BOWLING MATCH.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 573, 21 February 1891, Page 3

BOWLING MATCH.

GISBORNE V. NAPIER. [By One of the Glorious No. 2 Risk.] l (C JSTISCED.) Mb Jobs Aust >y put ms up to some of the rules of the game. They are very hard to follow; the first player shall lay the * footer ’ and throw the ‘ jack,’ the second player shall be scorer, and ths third player shall be measurer; the skip shall have sole charge of the team, and shall not wear hobnail boots. As each player greens his bowl he must place both feet, if possible, on the * footers.’ Each footer is 4 feet by 20 inches : if one is not enough for any player he may be accommodated with a second or third, but if he exceeds this the skip of his team may require him to have his toe-nails pared. If a bowl strikes the jack it shall be called a toucher, provided the player is first to exclaim ‘ Evitt's; but if the opposite party first exclaims • Feud Evitt’s,’ then it shall count as no toucher. Players are to ba drawn out of a bag. Bowlers are strictly prohibited from riding bowls up and down the green during the progress of the game. Long jacks are forbidden when the green is soft. No onlooker is to stand on less than jack high, he. A FEW TIPS. I asked Mr Johnny Austay if he would be good enough to stand by me and give me a few tips as to how the game proceeded, and how the scores were standing. He said he . would be delighted. He asked me if I knew how old the game was; said it was started by King Solomcn, who was so fond of it as to have golden bowls made and set up in the temple. Solomon then sung their praises in the well-known and beautiful lines, 1 The silver cord is loosed, and the golden bowl is broken, end the pitcher is broken at the well.’ He explained that the silver cord was for measuring, and rhe ‘ well ’ is the ancient way of saying ditch, where dead bowls go to. Johnny then showed me a slip which he said he copied from a book in the Grey collection at Auckland, called * Ye Royal Game of Bowels,’ where it is shown that Edward 111, 1366, passed a law against bowls, prefaced as follows ‘ A game alike dishonorable, useless, and unprofitable, a play which Is followed by the many to their own impoverishment, and by their ungracious procurement and encouraging do inducen others unto such play till they be utterly undone and impoverished of their goods,” The reason cf the probibi ion was that men played at bowls and neglected the mote important archery. It was not till 1729 that bowling greens were legalized, when it became an extremely POPULAR GAME WITH POBTLY PERSONS, and even Ecyalty, as Charles was engaged at the pastime when the order for his execution took place. Brake had a game half through . when he was called on to meet the Armada ; Cromwell dissolved the Long Parliament so that he might get a chance of a game with Archbishop Laud ; St. Paul was bold before Festus, and I believe it is a fact that Captain Bead bowled out Tc Kooti, and had him sent to ths Chathams, Johnny tpld me another thing which is worth knowing, and that is, if one could mesmerise a bowl (and he says there is nothing to hinder one), any bias could be put on by strong will power, aided by screwing the face, and twisting the limbs round like a supplejack on a rata tree. I resolved to give it a fair trial by-and-bye. The heavy clouds broke, and a bit of blue sky gladdened the hearts of the combatants who proceeded to don their harness. Dr was one of the first to enter the arena and throw down the gauntlet. He was in magnificent form ; he has had over seventy years’ training, and looked as fit as a fiddle. He surveyed the ground cursorily, and declared the rain all over and that PLAT MIGHT BEGIN. Twelve players on each side were divided into three rinks of eight each. Morgan and Cook were skips of No. 1, Loudon and Gilberd of No. 2, and Captain Chrisp and Ashton of No. 8. The Gisborne players of No. 1 rink fared very badly, as they were pitted against the chosen men of Napier. The luck was dead against them from the ~ start, and they fought a plucky and uphill fight, but were badly thrashed. By the way, the scores shown in the Herald were wrong. Mr E. J. Chrisp was a player in No. 1 team, instead of W. F. Crawford, who played in No. 2 team, and assisted to reap the only laurels of the day on the Gisborne side. No. 2 tpam, composed of W. 0. Skeet, W. F. Crawford, R. f.oudon, and a Mr Collins (of the Napier Qlub) got a good lead, and backed up by the magnificent driving of the skip, Mr Jvoudon, PULLED THE GAME OFF in brilliant style, scoring 21 to Napier's 18 No- 3 team were unlucky at first, but pulled up rapidly towards the end of the game, and no doubt it a second innings had been possible they would have givey. a good account of themselves. My skip, ordered me to begin the game, as he in a lordly way walked down the green and picked up a dead leaf and threw it in the ditch. My natural modesty revolted at having all this honor put on me, so I suggested that some of the older or humbler players might perhaps be given that great honor. He insisted; whereupon I again tried to prevail upon him to encourage one of the inferior men by appointing him. He was Inexorable, so I heaved the jack and proceeded to try the mesmeric dodge. My word, it is splendid ; you must give your whole soul to it, thongb. It comes a bit hard at first, for I wrenched my jaw so that I had to go to the Danty and have a tooth out when the game Was over,, and one of my legs is a bit twisty since, giving me a stutter which looks like high breeding. It was AH AXXIOUS MOMENT when I poised the liquum vitro, tried to accommodate my feet on the mat or footer, looked severely up the line, and ' sped the bolt that might never return. ’ It hopped and Squirmed with a cock-eyed squint, and went straight for the jack, to my great delight. Somebody said, 1 Not near enough,Green,' I put on the mesmeric screw as I saw the bowl roll round to ths left, but to my horror, it lodged 15 feet from the mark, The game went on apace. Napier got a bowl nearest the jack, one of our fellows drove him away ; Napier in turn carried the jack out of Gisbornca maw and in amongst his own bowls, where they lay at tha back; the skip cried t Guard, cover up, cover up, boys 1’ reminding me of Waterloo and Captain Jackson Barry. The player fairly covers, but the v Bpofforth, the demon bowler of our team, • takes deadly aim and lets fly ; the players around the jack say there is trouble coming, i when down shoots the unerring bowl, cannons off two of the enemy, spreading them afield, and joarries the jack away captive for the Second time into his own camp, scoring three - points most brilliantly. Mr Austay said ho SEVER SAW ANYTHING GRANDER. He invited me to look up the authorities on the subject in the library at the back of the booth. We dropped on it immediately, and he remarked he’re is luck indeed. I said good luck was no name for it. Although a very interesting subject we had to drop it, and rush back to take our places. In this respect bowls is not quite so good e game as cricket, where, if one is anxious tc consult the Muses whilst at the wickets, al he has to do is allow himself to be caughi out, and there is an end of it. I asked e bystander how the play was going on in ou> absence. He said Napier cut to off leg foi four, and that we had two tries and kickei one goal in grand style. I said, ‘Ohl’ Som< of the p’ayers spoke to their bowls as the; yelled along, in the same manner as i Salvationist bullock driver might be ex

