BOWLING.

Shannon News, 3 December 1929, Page 4

BOWLING.

The Standard Bowl. The new by-laws provide for the adoption of a standard bowl which shall bear the stamp of the association, and testing officers shall stamp any bowl which has a bias not less than that of any standard bowl adopted by the association. The standard uowl is’ defined as a bowl approved by the association for the purpose of testing other bowls. It shall have a major diameter of five and one-eighth inches and weight not less than 31b. 4oz. Its draw shall be four feet on a standard green and such run shall be determined at the fil'teen-feet mark on a testing rail 17ft. long with a gradual rise of four feet over its whole length. One 'weakness in this provision appears to be rather obvious. It may be easy to adopt a standard bowl, but it may be a rather difficult one to adopt a standard green, unless the table test is adopted, as what might, be considered by the tester a standard green at 10 a.m. may in a couple of hours have undergone changes in its condition that would eliminate its standard requirements.

It seems that- the whole of the rules as to standard bowls beggars the question of stamped bowls. Every bowler knows that a bowl may be stamped one day and altered the‘next. Similarly tournament players are fully aware that certain players (whose bowls are properly stamped) are capable of playing suspiciously narrow bowls, and such players get'away with it on the argument that the bowls run narrow on account of the manner in which they areput down. That, however, did not prevent one first-class southern player from being disqualified on the ground that his bowls were not making the standard draw. DON’TS FOR EOWLERS. Don’t forget that when you are dodging playing with the novice, lie sees through your game, and is laughing up his sleeve at you and.always bears you a “fond” remembrance.

Don’t forget to play the game

Don’t borrow btfwls; buy your own

Don’t think you are the best player in your Club; there are plenty better. Don’t forget that on the green all are equal. Don’t growl; play the game. Don’t play with unstamped bowls. Don’t; chalk a toucher till the next bowl is delivered. Don’t interfere. with the scorers. Don’t interfere with the measurers. Don’t attempt to direct the skip un s less he asks for directions.

Don’t interfere with the bowls before the thirds have decided; silence ,is golden. Don’t lay the mat card,essly and off the square of the peg. Don’t throw a long head when the skip wants a short one, and vice versa. Don’t drive when a draw shot is wanted.

Don’t think you ought to be a skip, your Club selectors know your position.

Don’t argue with your ' skip. He knows best-.

Don’t drop your bowls on the green —it’s a common occurrence.

Have confidence in your skip, it is essential to the success of your rink. Never dispute the direction given by the ship. Bowls is the finest game a man can play. But, 'above all, play the game. Let your aim be to be holiest, steadfast and true, and your example will go down the ages as that of men whose lives were worth while, and who were of some worth to mankind while they were members of the community among which they lived. General Notes. The Terraco End Club has issued a challenge for the Dixon Cup at present held by Feilding and will send a team in quest of the trophy on Wednesday, December 4th. The laws of bowls arc almost as tortuous as those governing that other ancient institution, "golf. Eminent author'lies in Sydney were thrown into a t ver of dispute the other day when n enraged skip grabbed a bowl which had been sent down by one of iis team contrary to his instructions, and threw it into the ditch. There has been much argument about; it, but the rule is clear; it says that a howl once delivered must not; be wilfully touched or intercepted. If this is done by any playojr, the end shall be taken as finished, and points equal to the number of bowls on the opposing side must be credited to the offender's opponents. To anyone not conversant with the rules such an incident ns a bowl (not a toucher)' which passes beyond the kerbing of the rink and falls on top of a bowl which was a toucher, being claimed a '‘live" bowl, would seem; rather ridiculous. Yet,, such a bow! resting on a toucher is not “dead," according to rule 43, which reads as follows:

"Any bowl which is prevented from falling into the ditch by reason of its resting on a toucher therein shall be alive, providing -that such bowl Is no:, wholly outside the side boundary of the rink."