CHAMPION BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 13, 16 January 1929, Page 16

CHAMPION BOWLING.

THE DOMINION TOURNAMENT.

RINK PLAY RESUMED TO-DAY.

ENTERTAINING THE VISITORS.

(By TRUNDLEE.)

With the five rounds of the pairs championship completed yesterday and a start made in the intersection play, the course was clear for the commencement of the intersection play in the rink championship this morning. With 25 rinks competing, there should be twelve eliminated by this evening, and that may set free some who are engaged in the singles and pairs, enabling the two latter competitions to proceed simultaneously with the rinks to-morrow morning. Otherwise, it may take a long time to finish the tournament, for Parsons and Coltman are in the singles and the rinks, Findlay, Rennie, Clarke and W T alker in the pairs and rinks, and de Launay in all three. All except Rennie (Christchurch) are Auckland men, although it is often said that the standard of play here is lowered by our pennant matches.

Although many excellent arrangements were made by the Wellington executive, there seems to have been a complete failure to assist the publicity department, and the results have been dreadfully mixed. Even the Wellington papers, while giving interesting notes on individual matches, have apparently recorded the results by picking up the score card at random, so that any absent cards were not even missed. However, the pairs results telegraphed yesterday, if they are even nearly correct, show that they have put all the section ties and section winners together, on the same level, instead of finding the actual section winner and then the green winner, as heretofore. This new method was decided upon at the annual meeting last September, but the matter did not receive much publicity, and probably those who got through without a loss yesterday would be surprised to find that they were exactly on the same level as when three tied in a section with only three wins. There were 32 sections, and apparently 54 pairs went forward on equal terms to interesection play, or in this case what might be more correctly termed "post section" play.

Spectacular Matches. Press notices in Wellington make very complimentary references to the successful drives of R. T. Harrison (Melbourne) last Friday morning, the specially windy day, when he suffered his only loss in the eight rounds of section play. Pitted against Munro (Island Bay), the latter was 13 to his 6 on the eighth head, forcing the visitor to adopt strong tactics. Ten heads were burned, in an effort to save the game, but eventually Harrison went dewn by three points. His second game on Friday, against Gilbert (Seatoun), was not so spectacular, but th« scoring was closer, and he only won by drawing the shot with his last bowl, after a tie on the 21st.

There also seems to be general satisfaction that the qualifying rinks include Griffin (N.S.W.), for it will make all the Australians take more interest in the New Zealand methods when they have two rinks competing, even though each happens to be partly New Zealand. Griffin lost both games on the first day, and then got five wins on end, by which time it was known that six would qualify. Accordingly they were right on their mettle when they met Norwood (Victoria Club) in the last round, an'. Vic. Casey's driving was a big feature in the victory over the ex-Mayor of Wellington.

Week-End Functions. The entertainment committee set up by the executive of the Dominion Council ran off two very enjoyable functions during the week-end, for the benefit of all the Australian and other visitors now competing in Wellington. About 600 to 700 attended the bowlers' korero in the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening. The gathering was quite informal; there were musical and other numbers, half an hour's adjournment for supper, brief speeches, more musical items and very much smoke. Of course, Professor Walker recited, but the only Auckland speaker was Mr. George Clark (Mount Albert), who was deputed to express the thanks of the party of New Zealand bowlers who were so lavishly entertained in Australia last summer.

Mr. John Scott, president of the New South Wales Bowling Association, agiin made appreciative reference to the twolife system of play in the singles, which he considered superior to the Australian method. He is hoping that he can persuade some Sydney clubs to try it for their championships, to which one may be permitted to add that if it is permanently adopted in Australia it will be much easier to persuade New Zealand bowlers to compete there.

In one of his addressee he remarked that everything in the, was going like clockwork, but this will not fit in with New Zealand ideas, for the clock was decidedly out of gear in the matter of defaults. Apparently our visitors consider it quite correct to play or default, just as the spirit moves them, and the unfortunate feature is that a lot of our own people caught the infection. In the singles on Monday, and in the rinks from Wednesday to Saturday, there were more defaults than in al' the previous Dominion tournaments put together, although Wellington papers show that substitutes were frequently obtained.

About the same number joined in a motor excursion to the Trentham racecourse on Sunday afternoon, where the visitors enjoyed a quiet stroll among the beautiful flower gardens. Afternoon tea was served at the course and fortunately the threatening rain heU oIT until they were returning to the c : ty. West End and Sc. Helicr'a have <leSnitely decided to hold their rink tournaments on Anniversary Day, and Papatoetoe ,will hold the usual club pairs tournament. On Thursday of next week, however, Papatoetoe will hol.l an open rink tournament.

NELSON TOURISTS. WELCOMED AT EPSOM. The two rinks of Nelson bowlers who have been touring through the North Inland were entertained on Tuesday by the Epsom Club. . r At _ th , e f tea adjournment th% president, air. K. McK. Morison, extended the heartiest of welcomes to the visitors and wished them success and happiness during their travels. . Mr. Russell, on behalf of the Nelson players, thanked the Epsom Club for its warm welcome and heartily invited the Auckland bowlers to visit Nelson. "Sleepy Hollow," he said, would surprise them by its welcome. The following was the result-of matches S lured, Nelson names belng> mentioned ret :—Pettitt, Tancred, Whiting, Simpson Iβ, v. Hardley, Kendall, Burton, W. Taylor 17; Kussell, Boyes, Wymsett, Brundell 13, v. Parkinson, J. Wallace, X«WSfW& Mojcifoa gi, -__