ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 280, 16 February 1928, Page 9

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

By

JACK HIGH.

The first Rotorua tournament for season has been completed. it was quite up to the usual high standard- In the earlier stages the greens were excessively heavy. Unlike Auckland. Rotorua seems to have been blessed with a fair rainfall, and this coupled with an abundant water supply, provided the greens with a very full growth. It will be remembered that the greens there are covered with a water weed instead of the usual grass. While usually this weed provides the keenest of surfaces, this year the growth was excessively heavy, making play with closely packed heads. Bell, of Hamilton, has won this tournament for the fourth time. He was ably assisted by his son on this occasion. One notable absentee from hls team was Meridith, the vicepresident of the South Auckland Centre, who usually plays Wo. 2. Bell is a player with a remarkably fine record. probably one of the best in the Dominion. Last season saw 801 l senior and junior as runners-up lor the pairs championship of the Dominion. while Bell junior was also runnerup for the championship singles of Xevv Zealand against H. C. Clarke. Of the runners-up, Clarkson, Wishart, Ball, Truscott, this team is always recognised as front-rank opponents in the game on the green. For some yet rs past they have always succeeded in arriving somewhere near the final stages, but have never actually succeeded in coming out victorious in this annual fixture Clarkson is a splendid lead. Wisnart replaced A. Coutts, who is on tour with the New Zealand bowlers. Ball, president of the famous Carlton Club, is a sterling player, while Truscott has been prominent for many years. Incidentally, this is the first occasion for five years that the personnel of the team has been altered. BOWLING IN FRANCE As to whether the gama of bowis, or anything akin to the game, is played in France, very meagre information is available. Certainly the main standard works make no reference to it. As the New Zealand touring team will be visiting that country, the following will be more than of passing interest. In his latest book, called “The Kingdom of Theopnilus,” William Lock, the popular writer of fiction, gives this short description: “Ever seen the workmen and peasants playing bowls in France? They have only any old bit of rough earth course, and bowls without bias. They’re marvellous—simply marvellous. It’s skill! They put the bias on with their fingers. I have always longed to get over a team and watch their amazement at the English bowling greens.’* A REMARKABLE SCENE Illtring the course of --.he aggregate fours competition on Saturday, a game marked by some unusual features was played on the Auckland green. On paper the two teams were very evenly balanced. The players on the average occasion would have given an even and well contested struggle for the final honours. But, as often takes place in most sports, a reversal of form took place with the losing team, which ended with the startling loss of 46 to 14. During the game there was an eight, three fives, and two fours scored. The eight was on the last

skip lay the second shot. with aS S t t 0 K et the shot bowl °* ofT he cleane d his own bowl on the «! be bad no olher bowl futilitt- d ’, th * reby exemplifying the Incld t e y „ta o lly P, ?^ n i-oth 0 the 3 T*" ami”this 3 1 well the^ompe’S come , now places in a come into final oonsidler doubtful position if the aggregate points come into final consideration. THE INTER.CLUB COMPETITION many excellent tournaments n °T being conducted in the pnmXw* ,s P t. rts of the country will bs ,°!r e , ? d by Saturday week, and the large numbers of bowlers who are away on their holidays will have returned to their respective clubs. The ? . , event °f importance will be the fourth round of the inter-club pennant competition. Those clubs that a fighting chance to retrieve their positions, and thereby place theniseives in the inter-section play, r,. ■ be mustering all their forces to attain the final honours of this important inter-club contest in the AuckUnless hea *’y rain comes oy that time, it is quite possible that the teams that have to go away from their home greens to play will be faced Wlt * very trying and unusual green conditions, which may easilv result in quite a rearrangement of the clubs at the end of that day. While some greens which are within the restricted w ater area are almost barren of grass and consequently hard and rumbly! and difficult to judge the strength and draw, some of the more fortunate clubs present surfaces that are most thickly covered with healthy sward, and quite heavy in pllay. These variations will naturally cause some confusion, and the versatility of players will consequently be taxed to the fullest. However, these difficulties can be regarded as giving added spice to the contest. Indeed, this unusual set of circumstances presented are true tests of ability. Consequently, the competition may prove exceedingly interesting. NOTES AND COMMENTS On Saturday farewells were said to Mr. James Duncan by the Auckland Club members. Mr. Duncan is transferred to Wellington, where he will take up the duties of stationmaster in the Capital City. Yesterday and to-day the New Zealand bowlers on tour will have completed their first two matches. The greens utilised are the Waverley and the City greens, Sydney. At the present time there is an abundanc of grass on the greens there, and our players will find a variation from the fast greens that they left here. In Sydney couch-grass is cultivated, which gives a surface akin to our winter greens. But, despite this, the results of the two matches should give some indication of what may be expected from the playing side of the tour. The results from this point of view should be of more than passing interest to the bowling fraternity here. Mr. H. C. Tyler, an old Auckland bowler, who is a resident of Sydney, is on a visit here. Some years ago Mr. Tyler was a member of the Auckland Club, and succeeded in winning the singles championship of that club. He is now a member of the Mosman

