BOWLING

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1926, Page 4

BOWLING

THE SHIELD MATCHES HOW THE TEAMS FARED. (By “Toucher.”) A high southerly wind on Saturday interfered with play in the Shield matches in the Northern Division, and as a result some big scores were made on some heads in the various games. West End continued its victorious career by defeating New Plymouth in a home and home match, winning on both greens. Fitzroy easily accounted for Waitara, but Paritutu sprang a surprise by defeating Vogeltown. I have the score cards in the game between West End and New Plymouth played on the West End green, .- nd they furnish interesting reading. A. K. Smart made no race of it with Billing, being 27 to 6 on the 13th head, the score including two fives. The remainder of the journey was more even, Smart eventually winning by a margin of 16 points. Nasmith was the only other New Plymouth ship to score a win on the greenHe was 17 to 3 on the 12th head against Douglass. But afternoon tea favoured Douglass and he drew up considerably, but Nasmith maintained the lead and won by 5 points. It may be interesting to note that the New ‘Plymouth skip scored eight singles in the latter part of the game. Douglass scored on a total of eight heads. Horton got away with 9 to 1 on the 4th head against Newell, but then the latter took a hand in scoring and. on the I2th head led by 19 to 9, which included a “full hand.” Then Horton got the jack for five heads and reached 16, but Newell secured the following four heads and was 26 to 16 on the 21st head. The remaining four heads were Horton’s, but he suffered defeat by four points. The game between Higgs and Dall was very even throughout, though both sides scored a six, and Higgs an additional five. The scores were even—22 all—on the 22nd head and 23 all on the 24th. Dall scored a three on the final head and won by that margin. Freeman got a seven registered against him by Lee on the second head, and from this he never recovered, the West End president getting further ahead as the game proceeded and ultimately winning by 16 points. Honeyfield scored a six against Woollett on the 4th head and on the 12th head led by 17 to 8. Then Woollett got the jack for five heads and got the lead —2l to 17. Honeyfield equalised with a four, followed by a four, three and two, and reached 30. Woollett scored on the other heads, but suffered defeat by five points. F. J. Hill and H. Smart were even in the early stages, 10 all on the Bth head and 14 to 13 on the 12th head in Hill’s favour. From this point Hill slowly increased his lead and won eventually by five points. It might be of interest to mention that Hill opened his scoring account for the third head with sixPetty carried just too many guns for Griffin to overcome. On the 11th head the scores were 10 all, and then Griffin slowly drew away till he led by 17 to 15 on the 16th head. On the 17th head Petty made a very “flukey” drive and to the surprise of all, including himself, he scored five. On the next head Griffin drove, and he gave Petty another five as the result. Now, who said there was no “luck” in bowls? From this Griffin never recovered, and he ultimately lost by five points. In the contest on the New Plymouth green the defeat of Thompson by Putt by 12 points, J. R. Hill’s defeat by Stevenson by 13 points, and Ford’s loss against Beal by 12 points were the deciding factors. London, making his first appearance for New Plymouth, scored a great win over Brace by 18 points. Johnson, McLeod, and H. E. Fookes also scored wins for New Plymouth, while for West End Morey succeeded in defeating Telfar by 8 points. Fitzroy journeyed to Waitara and won in five out of the seven rinks. Champion finished 23 up on Fox and McNeill 16 up on Chittenden. The other games were fairly close, but Weir lightened things a little for Waitara when he beat Williams by 12 points. The win of Paritutu over Vogeltown came as a surprise to most bowlers. The margin was 17 points, and Looney’s defeat of Robinson by 16 points had a big bearing on the ultimate issue. Each club won in three rinks. Congratulations must be extended to Paritutu on this win; and the victory should hearten the club in their ensuing matches with the stronger clubs. The position in the Northern Division stands at present as under:-

THE SOUTHERN DIVISION. On Wednesday last Maiaia had a comfortable win over Opunake, the margin being 36 points. N. Christie’s defeat of Smith by 33 to 8, and Ainsley’s defeat of Burton by 20 points were the deciding factors. In the game between Park md Hawera A the former were victorious by 23 points. In the Saturday competition Manaia won its initial game against Hawera B, the margin being 11 points. All the rinks provided close finishes, the greatest difference in any being six points. The position in the competition in the Southern Division stands at present as under:— Wednesday Competition. # Points

The results of the Opunake v. Park match last Saturday is not yet to band. THIS WEEK-END'S GAMES. Northern Division. —N cw Plymouth v. Paritutu, at New Plymouth; West End v. Waitara, at West End; Vogeltowr. v. Fitzroy, at Vogeltown.

