ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 718, 18 July 1929, Page 6

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

By

JACK HIGH.

Tlio unusual record of fine weather That bowlers have been accustomed to look forward to this winter was broken by a cold, showery Saturday, and early in the day it was apparent that all games would be postponed. A large number of bowling enthusiasts were eagerly anticipating a keen contest for the Edwin Stars between Parsons’s Punsonby rink and Bremner’s West End rink, but were doomed to disappointment. The Ponsonby rink has played very consistent bowls throughout its long tenure of the trophies, and on many occasions has been within an ace of meeting defeat, but, as a result of consistent team work, it has already successfully warded off ten challenges. It Mas felt that on Saturday that the holders would be fully extended by the West End representatives, composed of three members of the Dominion champion rink. viz.. C. E. Hardley, Irving Clarke and W. Bremner. It is to be hoped that conditions on Saturday next will be favourable to an excellent exposition of the game played by two of Auckland's strongest rinks.

It is doubtful whether W. Bremner shows to the same advantage under ■winter conditions as on a keen summer green. The somewhat holding nature of a winter green does not lend itself to the lightning drives of the West End skip.

Spectators of this game will note a contrast in the tactics of the two opposing teams. The West End rink can count on two deadly drivers in the three and skip, while C. E. Hardley is equally at home with a firm shot. On the other hand, A. Parsons relies mainly on the steady draw, and those who were present at the last Dominion tournament at Wellington will recall how deadly the Ponsonby crack can be in this respect.

In the .Denison Pins competition, the Epsom rink, composed of C. Lamb, S. F. Hazard, CV H. de Launay and T. It. George, will meet a challenge from a. Mount Albert rink skipped by J. Thomas. While the Epsom rink reads a, very strong combination, having as lead one of Auckland's most reliable drawing players and as three tho runner-up of the last Dominion championship singles, the Mount Albert 2 epresentatives play a very steady game of winter bowls and Epsom will, no doubt, be fully extended to withstand the challenge. The next challenger on the list is a strong rink from the Auckland Club—J. C. Duncan. D. Campbell, C. Muston and P. J. Scantlebury.

Tlie band of Nomads was denied the pleasure of meeting nine rinks from The Mount Eden Club on Saturday. However, the enjoyment of playing on the excellent surface of the Mount Eden green is a treat in store for the Nomads. The idea behind the organisation of the Nomad rinks is in accord with the best traditions of the game. The most enjoyable games of ail are those friendly contests that can be staged during the winter, when all thoughts of pennants and other competitive games are thrust to the background, and the sole thought is in meeting other kindred spirits on the green, regardless of who wins or loses. Great credit is due to Mr. J. J. Donnell for his indefatigable efforts in promoting these enjoyable functions.

The wisdom of holding the annual meeting of the Dominion Bowling Council iri July instead of September, duo to Auckland's advocacy of this course, must have been apparent to those members who were present at tho meeting held at Dunedin last week. The Dunedin executive, which will have the conduct of the next Dominion tournament in January, will now have a full six months to make the necessary preparations. This will considerably assist any Australian visitors in making their plans well in advance if they wish to participate in New Zealand's greatest tournament.

It is refreshing to find that no further attempt has been made to depart from the established order of playing Tho singles, pairs and rinks in that sequence. The singles will be played on the two-life system as before, and in the pairs the time-saving method

of permitting all ties to go forward after the five preliminary rounds will again be adopted. Section play in the rinks will be confined to four days’ play of two games eadfc day, thus permitting of eight games. As previously, those rinks which secure as many wins as the lowest .section winners will qualify for inter-section play, provided they have had no mere than two losses. In the event of any section being won or tied for with five wins, then the winners or ties in that section only will be eligible for inter-section play, in which three games a day will be played.

It is evident that the decision to play two games a day is made to suit the convenience of visitors, but it is a very debatable point whether visitors really appreciate this. Participants in the last Dominion tournament at Wellington, who were playing on greens too far distant to enable them to return to the city for luncheon, will have vivid recollections of the tedious wait before they could commence their afternoon game. Auckland opinion favours the adoption of three games a day. which has the advantage of permitting a further game in section play and gives those rinks unfortunate enough to suffer three losses early in the proceedings a possible chance of qualifying, and maintains the interest in the section play.

Doubtless the Dunedin executive will be sufficiently well advised not to adopt the Wellington method of sending the contestants in the pairs to different greens each day during the section play. The convenience of leaving one’s bowls overnight in the pavilion is a consideration not to be lightly overlooked in this respect.

It is gratifying to the Auckland Centre executive and. more particularly, the sub-committee of the executive with whom Mr. T. C. Schnackenberg was associated, to know that their arduous labour in completely overhauling the existing rules of the game met with hearty appreciation in the South. The improved rules, with necessary amendments, will be circulated to all the centres in New Zealand. and ample opportunity will thus be afforded to every bowling administration to participate in a satisfactory codification of the rules. As an illustration of the looseness of the old rules, it may be remarked that nowhere in the laws of the game is there any regulation of the length of a green, and there is nothing to prevent a club having a green 400 ft in length. A green of this size might be an advantage were one playing for an overcritical skip.

ri may be somewhat optimistic to hope that a uniform set of rules to suit the varied wishes of England, Scotland. Ireland, Wales and Australia, as well as our Dominion, could be formulated. Local bowlers will have distinct recollections of the Motherland practice of permitting the threes to remain at the heads with the skips until the leads and twos played their bowls, when the latter joined the skips and the threes proceeded to the other end to deliver their bowls. This procedure would never find favour with New Zealand bowlers, who also dislike the Australian custom of planting the mat about one-quarter of the distance up the green. However, if ever bowlers are to have a universal code of rules for the conduct of the game, the time is now opportune for the necessary overtures to bo made toward such a consummation.

Bowlers will note with interest and pleasure that, the veteran of the Mount Eden Club, Mr. William Fogarty, celebrated liis 87 tli birthday yesterday, and will join in wishing the hardy veteran "many happy returns of the day.” There is no more popular bowler in his club than Mr. Fogarty, who is the acme of geniality and seems to possess the secret of perennial youth. He has been an ardent bowler for the past 25 years, formerly being associated with the Pevonport Club and for the past eight years with tho Mount Eden Club. Mr. Fogarty has been a noted athlete in his day, and even now, with tho burden of his four score and seven years, could probably give a considerable start in a 50yds. sprint to men 30 years his junior.