NEW ZEALAND BOWLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1921, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND BOWLERS.

ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND. AN IDEAL VOYAGE. (Correspondent, Evening Post.) London, April 22. Members of the touring bowling team whb have not previously visited England must have thought they were coming to a country of Arctic regions when they arrived at Plymouth last Friday. After a long succession of summer-like days in England, the proverbially uncertain April weather took on a mid-i winter aspect, and the decks of the Narkunda were sufficiently covered with snow as to enable the younger passengers to indulge in snow fights and other winter sports. And this after a voyage on which was registered not a single rough day and hardly a shower of rain. ■All the visitors admit that their passage across the Indian Ocean, through the Mediterranean, and up the Channel could never have been more peaceful nor pleasant. Before reaching Ceylon the usual sports and concerts and dances had been put in full swing, and the bowling team became particularly famous for their rendering of Maori hakas —an accomplishment which will doubtless bring them further fame during their tour of Great Britain. On one occasion a cricket eleven chosen from the bowlers played a team from the first saloon and beat them. At Colombo there was to haye been an official reception to the members of the team, but the ceremony in connection with the departure of Sir Robert Baden-Powell (who joined the Narkunda at this port) clashed with the proposed reception which had to be abandoned. A night was spent ashore, half the party staying at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, and the other half making a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Kandy. At Bombay, too, the vessel stayed long enough for the New Zealanders to go ashore and visit the native markets and lunch at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel on the waterfront. British officers and civil servants returning to England nere, and a prominent native prince who was among the new passengers was accord- ( ed a salute of twenty-one guns. Aden was reached during the nighttime and only a few went ashore but at Port Said there was enough time during coaling operations to' see the principal attractions of the town. A day at Marseilles and a few hours at Gibraltar were also thoroughly enjoyed. It was only on nearing the coast of England that the break came in the long spell of sunshine and calm.

Mr. J. K, Campbell (assistant-secre-tary of the' Department) and Mr. W. Crow (librarian) represented the High Commissioner at Liverpool St. station, when the party arrived from Tilbury Docks last Saturday, and a number of other New Zealanders were present to welcome them. They were taken in two char-a-bancs to the Hotel York in Berner’s Street (off Oxford Street), where the whole party will be staying until they set out on their tour on the last day of the month. The New Zealand flag flies from the hotel. During the journey from Australia -to Ceylon, Mr. A. E. Renouf found it difficult to carry on the work of secretary, owing to ill-health, and handed over his duties to Mr. J. D. Sievwright. Since arriving in London a general meeting has been held, and the selection of Mr. Seivwright as secretary has been confirmed, and Mr. G. Gordon has been appointed vice-president. The following are the results to date of the matches played by the touring New Zealand players:

The following fixtures still remain to be played in England:—London Scottish at Forest Hill, London, on May 31; Northumberland, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, on June 3; Durham, at Durham, on June 41- Cumberland and Westmoreland, at Carlisle, on June 6. The team will then cross to -Ireland for a week, and after leaving Ireland they will spend a month ifi Scotland.

Points Points For. Agst. Lost to Hampshire 101 118 101 Beat Devonshire 107 LoSt to Somerset ...... 96 108 Beat Wiltshire •' 134 111 Beat Gloucestershire .... 126 101 Beat Oxfordshire 138 94 Lost to Lancashire 88 133 Beat North amptonshire 135 88 Beat Hertfordshire 168 89 Beat Bedfordshire 155 87 Lost 86 99 109 Lost to Berkshire 110 Beat Sussex 116 105 Beat Beat Beat Beat 130 102 Middlesex a. 134 131 121 118 McIntosh Club .... 125 111 Beat Beat Loat 13>7 129 115 to Swansea . 111 151 Lost 39 152 JjUSb bU Muuuj Results to date: Won 14, los 8.