ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 356, 17 May 1928, Page 10

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

NEW ZEALAND BOWLERS AT A SCOTTISH CASTLE The New Zealand bowlers on tour are having the time of their ripe years, ;i broad. A recent communication from Mr. J. W. Hardley, manager of the

party, says;—“Had a splendid time with our bowling friends in Australia —■ especially at Perth. At Colombo, we spent a day ashore and motored to Kandy—a 74 mile run amidst beautiful scenery and Indian life, continuously on the journey. Went to

< 'airo, viewed the Pyramids, the Sphinx, crossed the Nile and received our first impressions of Egyptian life, in the evening. The following day, we arrived at Naples and motored to Pompeii and then on to Toulon, where we disembarked to tour the south of fiance, Italy and Switzerland, arriving in London on April 20th. On board the vessel to England we met Lady < 'arnarvon, who kindly invited all the party to be her guests at her castle in the Scottish Highlands.” It was very sweet of the lady of Tutankhamen fame to invito our touring party to her timehonoured home in the heather-covered mountains. Our touring bowlers will truly appreciate the graceful courtesy and the warm hospitality thus extended to them in the Motherland. * * * BARREN OF FURTHER IDEAS Although played this year on similar lines to those adopted here, the Inter- < lub Pennant Competition still fails persistently to meet the requirements *»C the bo-wlers in the Wellington Centre. Indeed, what alterations will be made, will be hard to forecast. A prominent Wellington bowler, when approached in the Capital City the other day, said: “We have positively exhausted all suggestions that are available and see nothing further offering. 3 lence we are at our wits end what to suggest to satsify the complex combination of competitive and Saturday afternoon players. In fact, to put the position quite plainly, we are positively barren of further ideas. Possibly we will continue the Northern scheme of playing the Pennants, or we may revert back to the old system of playing four rinks from each club, as we did aome time ago. Anyway, the Pennant Competition is in the melting pot, with only the old moulds to recast in.” Now is presented a rare opportunity for some clear-brained bowler, with inventive genius to distinguish himself both here and there. He would thereby be certain of making a lasting name for himself among the bowlers of both < ities, if he successfully brought forward a workable solution to this annoyingly persistent question. What about it, bowlers? * * * A PROMISING PLAYER In their president, Raymond Sheath, that young club, Hillsborough, has Jound a player of great promise, who looks fair to make a lasting name for himself in the game on the green. Although only two years at bowling, he has now proved beyond all doubt that he has sterling qualities in play that are already placing him among the foremost exponents in the Queen City of the North. In the Denison Pins competition a fortnight ago he skipped his club’s team to victory in a masterly manner against a very strong combination from West End, headed hy Irvine Clarke. On Saturday last he successfully defended the "Pins” against a Grey Lynn team, notching, again an easy victory. It is very heartening to view the young Hillsborough Club coming into such prominence, especially with the personal efforts of their versatile president. Good for you, Raymond Sheath; keep it going. Incidentally the green at Hillsborough is one of the best in the city. Howlers who appreciate a playing suriace of rare bowling qualities would do well to take a trip out to this suburban club during the winter months. • * * AN INDEFATIGABLE WORKER A line compliment was paid the Auckland Bowling Club’s popular secretary the other day. When criticising an amazing lack of initiative displayed in a kindred sports club, which failed lamentably to take the fullest advantage of an obvious advancement, an Auckland Club member remarked; "Well, they haven’t a Syd. Coldicutt as secretary there to place their club on

its feet as we have, you know”—which was quite correct, and was, at the same time, a concise summary of that club’s weakness. Workers in clubs’ interests of the outstanding qualities of Syd. Coldicutt are not born every day. They are as rare as a bag of golden sovereigns in these