, pected to encourage his team, ' gee—wo—- ... whup.’ Others again spoke broken English when they were driven out of position, but all was merriment and good form. The weather looked bad, so it was resolved id stand on one game instead of two as first intended. The

BEitJLT CT THE SCORING is as follows:— GISBORNE. NAPIEP, No. 1 Rink. E. J. Chrisp 'i P. Dinwiddie ) W. Miller Dr Hitchings I Mclntyre Balfour i T. Morgan (skip) j Cook (skip) J No. 2 Rink'. W. F. Crawford \ Morrison "j Coilins ' Hodgson W. 0. Skeet Holt . i R. Loudon (skip) j Gilbcrd (skip) ) No. 3 Rink. Witty "I Stubbs A Muir -jn J- Diuwiddie | of> F. Skeet p Guy I Chrisp (skip) ) Ashton (skip) J Totals 10 65 Invitations were issued for a smoke concert at 9 o’clock, in the drawing room of the Masonic Hotel, where the Gisborne reps were entertained right royally, and enjoyed the MUSICAL AND SOCIAL TREAT until a late hour. Mr Dinwiddie, the President, took the chair; Mt Balfour the vicechair, Mr Swan, M.H.R., was there, a bowler every inch cf him. The good old Doctor sang a fivorite song. Our people assisted to keep the flowing bnwZ on the move. There were about 35 gentlemen present. The Queen, the Visitors, the Napier Bowlers, Bowling the President, the House of Representatives, the Ladies, and the Press, were all toasted with honors. Next day the Wairarapa took us into her motherly old bosom, and strutted away up the Coast towards the crescent moon, until we sighted this charming village, where she dropped us like a hot potato. Trix.