BOWLING TOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 11, 14 January 1925, Page 7

BOWLING TOURNEY.

■— • -• DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIPS. A GREAT GAME. KERR DEFEATS BEST. VYOOLLER IN SEMI-FINAL. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star." WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The most outstanding event of post sectional play in the singles competition of the Dominion howling tournament to-day, was the defeat in the fourth round of Bi\st (Dunedini, who, up to that stage hurl sUlTered no losses, hy Kerr (Mastertoni hy 22 to 17. It was in tliis game that the chief interest of tile day's play centred, after Maxwell, Walker had been eliminated from the Competition by Kerr in the third round. t'p till the 'fourth round Best was the only competitor who had come through without a loss. The match was watched closely hy crowded banks at the Wellington Club's green. Best's deliberate and crouching style of play being the subject of general comment. His manner of play is much on the lines of W. Carswi'll (Taicrii, who won tinsingles championship last year. He lias a curious habit, first of lightly hut rapidly stepping about on the mat, to pet a firm foothold as it were, then allowing the bowl to run down from his wrist cm to the palm of his hand, so as to get an even grip with the middle finger round the running surface, next dropping his arm full length to pot a pood balancing swing, and then placing his left band on his left knee before delivering. There is nothing wrong about these movements, but they have the appearance of idiosyneracy on account of the slow precision with which each movement is carried out, being after the manner of a soldier performing military exercises by numbers. At the fifth head. Best was two points in the lead, but at the next end Kerr got three, making the score, Kerr 5, Best 4. Kerr maintained his lead until the 10th head, when Best, who had notched a single in the interim, scored four, the board then reading, Best 0, Kerr 8. At the. 16th end the score stood, Kerr 17, Best lii. On each of the next two heads Kerr obtained a single, but at the 19th Best lay two shots. Kerr put on another couple at the -20th. increasing his lead by four point-s, '21 —17. Best was now faced with that most difficult task of getting four on the last head to tie if he was to have a chance of preserving his unbeaten record. On a play off Kerr's first bowl lay four inches behind the jack, and, as Best could not improve the. situation for himself with his first three bowls, he burnt the head in good style with his last. Again Kerr got the shot, and once more Best attempted to smash the head, but he missed by a narrow margin, and went down by one point on the. head and five on the game. It was an exhilarating finish, and Kerr's win was a popular one. Some good piny was witnessed in the game between Tyrrell (Mastertoni and Smellie (Green Island i. but Tyrrell, who was playing iv bettor form titan when he met Best in the third round, led all the. way, and eventually won by 22 to Li, Smellie retiring at the 10th (•lid. Wooler (Remuera) and Pilkington (Hamilton) fought out a desperate game, in which the well-known Waikato man went down by three points. The. score was 11 all at'the 14th head. At the Kith Wooller drew ahead. 1-1 -13. and he did not recede from this position, although Pilkington put on another point, tho result b<:ng. Wooller 17. Pilkington 11. Best still having a life was left in the competition, hut Smellie ami Pilkington, having two losses, were now out of it. In addition to Best, those with one life remaining were. Tyrrell. Wooller, Kerr, and Tonkin (who hud a I've m the fourth round I ■ The draw for the fifth round to be. played on Wednesday morning, resulted in Tonkin having to meet Tyrrell, with byes for Kerr, Wooller. and Best, the semi-final and final will be played on Wednesday afternoon. The Earlier Rounds. When play started in the morning the overnight rain meant heavy greens and the upsetting of calculations, but as the day advanced, matters improved The Au'eklanders left in with two lives were Kilwmr (Carlton I. Wooller (Keniuerai, Clarke (Grey Lynn). Walker (Ponsonby). and Pilkington (Hamilton). Kilgour came to grief against Cray (Kelburn), the score ending 22—9 in favour of the Wellington player. Tn his match against. Best, of Dunedin, Wooller was also in heavy weather throughout anil finished 21—13 to tho had. Clarke had a tough tussle with Tyrrell (Mastertoni, the score being all Bquare on the 19th head, but iv the two last heads Tyrrell added four to his side of the card and won. Pilkington was beaten by Kerr (Masterton) after leading to the final head, The only northerner of this group to win in this game being Walker, who downed Routley (Kelburn i by Hi—ll. In the second round Walker unexpectedly had to strike bis colours to Tyrrell, being hignally defeated hy lfl points to 5. Kilgour beat Edwards (Teniukai IS- 1.1, with two heads unplaycrl. Houtlcy won from Pilkington, and Wooller beat. Clarke on the last head after a well contested game. \i the end of this round Clarke, Blanehard and Osmond were eliminated. The. third round resulted in win* for Wooller from (.ray 18—-15, Pilkington from Kilgour Is—S. Kerr from Walker -I—ls, and Smellie from MrTntyr" IS—l3. The only two Auck lander? i.ow left in were Wooller and Pilkington. who were, drawn to meet, each other. Wooller secured a good lead over the Hamilton man in the early stupes of t i" game but had a very anxious time towards the end, though he finished "'ir'n a margin of •«'.. points, 17 \\ Tins eliminate! Pilkinpum. b-aviii.' ' -■ l-leiunera man a- Auckland"* -iU- ''-p ■■■ SrciJ,^ ~,-,- all ..nc-ltfe m.it. con-i- nig of L.nki.i I it. t ir-b,i uiec in the fit-! game, nnd |W'-t. wim in" ' , i a.,,1 \\-...,||cr. Tyrrell, mid l\' it. who all ln\e byes in the. lirst ot the semi-final panics.