BOWLING. THE TOURNEY CONCLUDING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1910, Page 9

BOWLING. THE TOURNEY CONCLUDING.

A.N INTERESTING NSEMI-FINAL.N SEMI-FINAL. WON BY A FRACTION. The tournament of the Northern Bowling Association reached its concluding stages on the Wellington green yesterday afternoon and evening. The weather, which had been behaving itself very well during the week, was warm and not too windy, and the green was as keen as possible. The enthusiasts lined the banks near each contesting rink, and each shot was watched with the greatest interest. The general consensus of opinion appeared to be that the tournament had been a conspicuous success. All the city and suburban clubs have gone out of their way to promote the convenience of the visitors both in regard to green accommodation and from the point of view of hospitality. As to the latter, ths tourney has been run on a much more business-like basis than ever before, but even so the various clubs have done all that was possible to uphold the traditions of the bowlers of Wellington, and visitors from all parts speak in terms of high praise of the kindness and consideration which have been extended to them. The ladies, too, deserve more than a word of passing praise. Every day on each green pn which play was taking place a band of lady voluntcors provided afternoon . tea, and the bowlers, playing and spectator, greatly appreciated the refreshment. The caretakers, too, deserve a word of praise. Every .morning they had to have the greens ready for play by nine o'clock, and even op the two occasions on which rain had fallen overnight, they were not found wanting. Generally speaking, the greens were in good order, and during the last two days they were as keen as mustard. To draw the shot on a green running as fast as "greased lightning " with a draw as wide as a rink and a half is a task fit to appal the most experienced, and the spectators fully appreciated the excellent play which was so frequently exhibited by many,' of the players. The round before the semi-finals was not productive of any close finishes, although they were keenly contested throughout, and there were almost numberless instances of really excellent play. Wylie (Newtown) met his Waterloo at the hands of Pickering, of Palmerston. Wylie won the recent centre tournament, and up to that time had not lost a game. His team had all thiough played splendidly, and he had skipped like a master of the game, fully deserving every win placed to his credit. On this occasipn, however, he was not supported sufficiently by his team. Pickering, on the other hand, was in good for-m, and played a sterling game, though not, perhaps, on the whole so good as that of the Newtown skip. But Pickering's team was on this occasion in better form, and the win was fairly easy. The Pihama team, from the recesses of Taranaki, also went down. They ' had had a pretty clear run through their section, and were in good heart, but they struck the Brackenridge family, the green was like glass, slight reverses meant large additions to their opponents' score, and they, too, " passed out," though they fought' every head as hard as possible. Churchward had a fairly easy win against Fisher (Carterton), and Land (Hastings) was badly beaten by Baildon (substitute for Casey), of Greytown. The semi-final was fought out between the following teams :—: — Wellington— Mayer, C, Carroll, G. Brown, Churchward (skip), v. Palmerston — Smith, Mowlem, Malcolm, Pickering (skip). Grey Lynn — M. Casey, Pascoe, V. Caseyj Baildon (skip), v. Newtown — R. M., J. M., John, and Jas. Brackenridge (skip). Grey Lynn made short work of Brackenridge. The Newtown veteran stood up for a few heads, but the Northern club was playing too well, his own team was not. up to. its- usual form, and he left a loser by 29 to 9. The Churchward-Pickering; match was the gem of the tournament, and fully made up for any previous deficiencies. Pickering (Palmerston) established a deficit soon after starting, but he proved himself a good loser, and cheerfully urged on his men to more strenuous endeavours. A somewhat lucky five brought him into the region of possibilities, and at the end of the fifteenth head he was only three behind — 19 — 16. During the progress of the sixteenth head Pickering was lying the shot ; but the Wellington No. 3, G. Brown, played a running shot, and' Churchward lay three. The skip did nothing in particular, and the end of tho bead was Churchward 20, Pickerips 16. The ueat head, ,

