ON THE GREEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 872, 16 January 1930, Page 6

ON THE GREEN

Bowls and Bowlers

*“ (By

JACK HIGH.)

Only twelve good bowlers and true out of 4,923 within the province have gone to Dunedin where the annual test of bowling for the Dominion is being conducted. The long battle covering nearly three weeks continuous play, commenced there on Monday last. To these twelve i*epresentatives of the largest bowling province in the Dominion is given the weight of responsibility of upholding the splendid record that the province has now established. Taking a provincial tally, Otago leads in the matter of bowling victories. Hence it is regrettable that the province is so poorly represented on this occasion. Following is a summary of the wins registered up to the present time. Auckland. —Singles, six times: rinks, seven times and pairs once. Otago.—Singles, eight times, rinks, four and pairs six. Wellington.—Singles, twice, rinks, eight times and pairs four times. Canterbury.—Pairs, four times. The twelve Auckland players are divided up for rink play into three teams—Hardley, McAlister, Needham, Bremner (West End); Carbines, E. F. Jones, Somervell, A. Parsons (Ponsonby), and Bates, Gladding, Coltman, Jenkin (Carlton). * * «* Bremner, thte champion skip of the Dominion, carries with him the champion shield for the Dominion, which ho is out to defend with his team. His chances of retaining that emblem of bowling prowess are very good indeed. However, a rather better arrangement of his team would be the position of number three given to McAlister instead of Needham. Parsons’ Ponsonby team is well worth following. This remarkably fine exponent of the game on the green won the rink championship away back in 1923, and is now in good form. In his team he is well suipported. Carbines certainly proved himself a good bowler in the recent struggle for the champion banner of Auckland. E. F. Jones showed that he was capable of taking his share of responsibility in team work last season at the Dominion tournament, being associated with Parsons then: while Somervell helped his old time-honoured skip to establish a fine record in the Edwin Stars competition last winter and was lead in the team that won the championship for Parsons in 1923. * * * Jenkins’s Carlton team is also a front rank combination, although possessing only one player of Dominion-wide reputation. W. Bates, however, is one of the best leads in the Queen City. G. Gladding, Auckland’s popular bowling secretary, has shown that he is remarkably steady in team work just as he is in the administration of the centre’s affairs. W. Coltman, father of Archie Coltman, the present holder of the Dominion champion singles title, is a bowler -who has done fine work over many years in team combination. He figured as a very able number three for Syd. Lamb w'hen the champion banner of Auckland went to the Carlton Club on the last occasion, and as number three for Gregory Osmond when the champion banner for the Dominion came to this city on the first occasion.

In the singles championship, all the Auckland players have now found a place on the bank, although they are credited with playing good bowls in the section rounds. It may be advanced that the greens in Dunedin are much faster than the Auckland players have been accustomed to this season, which has been wet throughout, and that factor probably accounts for the lack of brilliant form necessary to qualify for the # post-section games. W. Bremner,' who was the runner-up in this event in 1924, and was only defeated by William Carswell for the supreme honour on a rain sodden green, evidently did not strike form on this occasion. Arthur Parsons, who on recent form was confidently expected to have a good chance, went out by losing his last life to the excellent bowling of the fine Christchurch bowler, Dr. Marks. A word of praise must be given George Gladding and Charlie Hardley. Both players evidently staged a high standard of the game on the green.

It will bo interesting to watch the progress of both the Christchurch players—Vance, of Sumner, and Dr. ,Marks. Vance has come through the section play and is the only two-lifer left in, while Dr. Marks is on top form. During the past 16 years that the Dominion tournament has been staged, the singles championship has not as yet gone to the City of the Plains, neither has the rink championship for a matter of that, and it will be a great victory for either of these two able players if they can place Christchurch on the map as far as a champion bowler ol the Dominion is concerned.

