SATURDAY'S BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 187, 9 August 1932, Page 13

SATURDAY'S BOWLING.

POPULAR VISITING DAY.

NOVELTY TOURNAMENT ENDED. AUCKLAND BOWLERS IN BRISBANE, (By TRUNDLER.) A cold wind did not improve bowling conditions last Saturday, and rain overnight made some of the greens rather heavy, but the usual visiting took place, and club games were rather well supported. The Nomads had a good time at Grey Lynn, and were fortunate in registering more wins than usual. The West End rink, who lost the Edwin Stars last Saturday week, after four wins, did not have long to wait before their turn came to try for the Denison Pins, and they captured them by a margin of four points: Cox, McCarthy, Clarke, C. E. Hardley (challengers) 19, v. Wilson, Lamb, Richmond, Farland (Epsom) holders, 15. The visitors started well, and soon had a lead of 11 points, this inducing continuous driving on the part of the holders, with a fair amount of success in reducing the deficit. In one head, however, Epsom did not have a single bowl on the green when the skips changed over, and Farland had to burn the jack to save a big score against him. However, West End played an excellent game, Hardley being at the very top of his form, and the issue never seemed much in doubt. This week's challenger is J. Dick (Ponsonby), followed by J. C. Duncan (Carlton), P. Blackwell (Waitemata), and S. E. Chappell (Balmoral).

Carlton retained the Edwin Stars against a challenge from Mount Albert, and this week will meet the Epsom rink who have just been relieved of the Denison Pins. The latter have !\n opportunity to repeat what Hardley's rink have just done, in losing one set of trophies one Saturday and picking up another set a week later. This seems to invest the coining match with more than the usual interest.

Te Papapa won the Jordan Pins from St. Helier's by a big margin, as will be seen in another column, and this week the new holders will meet C. A. Lindberg (Onehunga), followed by T. H. Stringer (Hillsboro').

Ellerelie is holding a rink tournament to-day, Mount Albert a pairs on Wednesday, and Balmoral commence a two-day rink tournament on Saturday.

The good luck in the matter of weather that attended the "two days of section play in the Rawhiti tournament continued last week. The second semi-final was played on Wednesday, when A. R. Graham (Remuera) defeated W. F. Hardley (West End) by one point, after a very peculiar game. Hardley was leading by 16 to 14 after the eighteenth head, but when the skips changed ends Remuera were lying five and a measure. Hardley played two runs which made no improvement, while Graham drew two more for seven, making him five up. Hardley got one point on the twentieth, and was lying four on the last head for a tie, with a measure for a win, when Graham drove, leaving West Erd only three, and Remuera the winners.

The final was played on Saturday morn-, ing, when Remuera defeated Onehunga by one point: Uren, McConnell, Mingins, Graham 23, v. Kerns, Gatland, Vella, Livingstone 22. Fortune changed several times, Remuera getting a good lead at first, but in the middle of the game Onehunga won five heads in succession, Graham recovering to 4 up by the eighteenth head. Two threes put Onehunga ahead, but Remuera equalled it on the twenty-first, requiring another head. On the play-off the Onehunga rink were holding three, but Graham rubbed off one with his last bowl, pushing out the other two for shot, and Livingstone did not quite reach the head to save.

Immediately after the game the trophies were presented by Mr. P. B. Thomson, the organiser of the tournament, who must be congratulated on hia success in conducting a tournament of 32 rinks on a green which accommodates only 16, thereby introducing a system which other small clubs will doubtless try to take o.a a model whcii opportunity offers. A novelty introduced by Mr. Thomson, in awarding a third prize to the rink having the least number of points scored against them in the section play, maintained the interest up to the last round, for it was announced that the ultimate winners and i 4 unners-up would not be eligible. As it happened, Livingstone's rink came first under this heading, with only 30 points scored against them, and Graham s second with 32, so the prize went to D. U 'Eraser's rink, who lost 38 points.

Newspaper files from Brisbane show that the Auckland rink must be still enjoying themselves. Mr. A. J. Parker writes that as a rule only the Wednesday and Saturday games find their way into the papers, and that they missed three Saturdays, two for the New Zealand football matches, and one for hockey.. However, their visit is evidently attracting attention, for on one day there is a record of two matches. In the morning they went to the South Brisbane green, where the club were entertaining several rinks from Southport, a country club, and they put up one rink of the latter against the Auckland rink, resulting in a handsome win for New Zealand: H. Grocott, P. Binns, H. B Jenkin, A. J.'Parker (Auckland) 23, v. Napper, Shepherd, Dibaeh, Ward (Southport) 8. In the afternoon they met a rink representing the "Courier" newspaper, on the New Farm green, with another win: Grocott, Binns, Jenkin, Parker 18, v. Gould, Ward, McDougall. Briggs 14. Mr. Parker again observes that he has never known his three men play such excellent bowls as they have in Brisbane, and so far they have won 11 of the 13 matches played. One of these was published, where a Yeronga rink (Witham, Stubbs, Dix, Manahan) won by 24 to 21, and it ifl only natural that the New Zealand successes are now attracting invitations from very strong rinks. He himself will be leaving for Sydney this week, so cannot play in the Brisbane carnival, which begins next Monday. However, Mr. Geo. Pollard (Carlton) has arrived there, and he will complete the rink. The draw has put the rink in the hottest section, so they will do well if they qualify. In the singles Grocott is drawn against one of the Boldery brothers, so his chances will look better if he survives the first round. It is not yet decided how they will divide up for the pairs. Mr. C. D. Ferguson retires from the presidency of the Queensland Bowling Association this month, and his place will be taken by another splendid man in Mr. W. J. Strachan, while Mr. J. F. Chapman moves up to senior vice-president. Mr. Chapman entertained the Auckland rink on the Clayfield green, when the visitors won by 28 to 23. Another outing was at the Ipswich green, where there were 100 bowlers in action, the Auckland rink losing by 18 to 25. The Auckland ladies were entertained by the local ladies, and a very fine welcoming address was given by the club president, Mr. J. C. Minns, to which Mr. Parker responded. By commandeering Mr. Pollard instead of the usual skip, there was a full rink to meet the brothers Boldery, and to win by 27 to 24, but two rinks were made up when there was an invitation to the private green of Mr. P. Maggs, where they were most lavishly entertained, and both won. A similar invitation to visit the private green of Mr. Cribbs has also been accepted, including the ladies. Last Friday they were to play at Coorparoo, where the president, Mr. J. C. K. Sibbald, is a former resident of Christchureh, and 011 Saturday at Booroodabin, at the invitation of the new president, Mr. Ravmond. Everywhere they go there are kind inquiries regarding former visitors to Queensland.

MOUNT ALBERT TOURNEY.

Skips to enter for tho Mount Albert Bowling Club's pnlrs tourney to be held to-morrow :—Taylor. Hollows. Moors, Well*. Pook, Norcross, E. Thomas. Dick, .T. Thomas, Sage, Fisher, .Loram, Eagleton, McCarthy.