owhi|T a good deal to Pickering's play, Palmerston scored a couple — 20—18, and in the following head the Palmerston skip scored a single, making the score, Palmerston 21, Wellington 20. Theie was some excellent leading on the nineteenth head, and an interesting though not sensational series of shots resulted in one for Churchward' — 21 all. On the next head also the play was close and interesting, and when the skips went down Churchward was lying two. He did nothing with his first bowl and Pickering drew the shot. Churchward drove, sending the jack into the ditch, and Pickering scored 3 — a tribute to the value of back bowls. The score was then Palmerston 24, Wellington 21. The last round was interesting to a degree, and every shot was watched with the keenest inteiest. Play was close, and when the third players had finished Pickering lay one. He put in a block with his first bowl, and Churchward, playing narrow, shifted the shot bowl and the jack, and lay three. Pickering drew a nice bowl, saving one. Churchward drew to the jack, a beautiful draw, with a bit of running in it, and it was apparent that at any rate he had scored the three points necessary to constitute a tie. Suddenly the Wellington No. 3 threw up his hand. "We've won," he cried. Churchwards bowl had shifted another bowl of 'his side, and it lay one-sixteenth of an inch nearer to the jack than Pickering's next. That gave Churchward the necessary extra point, and he won the game by a fraction amid applause. The win was a popular one, although it was generally admitted that Pickering had played a fine, cheerful uphill game, and that he only lost a hard fight by a mere shave. j.ae final between Grey Lynn (Baildon) .and Wellington (Churchward) will be played off in the Wellington Green this afternoon. SMOKE CONCERT. ENTERTAINING THE VISITORS. Visiting bowlers were entertained by the local clubs at a smoke concert at the Concert Chamber (Town Hall) last night. Colone l Collins, president of the association, was in the chair, and there was a full attendance of bowlers from all p^rts. I During the procendings the retiring secretary (Mr. J. H. Mentiplay), re sponding to the toast of "The Northern Bowling Association," made a few remarks about the "open door" policy which has been adopted in connection with this tournament, and which, it is generally considered, will be tho rule in future. His objection to it was that it did away with the old ..system under which the two teams from a club were mutually dependent, and substituted the skip for the club. He thought the new system did not make for the enthusiasm that was shown in the past, but, at the same time, he wished tho new system every success. (Applause.) Complimentary remarks were made about the behaviour of the weather, and the ladies were also complimented on the way in which they had assisted to make the tournament a success. The officials were spoken of in terms of high praise for the way in which they had caried out their responsible and arduous duties. An interesting programme of vocal and instrumental items was gone through during the evening. The Auckland team sang the original bowlers' chorus which they sang on the opening day, "There's a Little White Jack at the End of the Green" ; Taare Parata and Co. danced a haka, and other items were contributed by Messrs E. J. Hill, A. J. Black, Newton, E. Parkes, M. Marks, and M. Treston. Several toasts were honoured, and every visiting speaker made a point of the fact that they had met with good greens, good games, good weather, and good company. Regret was also expressed at the resignation of Mr. J, H. Mentiplay, secretary of the association, who had done so much in the interests of bo^ling^ generally — a sentiment that was received with loud applause. GRASS FOR GREENS. Wh™ Mr. W Wakeman.- who skipped a rink from Pahiatua during the present tournament, was in the Old Country a year or two ago, he was very favourably impressed with the turf on the greens in England and Scotland. As a seed expert his curiosity was aroused, and he found, -m enquiring, that the turf on practically all the greens came from Siloth, on the banks of the Solway. He secured some of the seed heads, and on his return to New Zealand planted a small patch on the Pahiutua green-, without any specia 1 pr* paration, and also planted some in a seed bed. The result is that a very fine, solid growth has come up on the green, forming one of the thickest and fastest portions of the green, and from the seed bed he brought down to the tournament, for exhibition to experts, several samples of the grass. The chief characteristics are that it forms a deuse mass of fibrous roots in very poor soil ; also it lays prostrate on the ground and forms almost a curl, thus providing a solid "mat," which is particularly calculafed to stand any amount of wear and tear besides conducing to speed and accuracy in play Further, having a round leaf it does not bruise, nor does it collect moisture in the same way as ord'nary grasses. For instance, Mr. Wakeham states that when in Scotland he played in two games in the rain— • umbrella up all the time. On an ordinary green a lot of damage would have been caused. Next morning he visited the green and found the turf had not suffered any injury whatever. Mr. Wakeman has so far been unable to discover the botanical name of the grass, and he calls it "fescue prostratum," because it lies flat on the ground. Another matter of interest was mentioned to a Post representative by Mr. Wakeman. He has discovered a native grass which he thinks will serve admirably for winter greens. Its name is Microlena Stipoide's, and it is found m many parts of the Wellington province and of the North Island generally. It will grow in very sandy soil, and requires practically no moisture. The pessimist was looking on at the bowling on the Wellington green. "Yes," he said, "it looks pretty, doesn't it? But it's all wrong. These men ought to be at their businesses. Fancy, in Wellington to-day there are 360 grown men wasting their time playing bowls, and they are going to play all the week. Each one will spend, say, £10 — that means £3600." "But surely," a friend suggested, "men require a holiday occa sionally?" "Oh, yes, of course they do; but I know lots of cases where they take holidays when they ought to be at work. Here, they've had all the Christmas and New Year holidays, and now, when every one else is going to work, they start afresh. Yes, New Zealand is a jolly good country to live in, but your land values are too high, and you don't take things seriously enough. One of these days there will be a slump, and then " "Oh, well." said the friend, "we'll put up outside the inscription, 'Alas ! regardless of their doom, the little victims play.' " And the pessimist went away.

The contiact price for the electrically driven power plant for the Golden Bay Cement Company v,as £15,000, the contract having boon secured by Messrs. Turabull ana Jones, of Wellington*