BOWLING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 5

BOWLING NOTES

[By Duaw.]

Questions and Answers. “ Candid.” —In New Zealand association or any centre tournaments no penalty can he claimed for a burnt head to terminate a game. The only time this arrangement can be made is when a club tourney is in progress and it can be said with certainty that it cannot be applied on any other occasion. For general reference it will not be out of the way to give law 90, which reads: “ After an end! is made dead it must be regarded as though it had never been commenced, and the winner of the previous end shall throw the jack, provided that special conditions may be arrangedl for dead ends and penalties therefor in local club tournaments.” Of course, in centre or association tournaments provision is made to curtail if necessary the endte to bo played or shorten the time limit, but this is quite a different matter.

Opening Functions. October 7.—Kaituna Club. President, Mr D. Standage; secretary, Mr H. C. Jones.

October 14. —Anderson’s Bay. President, Mr T. Ashton; secretary, Mr B. C. Abernethy. Roslyn. President, Mr 0. E. Tyrrell; secretary, Mr W. J. M‘Kay. Dunedin. President, Mr H. Gardiner; secretary, Mr G. A. Nelson.

Kaituna Club’s Jubilee Year. This season the above club will celebrate its golden jubilee as a club actively engaged in playing bowls without a break for 50 years, although the club was actually formed at an ‘earlier date. In 1889 a company was formed in July, when the prospectus of “ The Kaituna Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club Company Limitedl ” was issued. The first directors were Messrs G. P, Farquhar, G. Fenwick, E. D. Butts, Walter Hisloip, John M'Gregor, J. P. Woodhouse, William Davies, S. P. Stevens, and Dr Jefcott,

Ipdtuna was the first bowling club to introduce progressive tournaments and also the first to adopt the cards and board .system of arranging Saturday afternoon play. This was introduced by Mr J. Stone, who was secretary of the club many years ago. For the opening ceremony on Saturday, October 7, special invitations are being extended to ex-members. During the “ off season ” repairs have been effected to the club’s premises, the pavilion has been painted, and special efforts have been made to improve the surroundings. The membership list is now open. New members and prospective bowlers will receive a warm welcome at Kaituna, which is fortunate to possess two such excellent greens set in attractive surroundings. Latest Stamp Date for Bowls. All bowlers should note that the 1932 stamp will go out of date at midnight on December 31 next, and from the following day the date stamps that will be recognised are those of 1934, 1936, 1938. and 1940. All bowls used in competition in New 1 Zealand must be stamped at least every seven years. To find out if your stamp is o.k. subtract seven from the year. It should also be noted that all bowls must bear a distinctive mark of similar design, permanently engraved, apart from a number, on both discs of each howl. Bowls which are in use and which bear a distinctive mark on-the large disc and a number on the small disc willbe sufficiently marked to comply with the regulations if tho numbered disc is permanently engraved with the owner’s initials or with a design similar to that on large disc. Law 22 says: “No player shall play with a bowl which does not comply with the laws of the game, and any competitor playing such bowl shall bo disqualified from the match he is taking part in and the game awarded to his opponent.” _ _ ’ Tho test will start in Dunedin about tho end of October or early in November.

English Bowling Association. The wonderful grow’th of the game of bowls since the last world war has been most rapid. Wo here in this Dominion have marvelled at the increase of clubs and club membership, but in England there has been a remarkable uplift in figures relating both to new clubs and increased membership. In 1900 there were not such a wonderful lot of “ flat ” greens in England, and it should be remembered that it was not until 1903 that the English Bowling Association was formed, with the late W. G. Grace (the famous cricketer) as its first president; but in 1936 there were no fewer than 1,556 clubs affiliated to the association, and by 1939 the number of clubs had reached 1,814, an increase of 258 clubs in three years. A pleasing feature of the season just drawing to a close in England is the increased number of players taking part in big competitive play. The following gives some idea of the entries received for the principal competitions controlled by the English Association:—

In many bowling circles the question is often debated as to whether competition play is increasing in popularity. Some players argue that such type of game does not foster the best spirit so closely allied to the sport. -Many others maintain that the absence of the competitive element tends to a sort of slackness,' and the fine points of the game are thereby lessoned as a result. I feel sure that the figures quoted in connection with the competitive side of the game in England should he convincing enough to show that competitive games are the life and soul of any game worth while. The game in New Zealand has reached a stage when competitive games are keenly sought after. As late as this month (September) this was brought Lome to us by the keenness of those players who play as leads and. seconds to have their own tournaments, and so one finds that practically all the sections of bowlers in this country desire some competition as against the common roll-up. Open competition is certainly the way to improve one’s game.

Singles. Pairs. Pinks. 1936 ... ... 4,463 4,105 1,984 1939 ... ... 5,028 4,744 2,217