Southern Division. —Patea v. Park, at Patea; Opunake v. Hawera B at Opunake. STICKING TO FIRST SELECTION. How far should a selection carry the men selected? Because a player, at the beginning of a season, is appointed to a particular position in a particular team and rink, is he entitled to consider that position as his for the season? It should not be so, but in many cases it is so in some bowling clubs. I know' of no er game in which such a condition holds. I have known no other set of sportsmen who would permit a tenancy of posts improperly filled as bowlers sometimes allow. The selection of skips is a difficult task. The correct judgment of their failure or success is equally, if not more, so. A good skip with a weak rink may fall week after week, and yet may bowl well. Of course, the reverse may be the case also. A good rink, bowling consistently well, and frequently giving their skip winning positions, may cross over regularly to see their opponents’ skip recovering the head, while theirs fails repeatedly. But given failure by a certain rink, which is known to be well up to the standard of the club so far as its first three players are concerned, should the skip be continued in that position? Surely not. We all make mistakes. It is human to err. It is not a crime to do so, but it is folly to continue in our error. It takes character to admit a mistake and set out to restify it. Moral courage is required for an individual or a committee to say that when Jinks was appointed skip it was believed that he was fit for the post; now he is unfit. Spinks will be skip in his stead, and he will take the scorer's position. A change of skip is not always beneficial. BOWLERS’ NON-INCLUSION. There are some bowlers who think that players do not submit to the decision of the selectors as graciously as they might, and certainly the matter is one which causes a tremendous amount of discussion when the teams appear. (By the way, may I suggest that all teams be published on a Thursday morning). It is only possible for a certain number to be selected, and in most other games it is the desire of those who are not chosen to make themselves more proficient to secure a place. Many bowlers however, are inclined to blame the selector or selectors entirely for their noninclusion while they themselves may after all have not so very much to justify their selection. I well remember a bowler who declared his determination not to play w'here his club’s selectors had placed him, because he wanted a better position. And he didn’t. Who was the loser? The only punishment inflicted by the “striker” fell upon himself. He was neither a better bowler nor an improved character because of his refusal to play. His was the act of a spoilt child. Some of the best bowlers we have seen have ever been willing at all times to take any position allotted them. And have taken supordinate places time and again. One of the giants of the past frequently said to me, “Give me any position in a good rink; no position is a poor one.” I can understand a man being dissatisfied with his place in a rink and making up his mind to improve it, but the only legitimate way to achieve this end is to prove the superiority of his bowling. This is done on the green in elub and trophy matches and practice with one’s fellows. “Striking” will not do it. What a good thing it is, at times, that there is nobody indispensable. A “striker” is not, certainly. IS IT A RECORD SCORE? To those who know only the particulars which find their way into the official records it may be news to hear that some “cricket” scores were put up during a tournament held at Auckland. A Dominion Road team, Auckland, had just been defeated by a margin of about 20, and when their opponents in the next match secured a 2 on the first head they thought it was again all up with them. However, they resolved to die fighting, and put up such a good effort that by the 17th head they had lifted their score to 49, while their opponents still stood on 2. Something must have gone wrong with them then, for the opponents managed to get into the picture again, but the match actually finished up at 54 to 5, although that score did not appear in the papers. In a championship rink game played at Randwick on a recent Saturday, C. Purves’ Victoria Park rink put up a record score against a Redfern rink, of 54 to 8. Included in Purves’ score was a. seven, a six and two fives. Laban scored on five ends, one of which brought him a four. As far as we known (says the Sydney writer) the score 54 to 8 stands as a record in a championship rink game. A REMARKABLE HEAD. A remarkable head was played on the New Farm (N.S.W.) green quite recently. Every bowl of the 8 was out of play. The jack had been shifted to within a few inches of the diteh, the toucher remaining on the green. All the players,.of course, were up, and toppled over, excepting the skip, who, with his last bowl, smacked the toucher out of bounds. Thus every bowl was out of count, and there was no score. I had a peculiar happening when, in a match one season, my opponent lost all his bowls when he drove his saver out, leaving me to roll up anywhere for another. But a minus head is rather remarkable. THE NEW SOUTH WALES VISIT. Mr. R. Hanning, secretary of the Dominion of New Zealand Bowling Association, wrote to the last meeting of the New South Wales Bowling Association, extending a hearty invitation to the affiliated members to take part i>i the open tournament at Auckland in January next. It was decided to accept the invitation. Mr. Wall added that, although it would be a busy time in New South Wales, as the date would catch them in the middle of their pennant season, it would be nice to try and secure a good team to represent the State. Latest advices state that Mr. Wall has hopes of getting four or five rinks. The party will be limited to about 20 players.

Pl. w. L. Points For. Ag. West End .... 2 2 0 790 723 New Plymouth 2 1 1 585’ 542 Fitzroy 2 1 1 518 527 Waitara 2 1 1 331 270 Paritutu 2 1 1 239 314 Vogeltown .... 2 0 2 25G 349

Pl. w. L. For. Ag. Hawera A . .. 2 1 1 146 104 Mana in .. 1 1 0 107 71 Park ..... .. 1 1 0 96 73 Patea .. 1 0 1 68 73 Opunake .. 1 0 1 71 107 Hawera B . .. — — — — . — Saturday Competition. Pointe Pl. w. L. For. Ag. Park • 1 0 102 100 Manaia • • • • .. 1 1 0 93 82 Hawera B ... .. 2 1 1 182 195 Patea - . —— — — — Opunake — — — -— Hawera A . .. — — — — —