BOWLING TOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 9

BOWLING TOURNEY.

THE FINAL STAGES. AUCKLAND RINKS DEFEATED. FOSTER WINS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Thursday. The Dominion bowling tournament, which has now been in progress for ten days, is well on toward completion, the singles competition being finished, while there are only three lots of players left in the rinks championship. The pairs championship is not so well advanced, but this event has been delayed to some extent owing to the fact that the players engaged in it were also engaged in rink games, the latter receiving preference. All the green winners in the pairs competition have been found, and quite a number of post-section games have been decided. Two games have yet to be played to reach the semi-final stage.

If fine weather continues the rinks competition will be completed to-mor-row. The pairs competition will reach finality to-day in the ordinary course of events.

The weather has been remarkably good since the tournament opened. Out of ten playing days only one has produced heavy rain, which fortunately came on at a time when it did not interfere with play to a very marked extent.

As the result of the championship pairs protest by Chegwin (Beckenham), the twenty-first head against Dee (Maitai) was replayed. The Maitai pair started the head one down, but a two gave them the match and the premier honours in their section. The results of to-day's play were as follow: — POST SECTION RINKS. Stewart (Dunedin) 23, beat Gibson (Taieri) 12.

Harraway (Dunedin) 34, beat Malcolm (Balmacewan) 11.

Hutchison (Dunedin) 21, beat "Wright (St. Helier's) Hi.

Thompson (Southland) 23, beat Gray (Kelburn) 15. Casey (Carlton). a bye. The following were eliminated: Gibson, Malcolm and Wright.

FIFTH ROUND. Thompson 23, beat Casey 12. Gray 24, beat Stewart 22. Harraway 31, beat Hutchison S. Stewart and Hutchison were elimin ated.

SIXTH ROUND. Gray 23, beat Casey 16. Hararway 21, beat Thompson 13. Casey was eliminated. PAIRS COMPETITION. Halligan and Sanders (Kaituna) beat Williams and Gray (Kelburn) by default. Green Winner.—A and B sections: Sanders. .. .Grawsliaw and Wright .(St. Helier's) 20, beat Vance and Hardie (Mornington)' 13. ' ' Green Winner.—E and F sections: Wright.

Mdntyre and Pilkington (Hamilton) 23, beat Hey (Invercargill) IS.

Green Winner. —O and V sections Pilkington.

Edwards and Cooper (Karori) 20, beat Currip and W. B. Allan (Taieri) Green Winner. —Q and R sections: Cooper. Wright and Benefield (St. John's) 81, beat Murray ami MrLeod (Taieri) 10. Green Winner.—\V and X sections: Benefield. Thompson and Fastier (St. Clair) 24, beat A. Dep and W. Dee (Maitai) 17. Green Winner.—V and Z sectionsFastier. POST SECTION PLAY.

First Round.—Fast ier 24, beat W. Allan 14; Tilkington 19, beat Benefleld 10.

SINGLES COMPETITION.

Round XL—Foster (Caledonian) 10. beat Carswell (Taieri) 13; Tretheway (Caledonian) lv, beat Edwards (Temuka) 15.

Final.—W. Foster (Caledonian) IS. beat A. Tretheway (Caledonian) 16.

NOTES ON THE PLAY. The Singles Final. To-day was one of the hottest days experienced in Dunedin for a long time, and under the influence of bright sunshine the greens were very keen. In the final of the singles championship, between Foster and Tretheway, some good heads were played, but taking it all' round, the game did not provide such a good display of bowling as was seen in the morning. Tretheway was too good for Foster for the greater part of tiie. game, and IS heads had been played. The 19th head saw Foster send up a good 'bowl for a start but Tretheway's first made it measure for shot. Tretheway's fourth was a splendid one, trailing kitty and securing a single for him. 16 all. On the 20th head Tretheway's first shifted kitty a little and lay right beside it. Tretheway's third made three counters for him, but Foster cut one out with his third. At this stage the position of the head was all in favour of Tretheway, but unfortunately for him he played a little too strong with his last, springing the ehot bowl and leaving an open head for a draw by his opponent. Foster sent up a splendid shot, which put him in the lead by 17 points to 10. On the linal head Foster's first was a trifle short and narrow. Tretheway's first was a better one, but Foster's second was a beauty, finishing up just behind kitty. Tretheway, who was a little narrow with his second, drove with his third and fourth, but just missed, leaving Foster a winner by IS points to 16.

