PAIRS CHAMPIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 19

PAIRS CHAMPIONS

FINAL MATCH. WIN FOR ROBINSON. GISBORNE PLAYERS DEFEATED HIGH STANDARD DISPLAYED. (By TRUNDLKR ) If ever thrrn wn, any doubt about the P'lptilnrity of tlio siiijrlos guino of bowls, it. must have bcon dimipnted yesterday afternoon, who,, severul hundred spectators ninde a br.-line for the gate when J S. Martin (F.llerslic) niisHod his drive' Inning W. C. Franks (Balmoral) the winner c f the twelfth round by 19 to 17. This remarkable exodus took place in •pite of the fact tliat on the same green .it Carlton there was still proceeding a lino contest between two rinks who were theoretically, and probably actually, the best of the 119 visiting rinks who had been playing f or the championship of -New Zetland since the previous Friday. Possibly the move was to be expected, f." I* ranks and Martin had given a thrilling exhibition, with much more fast work I Kin usual, and as the result the board nioueil tit,, position after each end instead or being used only for the final, the specUtoi* could take a much more intelligent interest in the contest. Scores Kept Close. During the whole game the scores were near enough to keep everybody on the watch, and Martin's only lapse to disappoint the crowd was on the twentieth end, which started all square. Neither could reach the jack. Franks lying shot on the backhand about a yard oway Martin j„nt missed beating it, his bowi rubbing off it on the outside. Instead of taking off a yard of pace, on that hand, he attempted the forehand, without success. and his last bowl was wrecked on a bowl three yards short. Franks had more than a yard to draw a third shot and trot in for a third counter. This left' hnn three up, so nil he did was to pair Mantin s bowl on the last end, content to leave his opponent the shot, and Martin missed two drives in an attempt to kill the jack. While nearly every head during the built up in nn interesting fashion, probably the best was the sixternth. Franks had a toucher on the jack, but Martin came on the same hand and connected, gently turning out the toucher about a foot, and lying shot an inch or two closer. Franks picked up the jack, amid applause, and when Martin missed his drive he changed his hand and drew another, to lead by 16 to 12. Meantime the advantage of the automatic draw had enabled the thirteenth round to be played several hours before Franks had defeated Martin in the twelfth, as it was "T"i c winner would get the bye, while H. L. Cowper (Ponsonby) played A. Connew (Mount Albert). ,Tli is was quite a different game, with Wry little fast work, but neither player Hesitated to drive when there was nothing else on, Connew being the more successful. 'Hie feature of the game was the large number of touchers, but one of these was exceptional. On one bead Cowper had one of bis numerous backhand toucher* on the jack, v«ft an angic of quite 30 degree* from the ®> Pl*y> if not more, obviously inviting Connew to play the forehand. However, there was a bowl to be in the draw, so he took the backhand. To the amaaement of all, his howl was delivered with such accuracy ia nug mif pace that it curled round Gowper's shot without touching it. Ml over, and actually separated the toucher from the jack for shot! It would be interesting to know if anybody haa ever before seen such a shot, and it molt have raised great hopes of a stirring contest this afternoon, when Connew was to meet Itonka in tb'e flnal, for tne latter is a much more smh' •ive player than Cowper, although probably no better on tha dead draw.

PUnk* Cnrtnb. There via * fair margin wfteo J. 8. .Anrihor and W. J. Robinson (Han*3ton) played U. Balfour and I. Btephemon (Oiaborne), *nd thdr wrljr tdraoUn wu increased Jbjr At tin* the game finished, but the game mm decidedly enlivened iif Stephenson's wrrtt driving. This htm tor Anchor wu outplaying Balfour, usually liriag Robinson a useful foundation on mek m could work, and f*VliaM'l MMjr diaptNd of any idea that *>e finrfwas 4m rvimwmr that might be gathered from Hia more df SJL to 18. On timautai grounds ttm would have bean no regrets it Balfour and IfetpheiMon bad won, for Hm onljr rihampioiubip ever won by Oiaborna was 32 fears ago, wfeea A- Sawyer and J. J. Martin worn Mm pain. On A* other bud Jbto to the ttind time in succession that a Hamilton pair has won Una event in Aoddand, H. O. Loveridge and R. K. filkimtoo winning in 1031, and again in 1005, although it was raid at the tame that they only competed in 1995 on the pressintr invitation of the president of the association, Mr. Raymond Sheath. Three 'Wine in succession in the aaoie city to a club faaa only once before been equalled, Maxwell Walker vinning tlie singles for Ponsonlby in Auckland in 191 a, 1919 and 1923. The Mrt Final. In the champion rinks two rounds were played yesterday, the feature in the second round being the ■pronounced success of the two local rinks, thoee of Franks (Balmoral) and Deare (Carlton) in defeating two visiting teams, skipped by Naylor (Hutaitai), acting for Brirfhting, and Lobb (West End, New Plymouth). It is a coincidence that Franks, tlhc only two-lifer, 1* in the finals for the first time, but the other three were hi the laat four survivors eight yeara ago in Auckland, when Deare defeated Brighting in the final, after the latter had defeated Lobb. Nay lor's defeat waa notable for hia very fine saves when the 4hot waa against him, as it so often waa when he went to the ftmt. While all the Balmoral men played well, the work of .T. F. Benson as third was again outstanding. On one head, When Naylor lay two or three, Benson played <np the jack with a swinging run and carried it nearly to the ditdh, getting a further round of applause when ihe put his second right alonpiide it. This is obviously Benson's year, for whenever Franks gave hrion a difficult idiot, he seemed to get it with his second, if (he missed with his first. It was quite a treat to see Naylor's recoveries, but the heads were far too often loaded against him for him to win. LoM/n team did not rise to their usual standard, an<l they allowed Deare to run nway in the latter stages of the gome, well reported by 'his team, and (particularly by some nice shots from Fraser, whereas they had allowed the visitors to outplay til mm at first. Further results are:— FOURS EVENT. Eighth Round.—Franks 19, v. Brighting J6: Deare 27, v. Lobb 15/ Brighting and Lobb were eliminated. PAIRS EVENT. Fisa!. —J, S. Anchor and W. RcWnsoti fHamilton) 25. v. L. Balfour and I. Stephenson (Giaborne) JJJSINGLES EVENT. Seventh Round.—W. Franks (Balmoral) 11, J. S. Martin (Ellerilie) 17. f