Bowling Notes

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 204, 28 May 1904, Page 9

Bowling Notes

By Wrong Bias

THE weathei this week I sunpose expresses Capt. Edwin's mind that it is high time to ring-off bowls until next •season. Wellington is, the only club with an open green— it nevei doses before the 24th of May — but the chances of olav next Saturday are ratheu 1 emote in view of the deluge since Sunday. It seems a moral that the postponement of the Wellington Exhibition for , yeai nil) neoebfeitat-e a samalair postponement of the Exhibition Tournament Which the Northern Bowling Association weae -oiog to hold here in January next. That is to say, the biennial tournament was beni." nushed forward a year in order to fall in wath the Exhibition. Seeing that the lattei event has been postponed, the tournament would dro<o into its. proper dlate m 1905. As a matter of fact, Mr. J. H. Mentijplay (the hon. secretary of the Northern Bowling Association) is already moving in the direction of substituting the biennial tournament for Champion Fouis in lieu of the larger tournament fo- which preparations had been stayed pending the settlement of Exhibition dates. He is communicating with Master ton,, in order to ascertain if the Champion. Fours tourneiv can bes held there. The metionolis of the Wairarapa haa two bowling greens, both laxgeir than the Wellington ones, and they are reported to be in tip-top order. Bowling is already very . popular throughout the Wairarapa, and the holding of an Association tournament m Masterton would, no doubt, give 1 it so great an impetus among the farmers that their© would be more talk of jacks and draws and drives than of turnips and ticks. The only match of any interest on the Wellington Club's green last Saturday was the final flutter of the season for the Edwin Feathers. Of course, it was only of domestic interest — a family affair, in fact — seeing that the competitors were all fellow-olubsmen. The holders — Drummond, 3runskill, Churchward, and Bell (skip) — stood up lo defend their regalia, ag'aanst Geddis, E. J. Hill, Berry, andl Neil McLean (skiip\ and had 1 to extend 1 themselves to maintain their footing. It was an interesting game, and the issue- was. in doubt until the twentieth head ha A closed. For the first few heads the scoring was slow. Then, in dmving, the challengers weire unlucky enough to cut out their own bowl lying second, and! leave the holders to score 5. At the* tenth head the scorei was about 17 to 6 against the challengers. Then, they started on the up-grade, and wore down the odds until they were

only tiwo behind*. Oil the twentieth heaid they were lying 3, and a measure for 4, when Bell, accidentally striking a bowl lying fifteen) feet shoi t, smote it into shot, and burst up the challengers' last chance. Bell was in capital form. The most inteaes'fcing, event on Saturday was the match (four rmks a-side) between the combined 1 GiviJ Service and Newtown. Hard though it is to take d'C/wm Newtown on its own greein, the Civil Servants earned out the contract. But, they had to strain every nerve to dio it, foi the match was w on by only seven paints — 92 to 85. In link wins Ihe honours weae easy. For the Civil Sei-vice, Longton, wittli McManaway, Broigain, and Bi ackenridlge, jun , to hem htini, put up 31 to the 14 scored by Miairtin., Powell, Danks, and Price. Sir Edward Gubbes also seouied a win from Wyili'e by 26 to 24. On the other hand, Pi nice beat Davy Ross by 22 to 17, and AsrbiU polished off Sid Lambert bv 25 to 18. La/test news from, the Old Country is that Kino- Edward 'has started to play bowLs. Likes it far better than baccarat bridge, and' in fact, they can hardly get him off the green. NaturIlly, therefoie, smart society is following suit, and, the Johnmes are giving up goilf m order to practise, oai the jack. Pennant matches don't seem, to be regarded with general favour in Dramedin At tlhe closing of the Caledonian Club the other day, J. A. Kirby (vice-presi-dient) said he hoped to see pennant matches abolished next yeai", and "the more friendly inter-club miatcihes" resumed. At the- closing of the Dunedin dub the same subject cropped) up. M. Sinclair (viDe-presidient) stirangly favoured pennant matches 'as tending to improve rink play." Charlie Payne, however (president of the Kaituna Club, and one of the Duneidtini .skips ant the Auckland tournament), candeianed *the pennant matohes as "destructive of that sociability and good feeilin~ which- were suoh a fea/tua-e of the old inter-club matches." Here is a sly touch by Pi^esadent Dawscni, of the Caledorniau Club, which, wtilll also produce a smile in WeWmgbon • — "Thei green was wi excellent order. Most oi the membez-5 and l visitors' found it warmer and more social in the pavilion, wthere they engaged in a friendly game of cards."