BOWLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2504, 18 May 1909, Page 2

BOWLING.

{By “Toucher.”) ‘ . .By tho passing of, the week the finishing of the bowling season draws nearer. Already the; Turanganui Club has decided to close their green,: and a week hence will see their flag lowered for the season, May 24th being the day fixed for the finish of their 1908-09 season. Within the next week, a number of important games will take place, the finals in several competitions, Slcillioorn will meet Thelwall in the final of the Colt’s Singles; J. J. Martin will combat M. G. Nasmith,senr.,. J. Colley, .and O. P. Lewis in’ order to complete his Cup singles and qualify for the trophy; also Sawyer, McPherson, Ratcliffe and Hird will battle out the final for the Handicap Singes. These matches should furnish splendid attraction for the concluding week of the Turanganui Club’s season! , '

During the past week only one match game was played on the Turanganui green, it being between B. Hird and .A. Zachariah. The former player was favorite, and on this occasion the. favorite got home. He led Zachariah well through the game, but about three parts' through the latter turned the tables on Hird, and secured a lead of one. Hird, however, recovered, and rounding “Tattenham Corner” with a slight advantage, won with a little to spare. Sawyer meets McPherson in this round, and then the semi-finals are 'entered, upon!. •.'> .' ' The inter-state matches between Queensland and New South Wales were played last week, and resulted in favor of New South Wales, in the tlireo games played. The Queensland Pairs Championship was won the other day by J. McMillan and F. Gould (South Brisbane)-, whose consistently good play stood them in good stead throughout their contests. Their opponents in the .final were J. arren and P. Fowles (East Brisbane), whose brilliant play had won high praise from those who saw them in tho first and second- rounds. The South Brisbane pair, however, showed more consistently in the final, and ran out winners with a little to spare. Though New Zealand greens are of uniform length, they are short in comparison with Victorian, greens. We consider oui*s are of the proper length, and are inclined to ridicule the length of Victorian greens. Perhaps it avouM not be out of place to lay before my readers arguments adduced by a Victorian player in favor of their length of green. In a recent issue of the Sydney “Arrow,” Mr Wallace, of North Fitzroy, Melbourne, wrote as follows in regard to the advantages that he claimed Victoria possessed over the New South Wales greens. His communication was as follows: -—“Well, I do‘not agree with your correspondent “Shrewdy,” that it- is necessary for bowlers to stop’ playing in winter to bo good again in summer. A ."player should, however, certainly not be on the green every day, as this begets staleness and slovenly work % I can give you one solid reason why \ ictoriati bowlers are -1 better than yours, and. it is ‘length of gredns.’ You have a 120 ft maximum, but I. am firmly convinced this helps to' beat you and is. for many other reasons, a great drawback to the game! 1 One development of short greens'is Excessive fast driving. The green of our chief club (North Fitzroy) is 144 ft long, and on it driving as a rulo never pays. When it is keen the draw varies up to 10ft, and sometimes a little more. The bowls in driving nearly always 'draw, especially on long onds. The success of fast driving is to go straight. How then is a pinyci to concentrate -his mind on tile wido draw and on the pace if he drives every second end. We have greater variation of length than f you have, and it is this factor, break of length, wo have to master; I claim experience on this point, having won'ten trophies in rink tournaments during tho last five seasons. As a captain m these tournaments I concentrate my attention on'this matter, so as to be ready to draw to save or to get the‘shot if the opposing team score,' find alter tho end, say, from 130 ft to 70ft., or vice versa. Now your players ’as compared kith ours havo nut tho same opportunity to develop, this quality. Therefore our men will ue better on a ch'ango of length. Moreover, your players, as far as I have seen them, never' throw ‘ loug ends to the ditch. Medium and three-quarter ends are the rule. Your longest ends are equal to our throe- quarter, and aro thus easy to us. Bo I believe you havo made a great mistake 'in having short greens. I say-for goodness sake put 6ft or 10ft on to them wherever 'possible. I offer a tip t-o Ash field, Chats-: wood, etc., and say'practice across your greens. You will find pleasure-m so doing, as when good shots are drawnon long'ends the furious driver will as likelv as not miss every second try. You will," when you play other clubs, - find long ends af 110 ft easy. This year’s Queensland Association Championship events, just finished, have been particularly interesting, and some grand struggles havo been witnessed. In’the Singles the fight for supremacy was narrowed down to T. W. Bouchard (South Brisbane) and M. Mackay (Too--woiig), who 'contested the final. Some grand bowling, resulted, both men drawm" with precision, and there were also some lovelv firm shots. Mackay led by 13 at the 31st head, when diisscore was 29 to 16, by Bouchard. Up to this point the former had monopolised the lack,' and given long heads, and his play had: been remarkably fine. From this on, however, Mackay, who only required 2 to win, was not In it, so to speak, for Boat chard shortened the heads when lie obtained the jack, and, , es ~ pito some'’splendid shots by Mackay, Bouchard played in masterly style, ana drew tho shot time and again by I 0; markably accurate deliveries j and ere p C up and passed his.opponent, and eventuallv won by 2. It was a sp.endul tussle, : and both were congratulated on. their excellent play. The ladies of New Zealand; aio still behind their sisters of Victoria in tne matter of howls. Bowls is a . tricky game, and it certainly seems only in tlu. fitness of things that such subtle a anquishers of mail and lus inventions, as admittedly are the fair sex, should essay a conquest of the wiles and ohtl c rolling bowl. The ladies pi Victoria have risen to the opportunities ot the occasion—they‘have gathered themselves into clubs, which same subscribe themselves as affiliated to the Ladies Bowling Association. Many, may ask how the small-hand and*delicate muscle machinery attendant to the round, soit arm of charming woman can compass the. task of trundling a solid sphere of Ik'num vitae beyond tho second noacland not contract an attack .of nerves for the owner. But such an eminent]J male question goes by the hoard in race of the obvious fact as it appears in the Melbourne “Bowler,” a recent'number• of which gives an account of the final game for premiership and the pennant

