BOWLING

Evening Star, Issue 19799, 24 February 1928, Page 13

BOWLING

[By Measurer.]

The result of last week’s interclub games leaves Dunedin Club still heading the championship shield list, with Taieri a close second. The actual result is by no means certain yet, though on paper it should rest between these two clubs. Kaituua’s stock dropped considerably last week with all losses, and Green Island, in third place, is. too uncertain to wager on. What struck one on looking through last week’s scores was the great margin between many of the scores. This kind of thing has been evident right through the season —more so, I think, than in any other. Skips down a lot on one Saturday have great leads on another. One or two scores last Saturday were peculiar For Green Island Arch. Smellie scored 30 to T. Sanders’s (Kaituna) 8; Veitch (West Harbor) 28 to Campbell’s (Kaituna) 11; Cavanagh (Caledonian) 30 to Bendall’s (Anderson’s Bay) 7; Wilson (Dunedin) 23 to Claridge’s (Caledonian) 10; Jones (Roslyn) 29 to Allan’s (Balmacewen) 8; Stevenson (Taieri) 34 to Thomas’s (Roslyn) 10; Coxon (St. Clair) 30 to Armit’s (Kaikorai) 12; Stuart (St. Kilda) 30 to Sneeston’s (Valley) 15; Marshall (Dunedin) 41 to Connor’s (Anderson’s Bay) 18; Higginson (Dunedin) 34 to Robertson’s (Anderson’s Bay) 10; Lucas (Otago), 24 to H. L. Smith’s (Dunedin) 10. These instances may easily be reversed next Saturday, for uncertainty is the charm of bowls. Interest has been well sustained in the interclub matches so far, and it seems likely to increase for the final stages. As the Champion of Champions contest is to bo played on Friday and Saturday of next week (also the final of the four-rink competition), all on Dunedin Club’s green, a reminder is given to players to hurry on with the work of finding their champions. Many clubs are well advanced; some few are lagging behind. Dunedin Club has only two left in— T. Neill and E. Harraway, each with one life.

St. Kilda has four left in, all onelifers—J. H. Hinton, P. Edwards, E. Cooke, and J. Himburg. Cavorsham survivors arc down to two —Thomson (two lives) and llomeril. Two are left in at Caledonian —A. Ross (two lives) and W. Latham (one). The following table gives the results of last week’s games and the present

position of clubs in regard to the Championship Shield: — total

CANTERBURY v. OTAGO

Yesterday afternoon, on Iloslyn green, eight rinks representing Canterbury met eight rinks from Otago in the annual contest for the Bedpath Shield. Started in 1921, tin's was the eighth meeting. Otago had proved victorious in five of the previous matches. The teams selected for Otago yesterday were representative; there was _ not a weak rink engaged, and as the visitors as a matter of course were without the services of some of the best Canterbury bowlers the local men were favorites. For the first half of the game it appeared as though Otago would win, but the Canterbury players stuck to it well, and coming with a rattle at the finish had an advantage of 9 points when the final figures were announced. The North Otago rink (skipped by our old friend Albert Slater) more than held its own. The visitors expressed themselves as greatly pleased with Iloslyn green, which was in capital condition. NOTES. Centre Executive members intend making a journey to Green Island and Fairfield on Tuesday evening to play the clubs there friendly games. Four rinks are going. When the suggestion that to-mor-row’s bowling matches should be postnoned on account of the cricket match came before the centre meeting on Monday night there was a decided majority in favor of carrying on. Several delegates said that the idea had been talked of among their club members, and they had been instructed to oppose any postponement. One or two delegates had just the opposite experience. It was thought that, in most cases, the reduction of sections from three rinks to two would meet tire wishes of those howlers who strongly desired to attend the cricket match, and it was resolved to adhere to the programme. Otago Club has lost one of its best members by the death of Mr Charier Speight, who was a. foundation member, being a committeeman in the opening season, 1906-07. Mr Speight was not often seen on the green as a playpr, hut his interest in life club was keen, all the same. He served as president, and acted as green supervisor for several seasons. In various other directions ho, was of use to his club. He took a deep interest in the social side of the club’s activities, being ever ready lo help towards the success of any function field in the Arthur street pavilion. In short, Mr Charles Speight was one of the mainstays of Otago Club, whose members deeply regret his sudden departure. The capable skip—the man who knows how to lead others and get the best out of them and play a reliable game—is a treasure to any dub, because there are so few of that sort.

Southland v. Otago Match. for the Harrnway Shield, to be played at Invercargill next Thursday.

Caversham’s entry for the Adess Shield is Romeril, Ball, Forster, Thomson.

The office of selector is often unpleasant, and, if honestly filled, should be arduous. Many of these officials perform their duties in a rather casual way; but to do the work thoroughly would involve the spending of more time on the green than most members can give. If the pennant and representative matches were played for stakes with bookmakers handy the selecting of teams would bo done more efficiently. Standards of merit would be set up that are not dreamt of now, and no man would be able to hold his place except by success. There are bowlers in Lancashire and Yorkshire who play their matches under these conditions, with tens of thousands awaiting the issue. Fortunately (says an Australian writer) wo have not hrougth our pleasant recreation to such a pass, but we are going too far in the direction of laxity. What is needed is such an improvement in the methods of selection as to make it impossible for any man to regard himself as having a prescriptive right to a certain place in a team, and also possible for any member to climb by sheer merit through the grades. At <o meeting of the Council of the Australian Bowling Association in January the matter of standardising bowl testing tables was shelved again. It was decided to make more experiments, and the Bowl Test Committee is to report to the next meeting of the council. Mr James Wall, vice-president of New South Wales Bowling Association, intends visiting England in March, and he will go as the duly accredited representative of the Australian Bowling Council to‘tonfer with British howling authorities with a view to the establishment of an International Board of Control within the Empire. If this hoard becomes an accomplished fact it is expected that it will he the highest authority on the game of bowls, and regulate such matters as visits within the Empire,

Won. Lost. Pts. Pts. Dunedin ... ... 4 2 8 82 Taieri 2 0 12 78 Green Island ... 2 0 12 72 Bahnacewen ... 2 2 6 69 Kaituna 0 3 0 68 West Harbor ... 2 0 12 66 Caledonian ;i 2 n 64s St. Kilda... ... 3 1 9 57 Caversbam 1 2 4 52 lloslyn 2 2 6 51 St. Clair 3 1 9 45 Otago 2 1 8 44 Leith ... ... 1 1 6 42 Port Chalmers 0 2 0 42 Mornington 2 1 8 40 Kaikorai 0 3 n 36 N.E. Valley ... 0 3 0 32 Anderson’s Bay n 3 0 28 Fairfield i 0 12 24 Outram 0 1 0 24