BOWLING TOURNEY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 10, 12 January 1912, Page 3

BOWLING TOURNEY.

♦ RINK CHAMPIONSHIP AND CONSOLATION. There was a numerous attendance of bowlers and bowling enthusiasts on the Wellington green yesterday to witness the play in the rink championship semifinals. The weather was perfect, tho green was keen, and some excellent play resulted. ? The Gifiborne rink, skipped by Craig, which had been looked upon as a likely winner, went all to pieces, losing each game. Hemingway and his team played really well, and deserved better fortune. Tho game between him and Bell (Wellington) was first-class. Hemingway went down to start with, and after half-way it looked a certainty for the Wellington skip. Hemingway, however, kept on playing, and by sheer skill he mcreatffcd hi* wore until at tho end of the eighteenth head he had a lead— 2o to 17. In that head, when the skips went down, Bell was lying 2. Hemingway trailed the jack and lay a couple, but Bell drew beautifully with his fast bowl and scored a couple — Hemingway 20, Bell 19. The last head was wide, in favour of Bell, who was lying 3 when the skips went down. Hemingway failed to draw nearer than third place, leaving Bell the winner— 2l-20. The Catlton team, ekipped by Kilgour, tried a system during the tournament that worked out very well, and may be imitated in future. It was "not winning when the tournament was in full swing, so it changed round, Skip Kilgour leading and Flewellyn (formerly of Wellington) skipping. The result was •an easy win in two games. Flewellyn came to light in splendid style, and on one head scored a skip simply because he sent a bowl with lightning speed against another bowl that just showed its side — and he hit- it. The game between Walker, of Ponsonby, and Bell, of Wellington, was'full of interest from start to finish. Both skips had an honourable career to that stage of tho tournament, and a loss meant virtually a tournament defeat. Bell was "up" one on the fifteenth head, but the Poiwonby skip, who was playing splendidly, made things more than even, and with three heads to go he was seven up— l 9 to 12. At this stage Veitch, Bell's No. 2, was doing some fin© drawing, and Bell was playing a first-class game, but the Poneonby skip was a shade better, and ib looked as if he would win. On the twentieth head Walker )lay several after a ' splendid drive, but Bell retaliated with a fast shot that made 'a dead head of it, and the applause was equally divided. In the next head Walker's No. 3 (Sneddon) made a dead head, and prevented a score being registered, and so the game went on. But Ponsonby was too good for Wellington, and in, spite of some excellent play by Bell and Co., the Ponsonby team, largely owing to the generalship and tactics of the skip, scored a win with a comfortable margin. Wylie (Newtown) had all his work cut out to beat Macdougall (Chmtchurch). It had been close going all the way through, and on, the last head the score was 20 all. With hfe last bowl Wylie drew and scored the ehot and a wip by a fraction in advance of a beanty which had been sent down by the Christchurch skip, who has played a first-cla«s game throughout the tourna-' ment, and only missed <a chance for the final by an inch. Bowlers' luck is proverbial, but it does not often last through as tournament to the end. In this respect Still can, perhaps, claim honours. A champion singles man himself, he has not shone so far as ' a skip in inter-club play 4 and the members of his team— C. Nielsen, a comparative junior, Simm, ,a septuagenarian, ' and B." B. Allen, a bowler of parts — are the kind one meet* every, day on the green. But "Peter,"' as he is called! has got to the finals, and he has played a sterling game throughout. Skips develop in a tournament, and Still has* had to play hard for the honour he < has achieved. The results of the second and third round were as under. — - > SECOND BOUND. Section A. Still 120 Lock 19. Land 21, Kerr 14. Section B. Walker 19, Craig 14. Bell 21, Hemingway 20. Section C. Wylie 19* Gordon 15. Snaddon 24, Macdougall 16. ' THIRD ROUND. Section A. Still 21, Ken- 16. Lock 25, Land 13. Section B. ', Hemingway 27, Craig IS. Walker 20, Bell 14. Section C. Wylio 21, Macdougall 20. Snaddon 25, Gordon 16. WINNERS OF SECTIONS. A, Still; B, Walker; GLG L Wylie.