BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 150, 14 March 1918, Page 9

BOWLS

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS RINKS HATAITAI AND PETONE IN THE FINAL Tho Wellington Bowling Centra's champion of champions' riiiks tourney was continued yesterday on tho Wellington Ciub's green, in perfect weather. Tho green was keen and the players wore keener, and the play generally was of a high standard. The results ivero as follow: — J SECOND HOUND. Hutt: Meyrick, Auger, Simpson, llodguis (s.), ID. Jouusourillo: Urr, Jacobs. Petne, W. L. Thompson (s.), IS. . Hataitai: Feilding. C'hisholm, Claridgo, Oheeseniaii (s.), i! 9. Seatoun: North' Magill, M'U'iiiuin, M'Girr (s.), G. Wellington: lloberts, Ledger, Gooder, Horner (s.), 23. Khandallah: Vincent, Mansfield, M'Arthur, .Oumbeil ,(s.), 15. ' Thorndon: Hadfield, Ecss, Thomson, Conlin (s.). 29. Island Bay: Castle, O'Dea, Ballinger, Gruar (s.), 13. Kclbura: C'aughloy, il'Coll, Graj', Stephens (s.)', 19. Victoria: Fossettc, Jackson. Hemingway, Snaddon (s.), 15. Jsowtowii: Prince, Spiers, Duff, Wylie (s.), 20. Kavoti: Henderson, llolj-ert-B, Bum, Cooper (s.), 19. Eastbournp (against Te Hiwi) and Petono (against Upper Hutt) won bj default. ' ' THIRD BOUND. Hataitai beat Newtown, 19—9. lhorndon beat Eastbourne, '28 — H. Wellington beat Kolburn, 28—17. : Petone—M'Ewan, Robertsoii, Melluiish, Heynon (s.) —beat Hutt, 21 —15. SEMT-FINAL. Petono beat Wellington.. 20—19. Hataitai beat Thorndon, 21—18. ,' NOTES ON TWE PLAY. ■ Oue of tho best games in the second round was tha tusslo between iS:ewtowu (who put ill « formidable rink) and ILorori. Karori forged ahead at tha start, and at tho tentli head held a iive-poiut advantage. Then iNewtown clapped on points in successive heads, making the score 15 —11. Then by a curious change of fortune Jiarori notched a six, which gave that club a two-point advantage. Then by sheer accurate drafting Newtown scored three on llio twentieth head. On tho final head Cooper managed to draw the shot,, nialdrg the snores even. The play-o(f saw sonio really excellent drawing, but a neat little trail by Wylib buried the jack rather neatly, and Cooper failed to alter the position.

Another well-contested game was that between Lower Hutt and Johnsonville.. Id was ' anybody's game right up to the last bowl. The rinks were.' 17 all on tho nineteenth head. Hutt scored a single ointho. twentieth, and Johnsonvillo on the twenty-first. The extra head saw Hutt lying the shot and tho game. .... Hataitai did as ahoy liked with Seatoun, who only scored six points in five heads, whilst "tunhellers" clapped on twenty-nine. Wellington led Khandallali tho whole way, and won comfortably oy o'ight points after an interesting game. Island Bay tvenb down heavily to Thorndon, and Vic-, toria fell to Kelbum's butter play by four points only.

In the third round Kelburn, whose play was hardly so accurate as in tho second round game, went down substantially to Wellington, i Horner (Wellington's skip) played particularly, well, and tho luck ran with him: Eastbourne surprised everyone by going down steadily to Thorndon. They, wanted seven'to. tio on the last head, and only managed to get bno. The- Mayor brothers, for I'lastbourne, were not nearly so deadly as usual. Marquis was erratic, and Powell was never far away. Thomson and ' Conlin played soundly for the winners. Uutt led Petono up till the eleventh head. Petone got a six on the twelfth head, and wero never afterwards headed, winning comfortably by six points. The Hataitai" rink (skipped by Cheesman) caine out of its slioll to inflict a sound beating on Newtown, considered to bo tho host team in tho tournament (on paper;. Tho game was closely and cleverly contestod up till the fifteenth head, when tho score was 12—9 in Ha-" taitai's favour, but on tho next four heads Hataitai added another sevon points by accurate play and good generalship, making it unnecessary to play tho final head.- The result of tins game upset everyone's calculations. Once again a protest has to. bo'raised against thoso day-end games being commenced so late that the last few heads havo to be played in the dark. The. last throe heads in the serai-finals were played in a badly-failing light, in which it was impossible either to sco the lay of, the bowls or to judge tho length of the head, and finally mutches had to be lit to show, approximately, the whereabouts of the jack. To decide a championship under such conditions is ridiculous, jjtill, the management was not hi any way to blame, us the competing rinks agreed to play on, as they did not wish to cut into another afternoon lor tho sake of playing three heads. Threegames of iilneads is easily possible in January, but mid-March is another proposition altogether, and rink championships arc to bo played ao this time of tiie year the Ceulre might consider tho advisability •of playing only two'rounds.a day. The semi-finals provided some excellent play as long as the light, lasted. Hataitai mantaincd its good lorr.i against Thorndon, and raced away at the start, scoring nine points beloro Thorndon had chalked up- -a single. Then tho Thorndon men got the measure of the green, and a fine game resulted. '• Hataitai, thanks to the good leading of i'uilding, the accurate play of (jlaridge, and the strong, confident play of Cheesman managed to keep a point or two ahead. Thorndon crept up to within a point of their opponents on the nineteenth head, but the two last heads—played' in the dark (when anybody ' might have scored) worked out in singles for Il.ata.itai. •