Foster thus "went through 12 rounds without losing a game. It may be mentioned that at the C'hristchurch tournament two years ago W. Carswell, the well known Taieri player, also won the singles without being beaten. Foster won the Dominion Singles Championship in 191 S.

Post Section Rinks. The winning margins in the fourth round of post section play in the rinks were wide wins, being very decisive. Harraway Dunedin, was much too strons for Malcolm, Balmacewan, the final scores were: Harraway 34, Malcolm 11. Gray (Kelburn) and Thomson, were always together until the 14th head, after which Thomson had much the better of play. Hutchison (Dunedin), had an easy win over Wright (St. Helier's). Hutchison opened well to lead 6—l after five ends, but Wright improved his score on the next three heads with one, two and one. Hutchison then gradually drew away, having a lead of 10 points after 17 ends. Wright reduced the deficit on the last three heads played by scoring five points.

The winning margins in the fifth round of the rinks were again wide, with the exception of the game between Gray and Stewart. Thomson and Casey, the only two lifers left, met, and Thomson was victorious by 11 points, thus notching his thirteenth consecutive win in the tournament. Incidentally it may be mentioned that Thomson skipped an unbeaten rink in the Southland tournament at Christmas.

In the sixth round Casey was eliminated by Gray. This game was a very close one up to the last two heads, when Gray put the result beyond doubt. Casey opened well scoring two, one, and one on the first three heads, but Gray then replied with one, two, one, one, and two. Casey came again to go into the lead 15 —11 after 14 ends. At the 18th head honours were even—lo" all. The 19th head was the turning point as far as Carlton was concerned, for a five was registered against them. Gray lay three when Clarke drove with his last bowl. It took out two of Ms own counters. The 20th head was keenly contested. Carlton had a chance, but Gray spoiled it by drawing in. Clarke drove and did not alter the position, and Carlton went out. The Pairs. Pilkington (Hamilton), established an early lead against Hey (Invercargill). leading H—3 at the Oth head and 20—8 at the 15th head. The Southlanders were 13 down at the ISth end. A single, a three and a four on the last three ends left them still five down. Hardie, who skipped the Mornington pair, was one up on Wright, of .St. Helier's, at the 9th head. Three and a two put the Aucklandere well in the lead. The final end saw Hardie five down. Magnificent bowling was witnessed in ■the lirst round of post section play when Pilkington met Benefield. All four players were right on form and it was anyone's game until the finish. Both skips excelled in driving, while the drawing of the leads left, nothing to be desired. Pilkington finished four up. Fastier (St. Clair), had an easy win over W. B. Allan (Taieri), leading 22—10 at the 17th head, while the final end saw him 10 up. Pilkington and Kastier had a great go in the second round. The score stood 7 —7 at the seventh head, but the Hamilton pair, with 'two threes, a one, and a two, scored a nine-point lead. Pilkington was still in the lead 18—14 at the 16th head, and the St. Clair men, with a quartet, drew level on the 17th. On the 18th head Fastier was lying five in, a closely backed head, when Pilkington with his last bowl drew the shot. I'ilkmgton, by superb drawing, lay two shots on the 19th end, but Fastier, with a magnificent draw, rested them out and got one, making the score 19 —19. On the second last lead the St. Clair lead drew the shot with each bowl, only to be rested out by the opposing lead. The Hamilton pair lay one when their skip had a bowl to go. With it he took a risk and trailed kitty for three. When the skips changed over in the last head, Pilkington lay two. With his last bowl Fastier drove and struck the white cleanly. Kitty rebounded almost but not quite out of play and Pilkington lay two. making him five up.

Wright led B—s at the sixth head against Cooper in the first round of post section play. A five, a single and a four put Cooper seven in the lead, and thereafter he was never headed.

As a result of to-day's play Pilkington (Hamilton), enters the semi-final with'Tahiblyn (St. Kilda) "and Adess (St. Kilda), who reached this stage on Wednesday.