REDUCED TO SIX

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 16, 20 January 1939, Page 13

REDUCED TO SIX

RINKS TITLE.

INTERESTING STAGE. THREE VISITING TEAMS AND THREE LOCAL. PAIRS FINAL THIS AFTERNOON (By TRUXDLER.) Spectators enjoyed a treat at Carlton J esterda.v. when a large temporary stand erected during the night enabled several hundred people to get an uninterrupted view of the main green. They saw three rounds of the rink cDampionslup. and T°\eial games in the pairs and singles. Interest was further increased by an amplifier giving progress reports of all the matches being played. 1 lie net result of the day's plav in the links Was to reduce he 29 survivors of the hist days section play to six, two tvyo-liiers, and four one-lifers. This means that ir the winning two-lifer goes through unbeaten, the champion rink will be found m two more rounds after this morning; but it defeated in either of those two rounds, will require an additional round. Ihe play yesterday was of a very high standard, probably very largely due to th v ' wind being less troublesome, and visitors enjoyed the unusual experience of being able to watch rinks, pairs and singles all on one green. There was shown a distinct interest in the singles, when a large proportion of the spectators moved to the further end of the stand, on learning that A. Connew (Mount Albert 1 was to meet H. L. Cowper (Ponsonbyl at that end of flie green, the latter being the onlv unbeaten player out of the 406 who competed. The game proved a closer contest than the score of 20 to 11 in favour of Connew might suggest, as each player showed remarkable ability in recovering from awkward poeitions. Connew gave the impression of higher strategy, usually having a bowl where the jack was likely to finish, if moved. His delivery is perfect, a model to others, and he gets his

bowl away with the machine-like accuracy that gave him such a spectacular win. in the open singles of the centre last season. Spectators had the unusual experience of seeing a whole game played without a single bowl being wobbled. R. S. Somervell (Ponsonbv) repeated hi* performance of four years ago, and went out only after an interesting game against C. H. de Launay (Carlton), but the latter could not stand up to Cowper late in the afternoon. Walter Franks (Balmoral) has been the "tar performer in the tournament to date and a bye in the links enabled him to meet X. Bell (Takapuna) in the singles, winning rather easily, in spite of Bell's numerous recoveries. It seems extraordinary that the latter could get as far as he did in this contest, seeing that he has been virtually out of the game for five or six years. Fi anks made a splendid showing in the rinks, as he was against such resourceful skips tliat even the strong support of each meijiber of his team would not have been sufficient without his own accurate play. His son, in number two position, did his full share and the veteran Robertson '•leased the crowd by often putting his first bowl on the jack, but Benson excelled himself and has never been seen r> better advantage. Bowlers were glad to see Love's Sydnev :nk make such a good showing. It is a "••eat performance to be in the last 11 surivors from 220 rinks competing for the championship of New Zealand. Fourteen

rounds should make theci think that their trip across the Tasmaa was worth " bile and they propose to see more of New Zealand befor® returning. Good Rinks Left. There were no weaklings left at the end of yesterday's play, as any who had doubts about Evans and his Hamilton supporters would gather an entirely different impression after they had eo decisively defeated Parsons (Ponsonby t and McMaster (Stanley), the latter fresh from his spectacular win on the post against Thomas (Mount Albert). V\ . H. Tongue (Rocky Nookl must have surprised his friends in being the sole survivor to leturn to Carlton this morning out of the eight strong rinks competing at Mount Eden. The track was easier, however. after narrowly defeating Addison (Edendale). and both sidej» would enjoy the meeting, for Roan and Hill. Tongue's second and third, are former champions of Edendale. and four years ago a distinguished visitor to tlie Dominion tournament declared that Hill was the best number three he had met in Auckland. It is significant that th»ee of the six skips who entered upon this mornings play should happen to be three of the four who were in the semi-final eight years ago. These are Deare. Lc>bb and Blighting, although Xaylor ha* jefn acting as skip for Brighting's rink. This invests the final stages with more than usual interest, for none of them has had an easy passage to reach the seventh round of post-section play. Connew got the bye in the twelfth round of the singles, after defeating Cowper in the previous round, and they will meet again in the thirteenth round, the bye going to the winner of the Martin and Franks game.' They have yet to play in the twelfth round. This game is held op until Franks is released from the rinks. Further results were:— Risks Event. CARLTON GREEN. Fifth Round.—Franks 23. r. Lobb 11 : Deare 25. v. Love 20: Rolls 22. v. Spiller 12; Evans 23. v. McMaster 15; Newman 17, v. Walker 16; Brightin& / 20, r. PuhJt 13; Nielsen 29. r. Bremner 22. Spiller. McMaster. Walker, Purdy a ltd Bremner were eliminated. Sixth Round.—Franks, a bre; Deare (Carlton) 22. v. Rolls 21: Lobb 23. t. Love 19 : Bright in* 13, t. Nielsen 14 ; Brans 21. v. Newman IS. Rolls. Newman, Nielsen and Lore were eliminated.

MOUNT KDEX GREEN. Fifth Round—Falre 19, v. 8ow«d H; Tongue 15, ▼. R. v. Thomas 14. Smeed and Thomas wei* eliminated. Sixth Round.—Tongue 20, ▼. Faire 11. Faire was eliminated. Singlas XnpL Fifth Round.-—Connew (Moupt Albert) 20. v. Cowper (I'onsonby) 11: Frank* (Balmoral) 22, v. X. Bell, jun. (Takapona) Bell was eliminated. Round.—Cowper 20, t. de lauMj De Launay wit eliminated. Pain Event. Sixth Round. —Robinson 19, t. Wbrt* (Sydenham) IS. Whyte was eliminated.