Club, and although he cannot spend the necessary time on the game that he did when he was resident in Auckland, he is just as keen an enthusiast as ever. Mr. Tyler claims that the first annual test between Australia and Xew Zealand awakened real enthusiasm, and should fulfil all that is required of the competition. It was generally recognised that the Dominion did not send a representative team, but despite this the annual competition was definitely established. Moreover, it now supplies a common ground on which the bowlers of the two countries can annually come together. Although he was in Sydney when the contest was m progress, he was able to judge that the keenest interest was displayed in this fixture by even 1h« howlws ihpfp. He :<d vi sps Ihat. the event should be carefully fostered, as it has rich promise in the future for bringing out all that is best in the sport. A challenge match for the Smith - Clarke Shield will be played at Te Awamutu on Saturday next, the challengers being Lucas's team, from Frankton. At the Papatoetoe green on Saturday four stalwarts skipped by Mr. Jim Mclvor registered a cricket score against Balderson’s team, the board reading on the twenty-first head U —o. INTER-CLUB MATCHES

RINKS FOR SATURDAY The following teams have been chosen for inter-club bowling matches on Saturday: West End v. Nocky Nook.—At Rockv Nook: Collings, Parkinson, Plummer, Pierce; Brummell, E. Darby, Thomass, R. H. Scott; Hardy, Selby, Anderson, Cooke; Rater. Hedlund, Ure, Garry; Schneideman, J. J. Potter, Hopwood, Clarke; Mortimer, Lovatt, R. A. Scott, Whitten. At West End: Anstee, Knox, Noton, Worsfold; Service, Harris, White, Thomson; G. Wilson, Cornwall, Draffin, Wynward; Cole, Irwin, Haig, Brookes; Adams, Bremford, Kirkham, Wise, Cato, Knaggs, Horsley; Maher. First-year team, at Rocky Nook: Irving, Herdman, Barker, Raynes. Epsom v. Dominion Road.—At Dominion Road: Wylie, Gray, Bruce, Dunlop; Lawrence, Morton, J. Wallace, Parsons; Yearbury, Wheelans, F. Richmond, Burton. Against Hillsborough, at Hillsborough: Ambury, Waddingham, Braithwaite, Grattan; Bryce, J. Harrison, A. G. Clarke, Haszard; Johnson, R. G. Clark, W. Wallace, E. Jones. Te Papapa v. Grey Lynn.—At Te Papapa: W r atters, Garnham, Angus, Johnson; Whitehead, Fallon, Allcock, Speight, At Grey Lynn: Thursby, Harriman, Dawson, Simpson; Moor, James, Donnell, Thorpe. Dominion Road v. Epsom.—At Dominion Road: Hinkley, Barton, Blair, Ashby, Bathgate, A. Clark, W. Richardson; Goldsmith; Speir, Nagle, Winthrop, Yeoman. At Epsom: D. Richardson, Tatersail, Truman, Roberts; Bellamy, Ranum, Winks, Hawken; Smith, Rogers, Robertson, Gifford; F. E. Taylor, Trewin, Hoppy, Clews; Virtue, Jones, Cannon, R. H. Fisher; Betts, Sessions, W. H. Clarke, Layland, W. S. Fisher, *■ Hook, Newton, Bush; H. Ferguson, Beck, Stone, Brown; Guthrie, Davis, Sharkey, Kelly; Gentles, Ironside, West, Sayers; Wombwell, P. Ferguson, A. Chappell, Cartwright. First-year players: Foreman, Anderson, Percy, Roget. Auckland v. Devonport.—At Devonport: McDougall, Pollock, Clarkson, Davidson; Forder, Myers, Lyell, Craig; Blades, F. J. Whittaker, J. Newell, D. Harvey; Alexander, Prime:, McCrea, Fletcher; Israel, Hacket, Perrett, Fraser; Newbegin, C. Allan, Hinton, Steele; Jury, Rawlinson, Robertson, Moir; Matheson, Munro, Wyatt, Woolley; Ward, Deßenzy, K. S. Macky, Muston; Williams, R. Wilson, H R. Allan, Scantlebury. At Auckland: Treacy, Paterson, W. J. Campbell, Atkin; Dariow, Commons, Bourke, Bailey; Armitage, Dimery, Ansell, Price; Dicketts, S. Coldicutt, Kretschmar, Keesing; Plummer, Devereux, Kirk, G. J. Mackay; N. Burton, Bush, Graham, Osmond; Mohr, Frost, Hewitson, Walker; Lamb Harvey, Tracey Inglis, Mason, Hardie, Neil; Buttimore, Hardy, Hodgson, D. Campbell; Benney, Jas. Carlaw, Michaels, Nichol-