The game between Wellington and Petone was a remarkable ono. , Petono scored on- the first head, then for seven heads could not get a move on. Horner's men played with fine confidence and more than a fair share of luck, until a wayward fate brought tlieir score to 33 on the thirteenth head. There thoy stuck, whilst Petone scored 4_2—3—2 on successive heads, making the Bcore 17—13 in Petone's favour. The fickle goddess, having proved the potency of her sway, then smiled on Horner. The Wellington skip wished to carry tV kitty back with a fairly firm drive He was wretchedly narrow, but slid off an innocent wing bowl, glanced in, cleaned up the enemy trenches, and lay fivo shots, amidst a roar of laughter from the bank. Wellington, 18; Petono, 17. On the nineteenth head, AVellington scored a single, thanks to tho oiieniy, and the twentieth, played in the gloom, saw Petone notch i\ couplo —19 all. The last head, played in the dark, saw M'Ewan draw a shot eighteen inohes behind the jack, which was never displaced. That bowl gave Petone the game. THE FINAL. The' final game will commence on tho Wellington Club's green at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The teams are:—PeJoue: M'Ewan, Robertson, Melbuish,

lieynon (s.); H.itaitai: Fcilding, Cliisholiu, A. C'lnrklge, Gbeesinan (s.;. i\'o\vtown teams in the Pennant v. Victoria will bo:—Away: S. K Jjiiko, Maimon A. Pollock, Wylio (s.); I'lnlli[)s, Middlebrook, Leahy, Prince (s.); Blenkinsop, Grensidc, Ast-ill, Laughtou (s.); Lovasteiai, Darker, .Hanson, J, M. iirackenridgo (a.). Home: Pankliurst, 'J'albot, Bicliards, Scotb (s.); C. Dnvis, A. Davies, Spiers, Noblo (s.); Cliitty, Ferguson J. Sexton, J. Brackenridgo (s.). In tlie friendly, Nowtoivu v. Wei' lington, Nowtown will bo'represented by the following :—Home: Alpo, Revell, W. Roberts, Laws (s.); Crengel, E. Read, Fl.vuer, J. Maitin (s.); Drew, Caterer, Fyfio, . Popple (s.) j Gyles, Porter, Haycruit. Tonks (s.). Home: Green, Kigg, J. Roberts, Crosby (s.); Piayne, Thompson, M'Comisky, Priddle (s.); Eemminglon, Trevor, C. Martin, M. Smith (s.); F. 'Bobbins; Parkinson, Armstrong, Swiney (s.). NEWTOAVN-HATAfTAI TOURNAMENT. . ;■•. Following is the draw for the rinks tourney to ho held on St. Patrick's Day. The names of the skips only are mentioned:— On Newtown green: Section A —Duff (Newtown), Thompson (Johnsonville), Martin (Hataitai), Thompson (Wellington); Section B—Ardell (Hataitai), Scott (Nowtown), Dillon (Lyall Bay), James (Wellington); Section C—Ward (llntn itai). Gannaway'(Kplburn), Gilbert (Lyall Bay), Potter (Wellington); Section D—Dumbell (Khandallah), Caughley (Kclburn), 'Williams '(Har taitai). Goodor (Wellington). On Hataitai green: Section E~E-im-«ay (Wellington), Prince (Newtown), Diiguid (Kelburn). Ferauson (Te Hiwi); Sretion F—Blako (Wellington), Spiers (Newtown), M'Girr, sen. (Soatoun), Gruar (Island Bay^; Section G— Simpson (Hutt). M'Girr, jnn. (Seatwin), Barker (Newtown), Fountain (Hataitai); Section H—Cheesman (TTntaitai). Smith (Newtown), Taplin (Jolinsonville'i, Townsend (Hataifcai). The following players will represent Victoria Clnb in tlw final name of the Pennants' competition aeainst Pptone on Saturday:—At home: Baudinet, Thompson, Boltnn, : los«>tto # (s.)': Botty. i Jenkins. V»tcop. Heruin<Tway (s.); Macmorran, R.. Dixon. Chapman, Redstone (s.l; Madeley. M'Leod, Martin, Marks (r.). Away: Townsend; Gcdbcr. Hunt. NoTwnod (s.); Fraser, Campbell, Scott., Jackson (5. , ): Thornley, Youroans, Lancdon. Snaddon (s.); Tiioicer. KHtn, Hatch. Keith (s.), TV following will represent the Municipal Bowling Chili. Petone. in friendlv ganins against Lower Hutt on , Saturday:—Home: Henry. Rrjence, Parker. EcWsley ("•); Harris, Fis!">r, Camulipll, Green (s.): Lacey. Appleyard, Towers. Allen (s.V Away: A. E. Parkin, Bro"-n. Ibsll. Senior (s.l; Ashbv. Taylor, Hnigh, Sefldon (s.): J. [Parkin. Dininp. Pawson, Harman (s.).