ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 694, 20 June 1929, Page 14

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

By

JACK HIGH

Week-end bowling ha’s had unprecedented encouragement from the weather this winter. A continuous series of sunny Saturdays has made the game wholly enjoyable, although prospects have often been derogatory up to the last moment and even on some occasions up to the time of the actual commencement of play. The three challenge trophies again proved the incentive for good bowling. The present holders of the Edwin Stars —Allen, Richardson, Somervell, Parsons, of Pensonby—met a challenge from an Ellerslie team comprising Joll, Lynch, Hay, Godfrey. The Ponsonby combination maintained its splendid form of the previous games during the season in this competition, and once more came out easy winners on the day.

Despite the fact that a very good team from Remuera, comprising Burcher, J. Ivissling, FI. Kissling, Young, challenged the holders of the Denison Pins —Gregory, Goldsmith, Wilson, Sheath —another good win eventuated for the latter. The game was not easy for the winners. The challengers pressed very hard at times for a victory and Sheath proved ljimself most capable in the position of skip by saving his side repeatedly from defeat. The final score was 21-17

The Jordan Pins were doomed to remain for a very short period in the hands of J. Gill, Harlock, Kenny, A. Brown, of Onehunga. A very line combination—J. Tyndall. Alorris and E. Knight, of St. Heliers —won them easily from the holders. This nerformance again reflects to the credit of E. Knight. He has shown great form of recent months and can be reckoned as one of our best Auckland skips. The president of the marine club is also to be commended for his bowling. He was a member of the team that became runners-up for the Executive Fours competition and his effort again shows that he has playing qualities of some worth.

The Nomads again wended their sociable way on Saturday, pitching camp at Rawhiti, where they were warmly welcomed by the genial president. Air. J. B. Paterson. • Indeed, the Rawhiti Club presented an unusually gay appearance with the large influx of the wandering bowlers. Air. Paterson described the Nomads as the most representative company of bowlers who had ever been on the green.

It was designed that each of the Nomads teams should be skipped by a president. But, unfortunately, this construction wks marred by the prevailing influenza. Nevertheless a number took their places at the authoritative end of the rink game. % On the other hand, social bowling seems to play “ducks and drakes” with the accepted order of rink composition; for a number of skips found themselves for the day at the other end of the rink, in the leader’s position, giving way to the president’s position. However, as the Nomads only play for the sociability engendered by the close contact of players, they took their designated places and entered thoroughly into the spirit of the proceedings. Air. Paterson was emphatic in his praise of the doings of his visitors and said that the word “Nomad” could be suitably enlarged to read “No object more actively deserving support,” although someone had suggested a reading that they were “Naughty Old Alen, All Donnell’s Supporters.” He specially stressed the fine efforts of his club mates —Alessrs. Alacpherson and Sharkey—who had done so much to make the afternoon an unqualified success.

During the proceedings Air. J. S. Fletcher, M.P., presented copies of a photograph to Alessrs. Parker Hill and F. Fairbrother, G. J. Pickens and the Revs. T. IT. Rosevear and R. T. Rankin. Next Saturday the Nomads will visit tlie Tepapapa Club and it is being arranged to again include presidents in the skippers’ position, but on this occasion they will be from a number of tlie clubs on the southern side of the Auckland bowling centre.

The Ellerslie Bowling Club reports a very successful year. Financially the club is slightly ahead of last season. The committee placed on record the excellent work done by the Green Committee, Messrs. A. C. Mill. IT. K. McKenzie, A. J. Coppins, and special thanks to the latter gentleman. The list of winners for the season include: Labour Day pairs tournament, George Hunter and T. Alucklow; singles champion, W. Low; runner-up. T. Dickson; percentage fours, IT. C. Coombe, lead, J. Richmond, second, W. Patterson, third, T. Dickson, skip; handicap pairs, J. Brace well, lead aijd H. L. Joll, skip; first-year championship, F. Check.

• The annual report and balance sheet of the Auckland Bowling Centre is to hand. Again it is shown the large number of competitions conducted bft this body for the local bowlers. They include the Christmas tournament, the champion rink competition, the champion pairs, the champion of champions singles competition, the Easter tournament, embodying the Easter fours, executive fours and the first-year players’ fours, the inter-c.lub pennant competition and the Hardley Shield competition. On the social side a number of games were conducted, including the annual delegates game, and also games against visiting players from New South A\ ales and Queensland.

Financially the centre seems to be as well conducted as the playing side. Club levies only amount to £274, while the income from tournaments totals, no less than £403, showing again that the club levies are not extortionate, and that the centre relies upon its finance largely from what is to be made out of tournaments. The balance shown over the year’s workings is £53. . . . . . . A slight increase in membership is also noted. The season closed with a total of 45 affiliated clubs compared with 44 the previous season. The JTallyburton-Johnstone Club at Point Chevalier was granted affiliation and as inquiries have been received with a view to the formation of other clubs there seems to be every prospect of the number being augmented, reads the report.

