RINKS FINAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 10

RINKS FINAL.

CHAMPION FOURS. VICTORY FOR FRANKS. DEFEAT OF CARLTON. DEARE LEADS AT START. Playing a great uphill game after being well down in the early stages, the Balmoral rink, skipped by Walter C. Franks, won the fours bowling championship of New Zealand at the Carlton green this morning, their opponents being the Carlton link, skipped by C. A. l)oa re. The teams were: — A. Taylor. I). C. Fraser. J, A. Bird, C. A. Deare (Carlton), v. C. F. Robert son, H. Franks, .1. F. Benson, Walter C. Frank* (Balmoral). Franks started in the happy position of having two lives. Half-way through the game he drew level. He kept his grip on the situation, maintained his winning advantage, and went on to win l>y 32 points to 11 at the end of the eighteenth head. From the sixth head Franks scored 30 points to his opponent's two. The Balmoral skip had played faultlessly from the moment he really settled down. When the end came there was a scenc of great enthusiasm on the part of the big gallery of spectators, who had followed a championship match played under the ideal circumstances of bright sunshine, a fast green, and absence of the troublesome wind of previous days which was such a trial to the most seasoned players. Play Described. On the first head Taylor held two, hut Franks, jun., beat one with his first, and then trailed for shot. Fraser went through, and Bird drew a measure for shot, but Benson settled it by tipping the white. Dearies first trailer was a perfect toucher, and his second stopped in front, but Franks used it to rub in on the jack, his toucher going just too far to beat Deare, o—l.0 —1. When playing <he second head, Robertson was nearly on the jack with his first and promoted it for two, Fraser pushing one out, which Franks, jun., replaced with a toucher. Benson pushed out one, but really made the head safer. Bird was wide and short, leaving Deare to draw shot, a few inches short. I 1 rallies landed on the jack without altering the count, and Deare could only replace his own with another second shot. I—l.

Taylor held the sfiot in the third, but too far in front to be useful, until Bird turned one over, Fraser meantime counting with one jack high. Bird added a third. Deare added a fourth, alongside it, and Franks appeared likely to stop on them, but ran through, leaving Carlton the whole four. I—s. Taylor was on the jack first In the next and Franks had the misfortune to push in Taylor's short bowl for another. Franks then drove, and Benson drove twice, all missing. Deare got a light rub to come in for a third counter, but Franks smashed into the head and moved the whole three, turning the jack for Deare to count with a wide bowl. I—6. Deare Still Leads. Taylor was short in the following end until Benson trailed, unfortunately leaving Carlton to count with the back bowl. Deare added another but Franks put his first almost on the jack, both skips failing to alter with their second attempts. 2- —6. Taylor had a toucher in the sixth, and Fraser reached it without adding. Benson's drive missed, and Franks moved three with a drive without altering, and then dropped short. Deare's second shot promoted Fraser for three. 2—». Robertson held two in the seventh, and Benson added a perfect toucher. Bird drove out one, and Benson then went behind, to stop Deare from driving, but Franks nearly gave one away by promoting a Carlton bowl, a measure still leaving two to count. 4 —o. Taylor just beat Robertson's good shot in the next, Fraser adding a second. Benson ran through the head, and Bird drew into the dangerous trail. Franks' perfect trail carried the white well past Bird's protecting bowl, and Deare was wrecked on short wood. s—-9. Robertson was almost on the white in the ninth, but too far over to save from Fraser's jack-high shot. Bird trailed to a safer place, but Benson ran hiin off. making Robertson apparently shot. Franks promoted him for two. 7—». Taylor next drew a toucher, and then came into the trail for safety, Franks, jun., getting a good second. Benson turned him over without saving, and then drove out Taylor for three. Deare used his last bowl to drive the jack into the ditch for one. 7—10.' Scores Levelled. Franks, jun., beat Taylor for shot on the eleventh, and all missed until Franks, sen., put one on it. Bird being over, and Deare narrow with hi* first draw and over and wide with his run. Frank' played a perfect draw for three, to level the score for the first time. 10—10. Robertson in the next played a perfect trail to beat Taylor for two, Fraser saving one with a run, but Franks, jun., replaced it with a perfect draw, and Benson added two. Bird saved two of them by gently turning out Benson. Franks rushed into the head without

altering count, and although Deare apparently made it safer it left Franks an opening to draw a second. 12 —10. Taylor had a beauty on each side of the white iu the thirteenth, Franks getting a measure for second, ■which Benson settled by running out the doubtful Carlton bowl. 12 —11. Fraser added a toucher to Taylor's shot in the next. Franks, jun., saving one by tipping in Robertson. Fraser responded by pushing him out for three, and Bird made it four by pushing him a bit further, so Benson drove into the head and sent the jack out of bounds. On the replay Taylor held shot, and Fraser added a toucher. Benson stopped on him for shot, and Deare had the bad luck to trail to Franks' wide bowl for two down, Franks adding a third. 13—11. Franks Draws Away. Franks beat Taylor"* nearest in the fifteenth, and Fraser was nearer still for shot. Benson nearly saved it with his lir.st, ami then played a perfect drive tor two, his toucher being quite close to the jack. Franks added a third, almost on the kerb, and Deare unfortunately pushed in a fourth for his oppo nent. 19—11. Taylor t>cut Robertson for shot on the next, but Franks beat him, almost on the white, and his father put one alongside him. Deare drove out one, but Franks used his second bowl to trail for three. Deare left tlie open hand for a drnw. and attempted a trail, but was too wide. 22 —11. Robertson s shot in the seventeenth resisted a!I attempts to better : t un»il Frank* hitntelf turned it over for 'hrtc, Deare unfortunately making it five for Balmoral with a disastrous drive. 27—11. Robertson held the shot on the final head until Fraser curled round him to the jack. Benson nearly beat him with a lucky wick, and Franks put one alongside for another second. Deare drove at them, but picked out his own for live down, and immediately shook hands 32—11.

Hint Leaders. The winning Balmoral skip, W. C. trunks, came from the Wairarapa, where he played bowls at Featherston and Masterton. He was champion of champions in the singles for that district, and also won the pairs championship. He skipped two successful rinks, in Kaster tourney* at Wellington, and the 1930 Auckland Christmas fours, the first major tournament won by the Balmoral Club. He has been competing in the Dominion tourney for 20 years, but this is the first time he has reached postsection play. G. A. Deare, the runner-up. lias been playinjr for 13 years on and off with the Carlton Club. His first New Zealand championship success was in 1931, when, as skip of the Dunedin Club four, he won the rinks tourney at Auckland. The following year he >vas runner-up to the same section, and he also reached the semi-final of the pairs at Christchurch. In 1933 he was runner-up in the Duncdin singles championship, and in 1934, still as a member of the Dunedin Club, he reached the semi-finals of both rinks and pairs at the Dominion tourney. He was next heard of at Wellington in 1935, when he won the champion of champion pairs of that centre. Last year he became singles champion of the Mount Eden Club. To-day. for the second time, he was runner-up in the rinks section of the Dominion championships.