BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 83, 2 January 1930, Page 8

BOWLS

WELLINGTON CENTRE TOURNEY

BRIGHTING WINS AGAIN THIRD SUCCESS ON END For the third year in succession the Hataitai rink, skipjied by H. Brighting, has won the Wellington Centre’s bowling tournament. This is a feat that will go down in local bowling history, for it has never been done before, and the chances are it will never be done again. The final game, played under wretched conditions on the Wellington Bowling Club’s green on Tuesday afternoon, was a triumph of combination plus skill. The personnel of the winning rink has not been changed for three years, and its skip knows pretty well what each man is capable of doing in a given set of circumstances. He actually knows the character of his team’s bowls, and never gives any man a shot which he knows is not possible. The result of the game was as follows : Hataitai—Bennett, Wellings, Cometti, Brighting (s.), 26. Island Bay—Wilkie, Reece, Duncan, Ferkins (s.), 9.,' ' A Runaway Win.

There is not particular point in describing the game in detail, as would be justified in a close-fought fight. _ Whilst the Island Bay rink played with some purpose for the first half of the game, it never quite equalled its opponents in consistency, and any good bit of work on its part was invariably nullified by better counter-play. Even the luck ran ■against the Bay team, and the moral effect of the score-board did not conduce to better play as the game wore on, and finally Ferkins cried enough on the nineteenth head, when the score stood at 26 —9 in Hataitai’s favour.

In justification to the winners it must be conceded that individually and as a rink they ■were a good deal superior to their opponents. Bennett (lead) played as sound a ’drawing game as any player concerned; Wellings has been seen in better trim, but was very useful. Cometti played very good average bowls, and Brighting was almost uncanny both in drawing and driving. He always, knew exactly what he wanted —which is not always the case with skips—and invariably ?ot it. On. one occasion the jack was lying behind four or five Bay shots, when Brighting drew around them and lay the shot. There was no escape from this player’s accuracy—and his luck.

Island Bay’s Performance. The Island Bay Club should be proud of its representatives for reaching the final. Yesterday the team did not play nearly such good bowls as it did m the tournament. Wilkie played half a dozen really good shots, but Reece was erratic. The usually accurate Angus Duncan was hardly as reliable as usual, and Ferkins, always a good trier, played good but unlucky bowls. . The game was played under grey skies and in a keen-edged blustery wind, which interfered a good deal with the run ot the bowls. Long before the game ended the “bank” began to fade away, but nevertheless there was a cluster ot enthusiasts present at the finish, when Mr. H. Mayer (president of the Centre) congratulated the winners and runners-up, and remarked upon the remarkable performance of the Hataitai rink in winning the tournament three seasons in succession. HUTT VALLEY TOURNAMENT < FIRST THREE ROUNDS ■ The annual Hutt Valley rink tournament was commenced on the Hutt, letone, and Central greens yesterday in fine weather. The greens were in good order, and some enjoyable games were played, three games of 21 heads being completed during the day. Mr. F. Walton acted as secretary in his usual emcient manner. The results were as follow: — FIRST ROUND. Section A (Hutt). Carrick (Hutt), 20; Gough (Fetor*), 14. Dunean (Wellington), 23; Jones (Woburn), 22. Hendry (Hataitai), 25; Glendining (Wellington). 20. Burgess (Hutt), 25; Ronan (Central), Goodwin (Thorndon), 30; Foster (Central), 13. Section B (Central). Levastam (Newtown), 24; Kennington (Hutt), 20. Hain (Victoria), 22; Allan (Central), 15. Shearer (Hutt), IS; Blake (Petone), 15. Forrest (Upper Hutt), 23; Duff (Newtown). 18. Melhuish (Petone), 23; Stone (Central), 14. Section C (Petone). McArthur (Petone), 27; Lambert (Thorndon), 15. Roundhill (Woburn), 18; Bolton (Victoria), 16. Fisher (Central), 23; Stonehouse (Hutt), 10. Longman (Petone), 24; Howell (Upper Hutt), 21. SECOND ROUND. Section A (Hutt). Glendining. 19: Foster, 14. Goodwin. 23; Hendry. 17. Jones, 21; Burgess, 16. Duncan, 31; Carrick. 18. Ronan, 16; Gough, 13. I Section B (Central). ’ Kennington. 21; Blake, 15. Allen, 20: Forrest, 18. Stone, 22; Shearer, 10. LeVestam, 17; Melhuish, 15. Duff, 28; Hain, 23. Section C (Petone). Fisher, 26; Longman. 13. Lambert, IS; Roundhill, 17. Howell, 21; Stonehouse, 20. Bolton, 2S; McArthur, 14. THIRD ROUND. Section A (Hutt). Hendryj 28; Ronan, 15. Burgess, .21; Gough, 17. Duncan. 21; Foster, 15. Jones, 18; Cnddick, 17. Glendining, 22; Goodwin, 15. «i* Section B (Central). Levestam. 22; Blake. IS. Stone, 19: Forrest, 11. Shearer, 22; Melhuish, 16. Duff, 20, Allen, 15. Kennington, 21; Hain, 16. Section C. McArthur, 32; Stonehouse. 19. Roundhill, 19: Howell, IS. Fisher, 30; Lambert, 17. Bolton, 31 ; .Longman, 18. Another three rounds _ will be played to-day, and the finals will commence at 1 p.m. on Saturday.