days of paper money, and as hard to find as the bowler who will admit that he is an indifferent player and unlit to occupy the position as skip. Indeed, this indefatigable worker in the interests of the Auckland Bowling Club may be described as a veritable throbbing centre of continuous activity, and every momber of the parent club is fully alive and appreciative of the valuable asset for their club’s advancement that they have in their energetic secretary. And it is not only in recent times that he has worked thus. For 21 years, with the exception of two years, when lie occupied the supreme position as president of the Auckland Club, has he carried out these onerous duties with unflagging interest. During that long term he has given untiring and unfailing effort to the advancement of the parent club. While blessed with im exceptionally genial personality, Syd. Coldicutt has set a standard worthy of emulation for all. and a model pattern of example of office for bowling officials to work by. But his work for the welfare of the popular game on the green has not b**en contined only to the activities of the Auckland Club. It has assumed a broader aspect. About six years ago lie was elected to an executive position on the Auckland Bowling Centre, and f*>r the past three years has occupied the position as vice-president of that fine administrative body which controls the sport in Auckland. In private life, up to two years ago when he retired from active business, he was manager of the E. and F. Piano Agency, Ltd., and for a period was the secretary of the Bohemian Orchestral •cociety. But it is in the bowling world that bis name has received very marked prominence during his 22 years of ceaseless effort. Carry on, Syd. Coldicutt, you have done nobly. ♦ • * WINTER BOWLING IN FULL SWING Despite the seasonable, cooler weather f:*om that of the summer months, wmtey bowling has great attractions or the devotees of tjie game on the *n ,ee . n *. With, the continuous damp--11 oa tbe Playing surfaces, there is

presented the favourable opportunity to iron out the inequalities evidenced in the summer season, making the desirable fastness in play tat swings the bowls out in a graceful arc, which is so appreciated as the best playing conditions by all bowlers. On Saturday last, therefore, the day being fine and fairly warm, the greens available were crowded and some excellent bowling was displayed. WINTER COMPETITIONS Interest always centres around competitions, and the winter competitions are no exception to the rule. To the Denison Pins and the Edwin Stars competitions, the two well established and blue ribbon events of winter bowling, is added another “pins competition,” named the Jordan Pins, and if the same interest is displayed in the winning of these trophies as with the others, the name of Jordan Pins look fair to be known far and wide. The first contest took place on Saturday last between the holders (Ellerslie), J. M. Crosher, J. A. Godfrey, T. Dickenson, F. Osborn© and C. Taitersall, W. Dunn , C. Catward, H. Hay, the latter team winning by the healthy margin of 21 to 13. Much interest was displayed in this initial game, and the donor, Mr. W. J. Jordan, was present. The restrictive condition of the competition being that all matches are to be played in the Manukau electorate. The Dominion Road Club successfully retained the Edwin Stars. * * * HILLSBORO’S MID-WEEK TOURNEY Quite a deal of enthusiasm was centred round the final of this club’s mid-week tournament, which had been so heartily enjoyed by the entrants. The final game was played on Saturday. The teams left in were: Tonkin, Barter, Wright, Pascoe (Centre Executive), and Buchanan, Hunt, Wrightson, Hosking (Carlton), the latter winning by 19 to 12 after a strenuous tussle. * * * SHOWING THEM SOMETHING BESIDES BOWLING One has mostly to go away from one’s home-town to hear laudatory remarks about local personalities of the game on the green referring to the immediate past-president of the Dominion Bowling Council and the present manager of the New Zealand bowlers now on tour, Mr. J. W. Hardley, a prominent Wellington bowling official contended that he did not think that the Auckland bowlers appreciated in full the declamatory speechmaking of that outstanding personality as well as they did in the South. He thought that we had got too used to the style. To us, Southern bowlers, he said, the effect is electrical and immediately arresting. He remarked that he would like to be behind the door of some of the bowling functions now being conducted in England, when Mr. Hardley was speaking. "He’d show them,” he concluded. GAMES AND FIXTURES Albert Club.—The tournament on Wednesday was a very successful affair. The weather was good and the green in fine order, in fact, considering the recent heavy rains the green was a deal too fast for many of the players until they got its strength. Sixteen teams divided into two sections competed. Section A resulted in a tie of 4 wins each by the teams of Wakerley and Stone, of Rocky Nook. The play-off was keen and resulted in a win by Wakerley by one point. Section B also wound up by a tie of five wins each between Bouskill, of Rocky Nook, and C. Hardley, of West End. The play-off, which was a very exciting affair, ended in the dark in Hardley’s favour by a point. The final between Wakerley and G. Hardley is to be played on Friday at 1 p.m. Ponsonby Club.—lt is anticipated that the winter green will be ready for play on Saturday, 19tli inst. Seven rinks will be available and intending players should note that the draw will take place at 1.45 sharp. There are still a few vacancies for the full rink tournament, to take place on the King’s Birthday.