BOWLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2546, 6 July 1909, Page 2

BOWLING.

(By “Toucher.”) Last week saw the conclusion of the Shield matches of the Gisborne Club. What with bad weather and other circumstances these matches had hung tire of late, and it was with pleasure that I saw what proved to be. the final game played off. Ponsford’s win over Martin "in this game gave the Haiti teams the honor of again having their names inscribed on the District Shield, a handsome trophy which was presented some years ago to the club by the late Mr j. A. Harding. The final game was a good one, and I congratulate Ponsford on his victory. . ' Another competition which reached its conclusion last week was the Champion Singles. This was a competition in which the competitors, were divided into three sections, wherein each player met each player. The winners of the sections were then perforce, to play one another. The sectional winners turned up in J. J. Martin, F. W. Pettie, and M. Craig. The first game, was between Martin and Pettie, wherein Martin proved the victor by the narrowestpossible margin. Last week Martin met Craig, and the former won somewhat easily. The victor played a deadly draw game, and ran away from his opponent. On several occasions Craig altered matters with firm shots, but they availed him nothing, for Martin would invariably recover the position. Martin, in defeating the two other sectional winners, holds the President s Cup and gold medal, presented by the President, Mr W. Pettie. Honors for second position will be fought • out' between Craig and F. Pettie. In win- j ning the President’s Cup, I have to j congratulate the genial ‘'J o ®- r , 15 was the. first competition for the Cup, and “J.J.” will have the first choice of position whereon to inscribe his name. [t will be remembered that “Joe ’ Martin was the first to win the Bennett Cup of the Turanganui Club, which be , hold for two seasons, but from whom it i was wrested this season by Len Hird. Had “Joe” won this trophy this season, he would have been in the proud position of being the champion of clubs. However, this eventuality is not likely to occur for I understand the Northern Bowling Association s •, rules prohibit such a position ond that the rule, in question will he brought before the members of the local clubs at .their, annual meetings. - The Turanganui Club ho.ds its annual meeting in the Royal Hotel tomorrow, evening, at 7.30. I hone to see a large attendance of the members, fox I understand some important propositions are being brought forward The Gisborne Club holds its meeting at the end of the month, at which doubtless ; there will be a full muster of its memTjers I notice that the Turanganui green has been top-dressed during the past week The work has been carried out bv Mr J. Ballantyne, with the. caretaker, Mr W. Curtis, and an . assistant, while Mr J. Jeune did most o, the supervising. , The game of carpet bowls has been introduced to the district by my Hiends of the. Y.M.C.A. The opening of the rink took place last week, when a team from the Gisborne Club and one. from the Turanganui Club paid a visit to trie Y M C A rooms. The games were good ones, and in each the \IM.C.A. teams were successful. This was due to the excellent play of their skip Mi Johnston, who is an “old harnL at the game. There was one feature to be regretted, and that was that the board was not true, for a bowl on the back hand would invariably leavethe board. However, it was the same for all parties Though the .game was interesting my friends of the bowling green claim that it could not compare with the true game of bowls. One result of the pleasant evening spent is that 1 hear it is not at all unlikely that several of the carpet bowlers will* next season join the ranks of the bjmiers or the open air. Auckland bowlers have made up their minds that a- New South Wales team will visit that city during next summer. The destruction by fire of the pavilions on two bowling greens in one provincial district within a week or two 01 each other is nutting up an undesirable record. First, we have the destruction of the Phoenix Club’s pavilion, in regard to which the. “Otago Witness says: —“The Phoenix Club, Oamaru, has sustained a serious loss by the destruction by fire of its pavilgiPfn, while most of the members lost their bowling outfits —bowls, coats, hats, slippers, etc. The club had just played its final game, against. Palmerston and Waikouaiti. Play wak over about 5 ,p.m., and all players were away by about 5.15. The fire was observed about 6.30 and by the time the members reached the green the whole place was in a blaze, with no chance of saving anything. How the fire originated is a mystery. Incendiarism is mentioned in some quarters, but it seems more probable that it was the result of someone who had been in the pavilion throwing down a match care-/ lessly, Or possibly the butt of a cigarette. At a recent meeting of the members of the Club various suggestions were considered for raising funds to build a pavilion to replace the one destroyed by fire. It was eventually decided to hold a bazaar and art union in November during sbow week. Practical sympathy lias been -shown by a number of Easter bowlers by forwarding donations in cash and goods, one of these stating in his letter that he desired to own one brick at least Tn the new pavilion.” Judging by the way shoulders are being put to the wheel the Poenix Club bids fair to rise from its ashes as- did the mythical bird of the same name-—a consummation devoutly to be wished. The other paviL ion destroyed by fire was that of the Lawrence Club, Otago. The loss to the Lawrence Club is much more serious than tc\ the Phoenix Club, Oamaru. The latter is a large and influential club, with many sympathisers prepared to put that sympathy in practical form. The Lawrence Club is not . strong in membership, and as the district has had a set-baok owing to many mining claims being worked out, the club has had a struggle to hold its own of recent years. But if the members tackle the work of

replacing the pavilion- they- Bho.uld he able to confidently look for.some practical assistance from bowlers generaly. A party of card-payers had occupied the pavilion up to about 11.30 on the night previous to the fire.. It is surmised that a puff of wind going down the stove-pipe blew out some live ashes on to the cocoanut Matting, and that this smouldered for some hours before bursting into flames. Nearly all the members lost their bowls, coats, and shoes, etc., equal to some £4 or £o cash. Air Jeffery, who owned the lockers, estimated his loss at £2O. The building, which was owned by a small private company was valued at £7o, and insured for £45. . . There has been some discussion .in New Zealand regarding the question whether the jack should be thrown by opposing leaders in turn, or by the first man of the rink which scored in the previous head, as is the. case now. Those favoring the alteration Contend that the present rule gives the advantage to the side that had it at the moment, which is opposed to practice in inost other games—cards, billiards, draughts, etc. At cards, the deal—an advantage in nearly every case—passes round. At billiards the prior winner “breaks” the next .game. At draughts, chess, and similar pastimes, tho successful player previously makes the first move —thus conceding something, however little," to the heated man or men in the tussle. ! Certainly, if the new rule were adopted, we would see many more interesting matches than are witnessed now, as, instead of one man having all long, or short (as might suit him) jacks, to the undoing of his opponent, the play would bo more mixed or full of'variety, and, consequently, better to look at because, of the greater degree of uncertainty attaching to it. -