CHRISTMAS BOWLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 13

CHRISTMAS BOWLS.

MANY STRONG RINKS.

PROSPECTS rOR TOURWEY.

COMMENCEMENT ON TUESDAY.

(By TRUNDLER.)

The Christina# tournament of the Auckland Ce.itre ia to start next Tuesday with 80 rinks. Thia is the same number as last year, and the most striking difference in Uie personnel will be the presence ol five Kemuera rinks, against only one last year, and two from Helenwille, whereas there were none last year, .. T . h .? HeJensville HnK skipped by T. T. McAlister is in section F, playing at Oneh|>£*«l Kemuera •" ,d Mount Eden. It is quite likely to qualify for post-section play, tor the condition* are not like Banter, when only the section winners and ties go for- .. week there is every probability that six wins out of nine starts will be enough to qualify.. Strongest opposition Q«y come from the Jury family, supported by Walter Basklvllle, if they play like chey did in tbe pairs last March. Another strong rink is under the control of H. E. Roberts, Carlton, formerly of Balmoral. He ha* as No. 3 Vince Little, who played well in the singles a fortnight ago. A. M. Elliot Is probably the beat No. 2 «t Carlton, so Roberts should go a lons way. W. B. Tongue (Itocl:, Nook) may be worth watching, for his No. 8 Is K. W. Bonn, a former double champion of Edendale, who played a wonderful game in the pennants a few weeks ago. W. J. Short (Pukekohe), with the same support as when he won lost Christmas, should again provide strong opposition. VV, H. Keatley (Rocky Nook) seems sure to qualify from section E, for he has two club champions in front of him, in W. E. Oughton and V. B. Ellisdon, while R. Bandrup has Improved out of sight since ha won the arst-year championship four years ago. Another strong rink Is that led by G. H. Woolley (Auckland), supported by L. Pttkethley, 3. B. McPhail and J. VV. Barber, runner-up in the Balmoral championship last year, and winner the previous year; C, H. d$ Launay (Carlton) will be well supported by A. Cutler, H. B. Jenkln and B. Higgott. M. B. Buchan, the Champion of Bawhlti. and former champion of champions of the North Auckland Centre, ll taking an Epeom rink, as in the Dominion tournament a fortnight later. «o he also vtll be well watchecT

Walter Frank* (Balmoral) ought to 1 qualify quite easily In section D, for he has |C. P. Robertson and J. F. Benson again, who helped him so spectacularly in the Dominion rinks last January, And the No. 2 position will not be weakened by substituting W. A. Hill, a former champion of Balmoral. Peter Stewart's Matamata rink is likely to reach Carlton; although almost any of the others may" also get glx wins. It Is rather different in section C, where there are several outstanding skips with rinks so strong that there seems little chance for the rest. Specially notable in that respect are J. H. Minglns. now OneItuhga, G. A. Deare (Carlton). H. H. Garry (Balmoral) and R. S, Higginbotham (Ponaonby), Section A la much the same, for there seams to ha very little hope after meeting H;- Whittle (CJrejr Xynn), with his team for .Wellington.'ln January, R. McMaster, with the pick of Stanley, R. Thomas (Mount Albert), supported by Arthur Con/iew and Theo Walker, while the evergreen Max Walker always seems able to reproduce his old form when he really want* It.

Section B may send several forward, and it would not be surprising to see Raymond Sheath again in the firing line, for, he has J. C. E. Kissling, W. Foubister and E. H. Henderson, all ready to help. H. L. Koeford (St. Heller's) may get through, also I 1 red Dyson (Haliyburton Johnstone) and Irving Clarke (Auckland), well supported by his son Arthur.