STRONG AUCKLAND ENTRIES FOR THE N.Z. BOWLS TOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 282, 27 November 1940, Page 14

STRONG AUCKLAND ENTRIES FOR THE N.Z. BOWLS TOURNEY.

(By TRUNDLER.) Tlie main headlines ill the bowling bulletin one record entries for the Auckland Centre's open singles championship, record Auckland entries for tiie Dominion ■tournament, in (.•hristchurcih, iiiwt ajvpearance of the Empire Games in the Soutili Island since tiiieir great exploits in Sydney, and intention of six ot the seven national champions to defend their titles in January. Never before were the three national tk'les won by seven players from a visiting centre (as wart® done by Auckland at Wellington last year), and never before were any country's seven representatives in the Empire (iames selected from one district, so Auckland bowlers have a unique reputation to maintain in Christchurdh next' January, a reputation which no bowling centre is ever likely to enjoy again. Most people know that nine countries competed in the Enipiro (jiallies, and that only tour had a complete team, but by good luck it 'happened that there were six countries in each of the three events — singles, pair and rinks— thus requiring five rounds. New Zealand won four rounds in each event, with totally different results. L. L. Maeey (Keniueraj and Walter JDenison (BalmoralJ secured the paiiv outrigtht with their four wins, but four wins to the Auckland link W. Whitniker (Carlton,), H. A. Robertson (Onehunga) K. Jury (I'onsoniby), W. Breimner (West Knd )—• produced a tie with Australia, who had given tlhein their oniy lo»-s, and fortunately they reveised this in the play-off. Frank Livings-tone's four "wins in the singles did not give him a tie, as Horace Harvey I Sourilii Africa) got through unbeaten, although .Livingstone had defeated 'him easily in winning the championship of Australia, so New Zealand came second in that event. The Dominion championships in Wellington last January gave a'.l three titles to Auckland, the winners being:—Singles, G. A. Deare (Cariton); pairs. L. G. Donaldson and W. Bremner (West End); rinks, W. Whittaktr, J. W. T. Macklow, H. A. Robertson, F. ivingstone (Onehunga). Teams For Christchurch. The Onehunga rink will play intact, and the others will be distributed among the following rinks, although all the title-holders will also play in the singles and pairs:— R. V. Warman, R. Campbell, O. A. Deare, W. Bremner (Auckland). W. D. Glover. W. Somers, Ernie Jury, T. A. McClymont (Ponsonby). T. Tudhope, R. G. Rainger, L. L. Macey, J. C. Duncan (Remuera). i Walter Denison may take a rink, and in any case will play in the singles, and besides pair with H. Bockett (Auckland). Other Auckland Centre rinks are:—T. W. Mayson. H. Scott, J. Higginson, J. I. Griffiths (Grey Lynn); W. M. Matheson, F. Littleproud, L. J. Keys. G. H. Woolley (Auckland); H. Bockett, L. W. Bourke, H. Gribble, W. Ure (Auckland); V. T. Curson, E. Halford, W. A. Hill. W. Rowland (Balmoral); T. J. Buxton (Carlton); F. W. Oates. R. J. Carbines, W. E. Hunt, R. S. Higginbotham (Ponsonby). There may be more rinks made up before the entries close next Monday, as there are still two or three talking about going, but already these ten rinks txceed all expectations, and constitute a record lor Christchurch. Four years ago there were nine rinks from Auckland, the same number as 12 years ago, but eight years ago there were only three, one being that of the late Maxwell Walker, who won the rinks title for the first time, assisted by K. S. Macky, L. J. Keys and C. H. de Launay. Record Entries For Auckland. To the surprise of all who had commented on the prospects lor the open singles next Tuesday. the entries constitute a record, 168 comparing with the previous record of 144 last year, and the same number in 1937. There was no tournament in 1938, lest it should spoil the Dominion event in Auckland, a few weeks later. Reports on holiday tourneys:— Carlton. —Two rounds were played on Saturday by the 24 rinks at Carlton, and the remaining three rounds yesterday, in good time to finish all but the final. The four section winners were E. J. Hill, alter a tie with C. Muston; A. E. Harland after a tie with J. A. Bird; H. B. Jenkin, who won outright with five wins; S. Jenkin, who won with four wins. In the post-section play H. B. Jenkin beat Harland by 14 to 12, and Hill beat S. Jenkin by the same score. In the final, on a date to be arranged, F. Palmer, C. H. de Launay. R. Hlggott and H. B. Jenkin will meet J. Mitchell, J. Leonard, G. E. Kent and E. J. Hill. Onehunga.—The sections were won outright, and in the final G. Vowles, L. C. Petry, A. D. Sims and A. E. Sayers deieated S. McMaster, E. J. Gatland, W. R. Stone and A. A. Kenny by 11 to 9. Those who remark that in the early days only old men played bowls, whereas now the clubs are full of "boys." were surprised to learn tha; the runners-up included two players who are well over 80 years of .ige, and that the combined age of the four players exceeded 293 years. Ponsonby.—Progressive pairs resulted in A. M. Spencer and C. M. Piper defeating C. Lawson and H. Thomas by 9 to 5 in the final. Epsom.—All-day classified tournament section winners were:—Section A, Parsons; section B Edgar; section C, Braithwaite. In the semi-final Parsons beat Edgar, Braithwaite drawing the bye. The final will be played on December 7. Balmoral.—A full-rink tournament resulted as follows:—Section A, Kerry, Nimmo, W. Reynolds. Price; section B, Rowlands, Halford, W. King. Meredith. In the play-off Rowlands beat Kelly by 7 points to 2.