BOWLING.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 225, 23 February 1928, Page 8

BOWLING.

PUTARURU CLUB. Further games played in competitions organised by the above club resulted as follows: Championship Singles.—Hollard 28 v. Murphy 8; Hollard 25 v. Boulton 13; Hollard 35 v. Brown 7. Hollard has now played ten games in this competition and is undefeated. Handicap Pairs.—Brown and Hollard (s) 23 v. Griffiths and Leggatt (s) 11.

TIRAU v. PUTARURU. The games between the above clubs are always most enjoyable, and a somewhat hastily arranged fixture held last week-end was certainly no exception to this rule. The match was originally intended solely as a try-out mtwgpn agfJSiik destined for the Cambtidgji tournament from each club, but.faler' a second club rink was added, soSthit would be more of a club fixtiSte. The Tpru *club‘ is to be congratulated on She excellent sfate of its rink considering the dry weather. If a trifle on the slow side it was not ■ enough to prevent the balls finishing well, while the course was very true. The two tournament teams provid-ed-a great match, which was noteworthy for its high scoring. At the commencement it looked as if the visitors would have a runaway victory, Hollard securing a 1, 3 and 5 in succession. At the ninth head Putaruru led by 17 points to 8, and all playing well, it looked a foregone conclusion. The homesters, however, proved great “ stickers,” though it was not until the 19th head that Little secured the lead for the first time. From this on he was never headed, though Hollard drew level at the 23rd. A three to Little, however, left Hollard with four to get to win on the 25th, but his team could only manage a two, which left Tirau a point to the good. On the other rink a hot team, which included three skips, opposed Lindsay. Main, senr., however, was not up to the mark, suffering from neuritis in his right arm. The home rink maintained a big lead until the 21st head, when the visitors were only eight points behind,, and with four heads to go had a chance. A three at the 24th, however, settled their hopes, and the home side won by nine points. : Mclarin Was the outstanding player for Tirau, playing a very steady game which included several brilliant shots. He had one big lapse when both his bowls lay yards short on one head, but it is understood the Tirau president has a very satisfactory answer for this particular weak display. Blomfield was the most reliable of the visitors. The teams and scores were:— Naysmith, Craig, Rose, Little (s) 30 v. Snell, Murphy, Leggatt, Hollard (s) 29. Bear, Main, McLarin, Watson (s) 24 v. Boulton’, Griffiths, Blomfield, Lindsay (s) 15. GOLDFIELDS STARS. A Te Aroha rink, consisting of McCullay, Palmer, A. D. Wallace and Kriskovitch, defeated Waihi for the Goldfields Stars on Wednesday. The next challenge is in the hands of Matamata.

GOLDFIELDS ASSOCIATION. Annual Meeting. The belated annual meeting of the Goldfields’ Association was-held at Te Aroha on Saturday afternoon. Those present were: Mr. J. Clothier (president) and Messrs. Cordes and Smith (Thames), Wood (Te Aroha), G. Oates and A. Yardley (Morrinsville). The balance-sheet showed a credit of £7 7s, with £3 4s collectable outstanding subscriptions. „ Mr. J. Clothier was re-elected president and Messrs. Hare (Te Aroha) ar.d Smith (Thames) members of the executive. After some discussion Mr. P. Bygrave intimated that he would not continue in the position of secretary and on the motion of Messrs. Yardley and Oates Mr. H. Wood (Te Aroha) was elected to the position. Mr. Bygrave intimated that it was proposed to play the champion of champions singles tournament at Paeroa on March 3. The question of finding the champion full rink of the association to compete at Hamilton was also dealt

with. Mr. Bygrave, who skipped last year’s champion Goldfields team at Hamilton, said the tournament was not satisfactory. It took too long and the fees were too high.

It was decided that Mr. Bygrave send a letter to the South Auckland Association, pointing out the Goldfields’ Clubs’ views and that Mr. Clothier bring them up for discussion at the South Auckland executive meeting.

Mr. Smith brought forward the question of holding a pennant competition for Goldfields clubs, in lieu of the present haphazard system of inter-club matches, and it was decided that he go into the question and submit a scheme to a meeting of delegates.

The question of holding the Goldfields full-rink tourney to find the champion rink was deferred to a meeting of delegates to he held at Paeroa after the South Auckland executive has met.

The question of providing button trophies for winning Stars’ rinks was also deferred.

ORIGIN OF THE GAME. The origin of the good old game has been credited to several sources. The latest is by Mr. G. A. Troup, Mayor of Wellington, and bowlers will now learn why an “ end ” in bowls is called a “ head.” Mr. Troup, at the Duthie Cup contest luncheon at Wellington, last week, said that there was a legend to the effect that the ancient Kings of Scotland—the Malcolms and the like instituted the game by playing with the heads of slain enemies, and he assumed that the first action of bias in a bowl was caused through the nasal proturbance. That was a ghastly business, and as their culture improved they played with stone bowls probably for some hundreds of years. Then from stone they turned to wood, and with the change of material so the game became more refined in spirit and exact in laws.

In Tudor times bowls became so popular that the Government had to issue an edict forbidding all reputable citizens to play the game, so as much time was occupied in the pastime that the practice of archery, on which the safety of the Kingdom Icpended, was neglected.

Mr. Troup said that ’ " - veVf much surprised to find, visiting America, that the game was not played there, because so many Scotchmen had taken up their residence in that country. He had read an account by an American visitor to Rotorua, who, after dilating on the wonders of the hot springs and boiling- mud, said : “ Then on the lawns in front of the bath house we saw a number of men in white woolen flannels throw a little white boll up the green, and then follow it up with large black balls. Then they went up to the other end and repeated it all over again. This went on for hours. Still, as the poor fellows seemed perfectly harmless we didn’t interfere!”

A well-known Maori player, M. Ngakura, of Te Aroha, states that the game originated in New Zealand with Morioris, who used moa eggs instead of bowls. However, there may be something in Mr. Troup’s legend, for a prominent member of the Matamata club, who does nothing but play bowls and reads, says that he has read somewhere or other that in ancient Rome the more perfectly round a nigger’s head was the quicker he would die. The Matamata man told the writer it was gospel that in the homes of the men addicted to bowls in Rome careful measurements were taken of slaves skulls, so that they would not be too light or too heavy. He avers, also, that to create the correct bias the niggers received a light tapping daily on each side of the head. Their noses were also regularly punched to make them flat. The ears did not need attention for they were not washed from childi hood.

However, wherever the g-arne originated members of the Matamata club state that the oldest bowls in existence are those “ played with by Drake,” which are now resting outside their own pavilion. Putaruru’s antiquities are still buried, getting age. When those at Matamata have rotted Putaruru will dig the “ real Drake howls ” up and exhibit them. The Tirau club is barred from the competition, their bowls being below the “ McLarin ” standard and too “ Little.”