The annual meeting of club delegates to the centre will take place in the Chamber of Commerce, Swanson Street, on June 26. It will be interesting to bowlers to know that they are permitted to attend this meeting. As the business of the meeting is only handled by the delegates, of course, they are only permitted to discuss the matters before the meeting. ONEHUNGA CLUB PROGRESS The land and buildings belonging to the Onehunga Bowling Club are valued at £2.050, and the assets exceed the liabilities by £1,386. The committee’s report read at the annual meeting last evening, stated that the condition of the greens and the finances had been sources of considerable anxiety during the past year, but as the result of hard work and diligent supervision the finances, had been strengthened and the three playing greens were again in first-class order.

The formation of three new clubs in I the district, at Hillsborough, Te Pa- | papa and Alangere, had probably bad | an adverse effect on the membersnip ; which remained at 98, the same as | last year. Air. Robert Buchanan, who presided, presented trophies to the following winners of the club competitions: Singles championship, E. B. Wriglit; champion pairs, A. J. Hickman and E. Y. Suthenland; president’s fours, A. J. Hickman, J. Skinner, G. Jones and *W. Flowerday; handicap pairs, J. Keenan and G.- Kennedy; handicap singles, Sydney Brown; vice-president’s fours, G. A. Beere, J. AlcKune, A. Robertson and li. Aludie; Neilson Cup, J. Keenan, C. Hayden, R. Buchanan and E. B. Wright; winter competition, J. Harrison and H. E. Welham (dead heat); New Year tournament, J. E. Cowell, A. George, S. Amelia and A. I?. Gatiand; anniversary tournament, J. Kennedy-Ross, S. Brown, C. H. Bridge and I. J. Sutherland. Other tournaments won by club members were: Alangere, in AT ay (E. B. Wright), Alangere in July (S. Veila), Remuera (A. Robertson), Grey Lynn (J. AV. Macklow). The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Air. R. Buchanan; vicepresidents, Alessrs. J. AV. Macklow, 1. J. Sutherland, G. H. Bray, A. R. Gatiand, and C. J. Sehnauer; secretary, Air. S. A’ella; treasurer, Air. R. C. Fordliam; committee, Alessrs. T. S. Bassett, F. C. Alarks, E. B. Wright, J. D. Whitmore, A. Coutts, and W. Flowerday; AJatch Committee, E. J. Gatiand, E. B. AVright and F. C. Marks; green superintendent, Air. A. Coutts: coach, Mr. J. E. Green; auditor, Air. T. S. Bassett; delegates to centre, Alessrs. E. B. Wright, A- R. Gatiand and R. C. Fordham. It was decided to continue to compete in the centre’s pennant matches, and the delegates were instructed to apply for the minimum number of teams. A bonus of £lO was voted to the club’s greenkeeper,' Air. AV. Preston. TE AWAMUTU CLUB A SUCCESSFUL SEASON (From Our Own Correspondent J • TE AWAMUTU, Wednesday. A credit balance of £2l 7s 9d was shown at the annual meeting of the Te Awamutu Bowling Club, over which Air. J. T. North presided. The report stated that the club had had a good season. Mr. L. G. Armstrong, who was a member of the Dominion bowling party to tour Great Britain, presented a framed collection of Australian, British and Canadian Club badges (82 in all) collected by him on the tour. The gift was gratefully accepted.

The election of officers resulted as .follows: —Patron, Air. A. S. Wallace (re-elected); president, Air. R. Aletcalfe; vice-presidents, Alessrs. L. G. Armstrong. W. Butterworth and R. Laurie; secretary and treasurer, Air. A. G. AVeatherell; green superintendent, Air. W. J. North (re-elected); auditor, Air. IT. A. Burchell (re-

elected) ; delegates to South Auckland Centre, Messrs. J. T. North and S. H. Dunkley (re-elected): general committee, Messrs. J. T. North (ex-officio), R. Ross. G. F. Smith. R. Henderson. S. Dowds: match committee, Messrs. W. Douglas. T. Mclnnes, H. A. Burchell and O. O. Jourdain. It was decided to again hold the annual full rink tournament, the date to be fixed by the executive, with the same sum allocated for trophies as last year. It was also decided to apply for permission to hold a one-day tournament on Labour Day. It was agreed to again enter a team for the Howden Shield. The new president presented a framed photograph of the Te Awamutu team, which was runner-up in the last Howden Shield competition. The team < Messrs. R. Ross, A. C. Cruickshank, W. J. North and R. Metcalfe, skip), desired that the club should accept the enlargement to decorate its pavilion. Mr. Metcalfe mentioned that the same team had played 25. matches, winning .20 and losing 5. Tt had travelled approximately 300 miles.