BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1914, Page 4

BOWLING

DISSATISFACTION WITH A SYSTEM PLAY IN. THE RINK FINAL. PORTEOUS LEADING. (BI TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL TO THB POST.) DUNEDIN, This Day. Dissatisfaction with respect to the system adopted for the initial tournament of the Dominion Bowling Association is by no means confined to northern play- ; ers, and when the mass meeting of bowlers is held on Saturday Professor Maximilian Walker's motion calling for a change is certain to be adopted by an overwhelming majority. The play yesterday for the champion rinks was confined to the Dunedin Green. The conditions were ideal, there being scarcely a breath of wind, and the green played beautifully, though after sundown it became a trifle heavy. Honours were undoubtedly with the Wellington team, skipped by Porteous. Their task was strenuous. They were called upon, to play three games practically without a break, but, despite this, one and all played, as fresh when the last bowl of the day was delivered as when the afternoon was entered on. They met in the first instance Newtown (Brackenridge), and scraped home by 21 points to 19 in a contest full of surprises from start to finish. Next they were encountered by Stephens, and they got right away from the Petone men from the jump, the tally at the rinkhead being 15-3 in their favour. On the fourteenth head the Petoneites had reduced the gap, the board showing 16-12, but Porteous was always in front, and he had a lead of six when the gam© ended. The final was not begun till just before 7 o'clock, the opposing rink being Roslyn (Fountain). The local men scored in the first head, and at the seventh head there was a tie — 7 all. The ensuing five heads gave promise of_ a Titanic struggle, but the turning point then came. Fortune was lying the_ shot in a semingly impregnable position, when Porteous, with a marvellous draw, found an opening without touching any of the timber, and rested on the jack. Thenceforward he practically dominated the position, and when at the sixteenth head play ceased owing to the darkness he was 6 vp — 19-13. Porteous throughout, played magnificently, while Grenfell's consistent leading was the theme of admiration. Porteous, by the way, is an old Dunedin boy, having been a prominent member of the Union. Football Club a, decade back. While the contest for first place was proceeding, M'Curdy (St. Kilda) and Stephens (Petone) were playing off for third prize. The local men got off with ] a strong lead — 8 to nil in the first three heads — and though the Petone men scored a 5 oh the sixth head, they were never within striking distance. M'Curdy was declared the winner at 23-15. The remaining heads between Fountain and Porteous will be played this evening, but the result is regarded as a certain win for the Wellington men. Several of the rinks engaged in the tourney will enter for the Aackjand Exhibition tourney next month. OTHER FINALS (BY TELESRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, This Day. In the Otago rinks, Smith (Hastings) and Collins (Caledonian) will meet tomorrow in the final. In the final of the Canterbury rinks, Saunders (Kaituna) beat Haldane (Takaka) by 36 points to 12. In the Southland finks, Tait (Taieri) and Darton (Lawrenoej will meet in the final