BOWLS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25380, 31 December 1947, Page 3

BOWLS

FIVE RINKS REMAIN I CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT NEARS CONCLUSION Three games in post-sectional play which were not virtually decided until at least the final three ends, marked the third day of the Christchurch Bowling Centre’s Christmas tournament. Ten fours 3ualified for post-sectional play, and after le first round and part of the second round, five rinks remained. The greens were tricky in a strong north-westerly wind. Sixteen rinks had chances of qualifying when the last two rounds were played yesterday, byt there were several upsets. A four skipped by Larcombe (Opawa) won its first five games, but went down in the next three. In another section. Chapman (R.S.A.) required to win his last game against Kay (Edgeware), who had already qualified, but he went down by six points in the vital game. Four rinks qualified in section C. The major upset in this section was when K. R. Smith’s strong Edgewary four was soundly beaten by A. M. Hollander (Elmwood) In the eighth round. Each rink needed the win in this game; Smith did not play on the second and third days, and his place was taken by G. Williams, who played his best bowls as No. 3. W. R. Featherston (Elmwood), who qualified with six wins, won his two games in sectional play yesterday by comfortable margins. Carrell (Beckenham) in the same section, won seven games. In post-sectional play the best game was that between McGarry’s Canterbury rink skipped by R. E. McNish, and A. Carrell. McNish led all the way, but never by more than two or three points until the last few ends. The Canterbury rink owed its margin to two brilliant shots by McNish. On one end he sprang the jack near the ditch from a closely-packed head to lie four, and on another occasion he rested his opponent’s shot bowl on top of the jack, to lie three. At the nineteenth end, McNish led by seven, and after that the issue was not in doubt. C. Spearman (R.S.A.) beat A. Harrison (Barrington), but had to struggle hard for two-thirds of the game. His team, playing excellent bowls from the fifteenth end, was not thereafter challenged. A. M. Hollander (Elmwood) won his game by three points from R. Taylor (Runanga) in a match in" which fortunes fluctuated. Featherston won comfortably from J. White, skipping T. Kirk’s United rink, after establishing a big lead early in the game. In this match, White’s second, T. B. Grant, played without his own bowls for half the game. Another competitor had taken them from the green in error. The bowls were recovered, and Grant's form improved immediately, but it was too late. When nine behind with two ends to go. White burned two heads without avail. After the last second-round match between Featherston and Spearman has been played this morning, the semi-finals and final will be played this afternoon. The following rinks qualified for postsectionai play after eight founds had been played with six or more wins:— Section A.—Seven wins: A. Bowman, S. Manderson, T. Mitchell, R. Taylor (s.) (Runanga). Six wins: E. Winterbottom, B. O. Priddis, A. Ball, C. Spearman (s.) (R.S.A.). Section B.—Seven wins: V. Sharp, A. R. Alexander, C. D. McGarry, R. E. McNish (s.) (Canterbury); V. Armstrong, H. Washbourne, G. McNatty, H. B. Kay (s.) (Shirley). Section C. —Six wins: A. Williams, R. W. Wornall, E. Mather, R. Shore (s.) (Imperial); C. E. Barnes, T. B. Grant, T. Quirk, J. White (s.) (United): P. Mummery, A. Blakeway, P. Giddens, A. Harrison (s.) (Barrington); C. M. Morris, J. J. Hall, E. N. Roberts, A. M. Hollander (s.) (Elmwood). Section D.—Seven wins: F. Bearne, F. Howarth. J .Morrison, A. Carrell (s.) (Beckenham). Six wins: J. Connell, F. Dobson, J. Howden, W. R. Featherston (s.) (Elmwood). Results of section games played yesterday were:— SECTION A R.S.A. Green Seventh Round.—Taylor (Runanga) 22, Atkinson (United) 21: Morland (St. Albans) 20, Larcombe (Opawa) 19; Lorking (Beckenham) 27, Hatherley (Elmwood) 9; Wallan (Elmwood) 17, McCormack (Woolston) 15; Spearman (R.S.A.) 26. Marks (Chch.) 13. Eighth Round.—Spearman 28, Larcombe 15; Taylor 27, Lorking 15; Marks 28. McCormack 8; Wallan 22, Atkinson 16. SECTION B Elmwood Green Seventh Round.—Kay (Shirley) 22. Kebby (United) 19; Carmine (Edgeware) 28, Roud (Barrington) 25; McGarry (Canterbury) 21 Gwatkin (Riccarton) 18; Lowery (Leeston) 18, Chapman (R.S.A.) 16: Maloney (Woolston) 20, Nicholson (Elmwood) 17. Eighth Round—Carmine 31, Nicholson 13; McGarry 21, Kebby 16; Maloney 25. Lowery 17; Roud 17, Gwatkin 14; Kay 24, Chapman 18. SECTION C Opawa Green Seventh Round.—Hollander (Elmwood) 23. Cairns (Woolston) 18: McLean (Canterbury) 29, Ellingsford (Shirley) 20; Harrison (Barjingtoh) 21. Robinson (New Brighton) Smith (Edgeware) 24, Quirk (United) IgilShore (Imperial) 20, Packer (R.S.A.) 17.- ' Eighth Round.—Ellingford 20. Packer 13; Harrison 25, Cairns 18; Quirk 27, Shore 17; Robinson 22, McLean 10; Hollander 19, Smith 16. SECTION D Canterbury. Green Seventh Round.—Perry (Edgeware) 24, Seymour (Sydenham) 20: Carrell (Beckenham) 26, Reardon (Cashmere) 10; Bond (St. Albans) 23, Jones (Linwood) 15; Featherston (Elmwood) 25, Turland (Opawa) 11. Eighth Round.—Reardon 26, Turland 21; Seymour 22, Bond I‘9: Featherston 21. James 9: Carrell 21, Jones 20; Perry 26. Woolcock 14. POST-SECTION PLAY Canterbury Green First Round—Spearman 22, Harrison 14; Featherston 28. Quirk 19. Byes: Shore. Kay, Carrell, McGarry, Taylor, Hollander. Second Round.—Kay 28, Shore 8; McGarry 25, Carrell 16; Hollander 15, Taylor 12.