•j" —‘ "77: • 4 v <'i ki-y/: of tho Ladies’ Association between the Auburn and Brighton Clubs on the S.M.C.C. ladies’ green. Bays “Tho Bowler”,: “At the twenty-first end the scores were level. . In tho first play off, 'Miss L.lHo’zer scored one for Auburn against Mrs Stamp, and Mrs Ingleton got! one for Brighton against Miss B. Dowling.. In the final play off Mrs Stamp’s rink scored one for Brighton, and Miss B. Dowling’s rink three for Auburn. ' Mrs Ingleton, with the first howl, scored a beautiful second shot, and the game'seemed saved;-but Miss B. Dowling came to the rescue and drew another, and made tho game certain for Auburn, after probably the most exciting* game played in tho history of tho Ladies! Association.” Of the recently contested final for the individual championship of Tasmania an exchange' says: “The event was decided on the Sandy Bay grer>. The contestants were Mr J. Williams, of the Association Bowling Club, Launceston, and Mi v A. Crisp, of the Hobart Bowling Club. The game was timed to start at 2.45, and the players got going a few minutes after ''that time. Thero was a large attendance of spectators, and they were rewarded with a magnificent game. The weather was delightful, whilst the green was in splendid condition, it being not too keen, whilst it drew beautifully on both hands. If tho end were a long one a little trouble was experienced .when the bowlers faced the southern loud of the green, through .the howls’ -not drawing in. This, .however, was a very small difficulty, and only troubled' the players a couple of times'. The surprise of the gamo was tho great showing made by Crisp. Eight through the game lie drew beautifully, but ho lacked the generalship of his more experienced opponent. Tho Hobart man’s weakness was his failure to do things Avhen the shot was against him. On' occasions ho had excellent openings, hut failod to turn them to good use.- After a good game Williams Avon by 25 points to 20. A London correspondent, writing on February 26, says: “Mr J. Gray, Avho represents Queensland on tho AngloColonial Bowling Club, put up a fine game this Aveek on the rink of the prystal Palace Indoor 8.C., against Mr D. A. Ross, the Canadian, who Avon the Singlo-handed Championship, open to the Avorld, at the Crystal Palace last year. The game, Avhicli Avas close throughout, ended in a tie. Mr Gray has been asked to permit his name to be proposed as president of the Streatham Constitutional Club, upon the green of Avhich some little time ago representatives of each State in the Commomrealth and Now Zealand engaged in a match against the home side —a novel bowling record.