BOWLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3377, 18 November 1911, Page 9

BOWLING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. ' (By “Toucher.”) The competitions on both local greens ar© proceeding apace. On the Gisborne green l the Handicap Pairs for the Licensed Victuallers’ trophy are mat - ing stedy headway, but the other competitions have not yet been commenced. The first round of the Cope Feathers has been completed on the Turanganui green, an dthe second round is fixed for completion on the 30th inst. Already a start lias been made in the Bennett Cup competition of the Turanganui Club. Nasmith, jun., met Barry in the first game, and one of the closest games ever witnessed on the green was seen. Right throughout the game the score was decidedly even, and the players were level five times, eventually tieing at the 21st head. An extra head went in favor of Nasmith. Entries for tlie handicap pairs for the bowling shoes presented by Mr B. Hird, close on the Turanganui Club’s green this morning at 10 o’clock. It is exepcted that_ several of the games will be played this afternoon. The prospects of the amalgamation of the N.Z.B.A. with the North Island Association are not particularly bright, says “Jack of the Green” in the “N.Z. Referee.” Bowling in the South Island is practically controlled from Dunedin, which’ is the headquarters of the Council; From all accounts, Dunedin would 1 be unwilling to relinquish control, and there is no doubt that if an amalgamation were brought about, the headquarters would ultimately ho shifted to Wellington. Past experience has shown that' Wellington has a wonderful capacity for . collaring, headquarters. , ; On Bank .Holidays (Whit Monday and; the Ist Monday, in, .August)- English clubs have subscription matches in rinks after the' style of progressive euchre—-winners of each end move on' to the next rink—A ends before lunch,' 15 afternoon, and'ls after tea (served roiind ‘by the ladies). Winners are the rink most up on total.—-“ Referee” correspondent. A feature of the annual howls championship meeting (England), in which 500 players took part on 65 greens, was the appearance in the team contest of three veterans whose ages ‘totalled 220 years. They; 1 defeated a team of cup winners whoso" ages'’ came to 115 years less, but were defeated themselves in the next round. ' The New South Wales . Association held its annual meeting a week or so ago. This season's engagements wero

foreshadowed in the following paragraph“ During the coming year the usual visits to Victoria and Queensland will take place, and they will'bo returned by those States. • Wo _ shall also, probably, pay reciprocal visits to. West Australia, Tasmania and Ballarat, and, perhaps, have South Austra-. list as our guests. Wo cannot but re- / grot that no team has been got to-' gether to visit Now Zealand, and your committee trust an effort will again be made ‘to get representative players,either from this State or the. Commonwealth, to make tho. trip. Should, the Dominion decide to again visit us, we 'can assure . them of the heartiest of welcomes. ” The Sydney “Referee” 'adds the following cogent note,:—“Certainly we can, hut the Dominion has already told us more than once that until Ave return those calls made by the •all whites’ and the ‘all blacks/ no other band of representative bowlers will cross the Tasman hitherwards. Expressions of regret are all very well, but have we ever made an effort worthy the name to fulfil our obligations ?” . An English bowler writes interestingly concerning the Blackpool tournament, and .gives some information regarding the English game of bowls, as played on the “Crown” greens of the Old Country. Says he“ The announcement of the Blackpool tourna merit is always a reminder of the end of the season. Southerners who only play on the carefully levelled greens, and Scots, who know no other game but their own, have only a vague idea of the immejlse interest which exists in the crown green districts over the Blackpool tournament. Last year there were 1000 entries, all players being professionals. The Talbot green at Blackpool is one of the best devoted, to the crown green, game, and had I riot known that the event, had been continuous for six weeks, I should have been excused for thinking, when I saw the semi-finals and final last year, that the green had been kept for . tho rounds concluded that day. The turf was .in spleridid condition' bare patches being conspicuous by theii J absence. This is largely accounted for by the styleof play. Unlike the Scotch game, which is played fi’om ,tlie centre of the rink all the time, the crown green bowler plays all over the green, the rule being that the leading .'player must place the footer, or mat, within three feet of the spot where the jack lay when the end finished. The jack is thrown along the side, or over the crown, to the other corner of the green; in fact, in any direction; so that the odds are very much against the mat being piit down on the same spot twice. The jack being biassed similar to the bowls necessitates each player giving his undivided attention toits* running, or he will find his bowl going very wide of the mark. To a level game player the crown green has its attractions, and, apart from the play, the spectators, to a Southerner, are full of interest'. The space _ around the green is packed to its limits, the roofs of the surrounding houses are occupied by enthusiasts, who cling fondly to convenient chimney stacks the whole day through rather than miss, the, to them, greatest event of the year. Train-loads of bowlers come in. from afar, and the streets near the green are crowded. with disappointed men, who wait for hours hi the hope of getting inside, should there be room. Yes, Blackpool is worth visiting for the bowling alone!” . Mr Martin Taylor, anardent bowling and coursing enthusiast, has returned to Auckland, from a trip to England. In the course of a chat about sporting matters generally, Mr Taylor said he was glad to be back home. He had seen the best parts, of England, including the" Cumberland lakes, but preferred Auckland to them all. He had played on a number of greens, and he considered the Crystal Palace greens, where the Festival of Empire games were played, about the worst he had ever seen. The Blackpool green .in Lancashire was formed on the oval (a raised centre), and the players trundled the wood in all directions. This system seemed strange to the New Zealander, who was used to bowling parallel to the ditch. He found the rise in the centre of the green very tricky. The Workington green in Cumberland (the oldest in England) also presented a strange sight, the bowlers wearing their boots while playing. The English bowlers have not adopted a uniform for play, the cool flannels worn by New Zealanders not being in evidence. AH’ Taylor was taken in band by Mr J. Bryant, president of the South London Bowling Club, who was unfailing in liis courtesy to the New Zealanders in London during the Coronation games. The game of bowls is widely played in England, but tlie press take very little notice of the doings of the clubs. The English bowling authorities want the New Zealand Association to send Home in two years’ time' three or four teams of howlers. The Australian Association is sending Home some teams next year. Afr Taylor considers that he could pick out three teams in Auckland who could beat any in England. He was. very successful in his play, considering he met some of the leading English players.