) is the only one of the party who was with the 1922----23 team, the first from that State to visit New Zealand. Bowl or Kitty Striking Boundary Pej*. In the previous edition of the laws of the game, it was provided that if a bowl or a jack struck or was driven in play against the pegs marking the boundaries of the rink it would still be alive, but that exemption no longer applies; such bowl or jack would be dead. On various greens the boundary pegs are affixed to or stand against the face of the bank. It may be that the reason for doing away with the ; exemption in question was to induce 'a more general acceptance of lawr 4, which stipulates that the boundary pegs shall be driven perpendicularly into the top of the bank where practicable. Once a bowl or a kitty went above the face of the bank, whether it hit the boundary peg or not, i* would be dead. , Shift the Mat. A green director of a local leading club pointed out the other day how necessary it was for players, if they wished to preserve the grass on the green and prevent undue wear and tear to a particulars part to shift the mat from time to time. By doing so when practising they would gain a better idea of. length than by simply playing to the same . distance all through the game. Another matter the green director spoke about was the bad habit some players have of dragging a foot after them when stepping ofl! the mat and digging their toe into the turf, resulting in an ugly-looking tear being made in the surface. As the green director pointed out, it was not the young player who was responsible for this avoidable habit, but senior bowlers who were expected to show more consideration. A bowl running into a surface tear could easily be diverted. Players should treat the green with every respect seeing that it was made and maintained at considerable expense. Keep One Foot on the Mat. Law 12 states clearly that the player at the moment of, delivery must keep at least one foot on the mat and wholly within its boundaries, such foot to be not less than three inches from the front of the mat Non-observance of the law carries certain penalties. It was noticed that on one of the greens used in the section play of the local Christmas fours tournament five player*, persistently broke this law of the game by having both feet well over the front of the mat. Three of the players are experienced skips who might be expected to set a better example to younger players. An odd case Qf non-compliance with the law might; perhaps be excused as due to close concentration o4 the shot to be played, but not a continued disregard of the regulation. The mat is provided to save the green, and its usefulness is lost if players will not keep one foot on the mat when bowling. Karori Club. Christmas Eve having been fixed as the time limit lor, completing games in the second rounds of the championship singles and pairs, there was quite an amount of activity on the Karori Bowling Club's green last week, and it was a case of making the most of the bursts of fine weather. {n spite of interruptions, the competitions have been kept fairly well to schedule, and in some cases the third rounds have been entered upon. It will be some time, of course, before the finalists are found. The 1 club was represented in the Christmas tournament, T. Adam's four making a prominent showing. Club representatives also figure in the Centre's New Year tournament and there will be ten players from the dub participating in the New Zealand tournament at Auckland. Field still has two lives in the club's singles, and among others remaining in the running are Gilbert, R. Wilkinson, Dempster, Thompson, Goodall, Starr, Cattanach, Adams and Thorn} The "two-lifers", in the handicap singles are Holden, Adams, Goodall, Hornblow, Dempster, and Scott, and with one life are Ham Jordan, Cafctanach, Gandar, Thompson, and Taylor. Cattanach, Christensen, and Platt, with their respective leads, Taylor Townsley and Dempster show the way with two lives into the third round of the championship pairs. Adamas, Dyett, and Field are among others still to be reckoned with.

E. Peek, a member of the Sumner Club, Christchurch, has been a visitor to the Karori Club during the holidays. •»,