Edendale v. New Lynn. —At New Lynn: Culpan, Thrown, Ashmore, McLeod; Learning, Anderson, Avery, J. Butler; Hammond, Greenwood, Bluck, L. Butler. At Edendale: Hill, Sakey, East, A. Smith; Hart, Double, Fleming, Edwards. Firstyear players: Ball, White, O. Garland, Scott. Hillsborough v. Epsom. —At Epsom: Bagley, Clark. Sheath, Goldsmith. At Hillsborough: Wiggins, Preston, Stringer, Baker; Scarborough, Smith, Anderson, F. Wilson; McMillan, Gregory, Williamson, J. Wilson. Devonport v. Auckland. —At Auckland: Pitts, jun., J. Davis, Wright, Jackson; A. Jones, F. Carter, McLeod, Bach: Richards, Connell, Goldsworthy, Grundy; Frater, Susman, Harpy, Rise; Koefoed, Fulljames, Stapleton, Wallwork: Blarr, Sinclair, Palmer, Hamlin; Stevenson, Minchin, Bruce, Blackburn; Spicer, McCullum, Sullivan, Ellison; Gall, E. Buchanan, McLaren, Armstrong; Naylor, Coleman, Wrigley, Broughton. At Devonport: Barber, Jackman, Bartley, Lowe; Farer, Newman, Miller, Warren; Atkin, Woolcott, Weight, Layrell; Clarke, Mattinson, Foster, Anderson; J. Buchanan, Latta, Eyre, Gooding; George, Screaton, Blackie, 'Snoad; Elmsly, Thornton, McDonald, Cox: Murphy, McGregor, Newbegin, J. Morgan; Andrews. Goudie, Trayes, Elvey; Chapman, Vaile, Pitts, sen., Mason. BOWLS IN THE NORTH

KAIKOHE “WANDERERS” (From Our Own Correspondent) KAIKOHE, To-day. Two rinks of bowlers from the Kaikohe Club journeyed to Kaitaia to ph-*' a return match with that club, in w r hich the home team were victorious by 14 points. . _ * The president, Mr. Logan, said that it gave him the greatest pleasure tp extend a welcome to the Kaikohe visitors, as it was the first time in the history of the club that it had the honour of welcoming a neighbouring club on its green, ow r ing to lack of suitable roads for quick transport. Mr. Guerin, in reply, stated that the Kaikohe Club, although only two years old, had “wandered” to Whangarei, Hikurangi, Kawakawa, Rawene, and felt that they were in honour bound to pay a return visit to the most northerly club in New Zealand, even if it did entail a 60-mile car ride. The results are as follow, the Kaitaia Club being first mentioned: Marks, Logan, Atkin, Farrimont, 18, v. Guerin, Purdy, Leigh and Henderson, 29; Wilkinson, Mclntosh, Ricard, Miller, 15; Farrimont, 33, v. McCready, 12; Miller, 23, v. Henderson, 17. Aggregate: Kaitaia, 89 points; Kaikohe, 75 points. VICTORIANS HEAVILY BEATEN AT DUNEDIN Press Association. DUNEDIN, Wednesday. The Victorian bowlers, who arrived here yesterday, played a match against the Dunedin Centre this afternoon. They were beaten by 145 points to 89. Another match will be played tomorrow evening.