Foster, of the Caversham club, Dunedin, the only bowler in New Zealand, besides Max Walker, of the Auckland club, who has won the championship on two occasions, has still one life left. Saunders, Kaituna, Best, of Taieri, and JLambeth, of Balmacewan, are the other one-lifers. Hence, there is a two-to-one chance of the championship going to Dunedin. Best won the championship in 1925 at Wellington. He is a good player and, like many other notable bowlers in the Dominion, is a pupil of the famous old veteran, Carswell. Although successful then, he was not considered an exceptionally strong player. His style of play lacks freedom. Rather than a pupil of Carswell, he might be termed an imitator of the old player, who suffers from a physical disability and necessarily has to adopt a cramped style in delivery. However. Best seems to have struck form and his progress will be watched with interest. This player figured prominently as lead in llarraway’s team when the rink championship went to the Dunedin club in 1926. * * • The section play for the pairs competition will be completed today and the post section play will commence tomorrow. The order of section play for the rink championship is that eight games of two games of 25 heads a day will be conducted on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. The post section rounds will follow on the two-life

principle of three games a day of 21 heads. As players become available from the rinks, the pairs championship will be continued. * * * A novelty event, termed a mixed pairs tournament, is to be staged next Thursday afternoon at the Rocky Nook club. The skips entering are to have a woman player in the position of lead to contest the five rounds to be played and each contestant is to use only two bowls, while no driving will be permitted. . Already a number of pairs have entered and it is significant that many woman members of the Indoor Bowling Association are competing. The conditions of play are that five rounds of 30 minutes each will be staged. Wins are to count and in the event of ties aggregate points will determine the winning pair. * * * A team comprising Yep, Farley, Wakerley, Keatley will represent the Rocky Nook club in the Centre’s Champion Rinks Competition, commencing on January 29. Rather a novel method was followed by the club in the selection of the team. To avoid taking the responsibility of selecting a combination and saying that that one is the strongest in the club, as it is evident that there must be more than one outstanding team in any club, the selection committee asked all the members of the club their preference and the outcome was that the team mentioned came out with the ballet. There is no doubt that on past performances the combination is about as strong as the club could nominate. However, it is interesting to note that nearly every player in the club was nominated, showing quite a variance of opinion on the respective members’ merits. * * * The Papatoetoe club is holding an open one-day rink tournament next Thursday. Those who have entered these popular events at the hospitable suburban club are enthusiastic in their praise of the smooth-running and pleasantness of these events. The opportunity is also provided of trying out teams for the coming champion rinks tournament commencing on Anniversary Day. THE TEAMS LIST

