BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 43, 20 February 1929, Page 14

BOWLING.

CHANGES IN THE PENNANTS. VETERANS MEET TO-MORROW. PAIRS TOURNAMENT STARTS TO-DAY.

(By TRUNDLER.)

It is not often that a pennant round hi ings about such a spectacular change in the positions as the games last Saturday, and this will make all the more interesting the final round, to be played next week. Naturally the chief interest on Saturday centred on the meeting of Onehunga and Helensville, owing to the strong lead of the latter club. However, Wright defeated McAlister by nine point 3, all gained on the last three or fonr heads, after a desperate struggle which quite explained why Helensville have not had a loss before. Sandin was driving with great precision, and McAlister was driving and drawing in uncanny fashion, having the wind with him when he missed what he wanted, but they both failed with both bowls on the twentieth, and Onehunga scooped up four. The position now is that if Carlton win both games on March 2 y and also thirteen from Epsoin and Henderson, Helensville will be deposed. Otherwise the little club on the Kaipara will win, unless Papatoetoe wins the whole six matches against Mount Albert and Edendale. Onehunga brought Helensville within striking distance of Carlton, but the latter will now have to fight their own battle.

The change in section B turned out. even more spectacular, for Otahuhu lo>t five matches to Dominion Road, thus falling from first to fourth place. Unlike the win in section -A, which is no pood to Onehunga, this win lifts Dominion Road from seventh to third place, with only Mount Eden and Rocky Nook ahead. As the two latter clubs have to meet each other, one of them will require a big majority of wins to stop Dominion Road from capturing the section. The poseibilities may be seen when it is noted that if Dominion Road repeats last week's performance, and gets seven wins out of Rawhiti and Hillsboro', the 57.50 per cent will bo lifted to 60. Mount Eden and Rocky Nook will also be on 00 if they get four wins each out of their own clash, and aleo if Mount Eden shares equally in ilie four games with Ellerslie, ;md Rocky Nook gets a win and a tie out of Otahuhu. Thie would be a great fini.--h, but stranger things have happened before now. This is the first time, at any rate in recent yearn, that Dominion Road has been within measurable distance of winning, but there will be no regrets if the section goes that way, for Mount Eden and Rocky Nook have had an extra large share in various tournament wine lately. Veterans on the Green. The annual reunion of the veteran bowlers will take place to-morrow, when they will spend the whole day on the Auckland green. Last year it wae necessary to have lunch elsewhere, owing to the fire which occurred a few weeks earlier. This is a very popular event

in Welling'on, where they held a similar function on February 6, attended by 88 players. There the sole qualification is the age of 70 years, but in Auckland an additional qualification ie having played for 21 years, and it is questionable whether this is wise, for it is so early reached that it is not appreciated, judging by the few who avail themselves of it. Probably it would be apprecrated more if the play qualification for newmembers was lifted to 2o years, and after a few years raised to 30 years. By this means more would value the privilege of being associated with the veterans of 70, and probably all who leached the qualifying years of play would immediately enrol. In Wellington there are no young veterans playing, and the winning rink averaged 76i years, consisting of Messrs. Stace, Kilgour, Gihbes and Stanford. They each received gold medals presented by the centre president, Mr. Marcus Marks, following the custom instituted by Mr. S. Potter, when he was president of the centre, and inaugurated the fixture. The runneis-up, Messrs. Jay, Hayward, Donaldson and Gray, averaged half a year less than the winners, and they were presented with ebony walking sticks, on behalf of Mrs. Lulham, wife of the president, Wellington Bowling Club. In Wellington each rink is sent in by a separate club, but it would be impossible to do that here, as several clubs have only one or two who qualify.

Another Australian in Auckland. Mr. R. Rogerson, a member of the Mount Lawley Bowling Club, Perth, Western Australia, will L<e arriving from Rotorua this afternoon or to-morrow. Mr. Rogerson flashed into the limelight last month as <kip of the only rink on either side who got through the three Test matches against Australia without a loss. They met Scott (Duucdin), Walker (Auckland) anil Smart (New Plymouth), and aggregated 7.1 points to 59, a total surplus of 1(> points. The rink competed in the Dominion championship, but won only four games out of the eight. They all competed in the singles, the skip surviving until the fifth round, but all the rest went out the first day. They also played in the pairs, but none qualified. Mr. Rogereon's visit clashes with the pairs tournament which commences today, but if he is not in a hurry to start for home by the Ulimaroa on Friday, he can be assured of a hearty welcome on any green until he leaves.