INTER-CLUB COMPETITION The following teams have been chosen for inter-club bowling matches on Saturday: West End v. Mount Albert.—At Mount Albert: Simpson, Skinner, Gold water, ColthuiYSt; W. Collins 1 , B. Wilson, McKeown, Noton; Barker, Brummell, R. Cox, Kirkham; Sands, McNair, Faire, Brookes; E. Darby, Harris, Thomass, Plummer; Lambourne, Tudehope, Adeans, W. Hardley. At West End: J. Darby, Adams, Horsley, Pierce; George, Cole, Wernham, Bell; Mortimer, W. Irwin, Parkinson, Potter; Martin, Knox, Hazg, Taylor; Copeland, Cornwall, Anderson, B. Scott; Irving, F. Clarke, Draffin, Knaggs. Plallyburton Johnstone v. Henderson.— At Henderson: Clark, Rekie, Boag, Gibson; Holdswortli, Breckon, Phillips, Neilson. At Point Chevalier: Parkes, Allen, Spellman, Fletcher; Storey, Barton, Solomon, C. H. Dyson. Te Papa pa v. Epsom.—At Epsom: Williams, Allcock, Angus, R. G. Speight; Davenport, Fallon, E. Marks, Pilkington; Bond, McGoram, Dawson, Simpson. At Te Papapa: Tegg, R. Speight, Johnson, Donnell; Patterson, Burridge, Thorpe, Moon; Wilson, Crichton, Watson, Moore. Papakura v. Pukekohe.—At Pukekohe: Paton, McCullum, IT. McEntee, Bates; Pilkington, Dunkerley, McCall, Goddard; Mullins, Quigley, Shields, Leitch; Cornford, Hunt, S. G. Smith, Leighton; Lound, McKinnon, Palmer, Rice; Kirton, Andrew, Dickey, W. McEntee; Thornton, Hobson, Meikle, Hope. Ellerslie v. Ponsonby.—At Ponsonby: Ryan, IT. K. McKenzie, Henry, Osborne; Ogle, Sykes, Woodward, Macklow; A. McKenzie, Diggins, McLeod, Watson; Bartlett, Christmas, Toy, F. Wood. At Ellerslie: Bolton, Longville, Gollan, Joll; Arthur, A. G. Hill, Low, Westbrook; Cooksey, Ganley, Somerfield, Johnson; Richmond. McDermott, Paterson, Lynch. Against St. Heliers.—At St. Heliers: F. Wright, Williams, McKelvie, Coppins. At Ellerslie: Woodlock, J. Whyte, El. Hay, T Dickson. Ponsonby v. Epsom.—At Epsom: F. Letham, Goodacre, Waterworth, Johnson; Lincoln, Hunt, Blineoe, McCarthy; Baggett, Jones, Crowe, Bridges. Against Ellerslie—At Ellerslie: Brown, Lovett, Hill. Payne; Carlaw, Smith, Drummond, Buchan; Clark, Fairs, Miller, McLeod; Good, Buckle, Somers, Matthews. Ponsonby V. Epsom (first-year players). —At Epsom: O’Hara, Boyce, Mercer, Bishop. Epsom v. Ponsonby.—At Ponsonby: Yearburv, Montgomery, Wylie, Hetherington; Penn, Blackell, Jenkin, Blakev; E. Taylor, Slater, W. Wallace, de Launay. Against Te Papapa.—At Te Papapa: Clarkson, Costall, Kendall, Burton; Alfrey, Whitehouse, B. Thompson, Ramsay; Ambury, Ongley, Brown, Parsons. At Epsom: Henry, Gunthorp, Hayes, Boyne; Laud. R. G. Clark, A. Taylor, J. Wright; McCullough, Haszard, Wheelans, George; R. Thompson, McDougal, W. Smith, Gladding. Avondale v. Otahuhu.—At Avondale: Cunningham, Blakey, Jones, Beaton; Western, Croft, Harris, Johnston; Harrison, T. Myers, Barnes, Darrock; Craig, Wilson, Gibson, Taylor. At Otahuhu: B. Myers, Pringle, Cairns, Porrott; Crawford, Pooley, Newell, Nunns; Williard, Tait, Sutherland, Kelsall; Simpson, Gilbert, Hanham, Fisher. St. Heliers v. Ellerslie.—At Ellerslie: Reid, Thompson, Hunt, Cahill. At St. Heliers: Negus, Roberts, J. Diamond, Philip. MARINE PENNANT Takapuna v. Devonport.—At Devonport: Henderson, Dudding, Price, Cutler; Lisk, Robinson, Somerfield, Christey; Johnson, Walters, Coulthard, Hooper; Elliot, Archibald, Bennet, Mills; Corfe, Blackwell, R. P. Smith, Audley. At Takapuna: Eade. McMurtrie, F. A. Smith, Dunlop; White, Taylor, Waterman, Collins; O’NeUl* Weston, J. Harrison, Wilkinson; Blenkhorn, Prentice, Hurt, Veale; Stallard, Fenton, Hooker, Hayden. Devonport v. Waitemata.—At Wai tern ata : Naylor, Rice, Bartley, Warren; Blair, Foster. Palmer, Morgan; Clarke, George, Trevitheck, Mason; Koeford, Lacy, Andrew, Lowe. Against Takapuna 1 —At Takapuna: Pitts, jun., Richards, Stapleton, Blackie, Markham, Jackman, McDonald, Gooding; Connell, Atkin, McGregor, Melville; Firth, Newman, McLaren, Wallwoi’k; Barber. Elmslie, King, Bruce. At Devonport: J. Buchanan, Smith. Brabant, Miller; Fulljames, Pitts, sen., Moore, Gray; A. T. Griffiths, Vaile, Coleman, Jackson; Stevenson, Goudie, Broughton, Newbegin; Spicer, Frater, Bach, Hamlin; Flynn, Wright, Sullivan, Elvy; Scotland, Martinson, Goldsworthy, Snoad: J. Davis, Eyre, Wrigley, Anderson, Sinclair, Watson, Cox, Ellisdon. Waitemata v. Devonport.—At Waitemata: Robertson, Williamson, Rogers, Lyon; Brooks, Hillam, Blackwell, Campbell, Whitehead, Corrin, Delaney, Tarrant; Fla veil, Browne, Currie, Burrows. At Devonport: Swindale, Dent, Wells. McPhail; Brennan, Lilburn, Fraser, Johnston; Heath, Bush, Blackledge, Lethbridge; Cadness, Stewart, Hurley, Wilson.