DOMINION TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1927, Page 12

DOMINION TOURNEY

NEARING THE FINALS

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, 20 th January. The New Zealana bowling tourney was continuea to-day, in fine, hot weather. The rinks championship has been narrowea down to Stewart (Duneain) "two lives,"-and Benefield (St. John's, Wanganui), '' one life.'' Details of the results are as follow:—

Fourth Eouna.—Stewart 18, beat Hayden (Takapuna) 12p Bonefield 21, beat Walker (Auckland) 19; Laurenson (Carlton) 25, beat M'Eobie (Eemuera) 10;Pilkinton (Hamilton), a bye.

Fifth- Eouna.—Pilldngton, 28, beat Hayclen, 13; Stewart, 16, beat Laurenson, 13; Benefield, a bye.

Semi-finals.—Benefieia, 22, beat Pilkington, 6; Stewart, a bye.

Owing to Stewart having two "lives'' Benefield will have to beat him twice to win the championship. In the pairs championship, the last four green winners to go forward for post-section play were found as follow: Section B.—Walker (Auckland). Section L: Harraway (Green Island). Section N:'Armstrong (Pukekohe). Section X: Pilkington (Hamilton). Post-section play in the pairs resulted:—

Second Eouna.—^Bell (Hamilton), 17; Torrane - (Ponspnby), 16: Livingstone (Onehunga), 29; J. D. Smith (Duneain) 24;- Walker (Auckland), 29; Chapman (Eocky Nook), 10. The winner in the game in which Armstrong (Pukekohe) was defeated was not telegraphed. Thii-a Bound.—Proctor, 22; Atkinson, 20; Harraway, 25; Livingstone, 9; Bell, 17; Hutchinson, 14. The following are now left in the pairs:—Bell (Hamilton), Walker (Auckland), Harraway (Green Island), Pilkington (Hamilton), Proctor (Eemuera), Benefieia (St. John's). The only match- in the singles championship was Clarke (Eocky Nook), 22, beat Maher (West End), 9. Besides Clarke, the following are still left in: M'lntyre (Hamilton), Bell, jun. (Hamilton), Walker (Auckland), Smellie (Green Island). M'lntyre is the only two-lifer.. .....'

. The programme for to-morrow is that Benefield will play Pilkington in the second round of the pairs competition in the' morning and will play Stewart in the rinks final in the afternoon.

DESCRIPTION OF GAMES,

Some fine games were witnessed in the rinks inter-section play to-day. The contest between Benefieia (St. John's,-Wanganui) and Walker (Auckland) provided an exciting finish. The Wanganui players/started at top of t! ir form, and led at the sixteenth head by 16 to 7. In the concluding stages .Walker- made a great effort to draw into winning position, the scores at the commencement of the last head being, Benefield Walker 19. The Wanganui team outdrew Aucklana at the finish, Walker failing with some arives to avert aefeat.

Stewart defeated Hayden (Takapuna) in a game in which the Dunedin team always held the upper hand. At the conclusion of the twelfth head Stewart was 14 to Hayden's 6. Hayden strove hard to reduce the lead, but couia onlyscore occasional singles, the Dunedin men's drawing for position being excellent. A number of heads were burned by Hayden towards tha finish, but Dunedin kept on their game, eventually winning by 18 to 12.

The Carlton team, skipped by. Laurenson, registered a decisive win against M'Eobie (Eemuera). The game was keenly, contested up to /the twelfth ' eaj, when Carlton, with 10 points, "nad a lead of one. In. the next head Laurenson notched four- and,repeated the per : formaiaca in the fifteenth, the scores then. .beihg\lß to 10 in. Garlton's favour. Carlton. then went on to score three, and, ana.two in successive heiwh, winning by 24 to 11.

In the following round Stewart met Laurenson, and Pilkington played Hayden, Benefield getting a bye. Stewart's team played, very, steadily, from the opening head and always Tiad a shade the better of the draw shots. At the conclusion of the twelfth head the scores were: Stewart 10, Laurenson 8. The Dunedin team improved its position to 12-8 in the fourteenth. Laurenson scored three in the seventeenth head, bringing Carlton's score to 13 against Dunedin's 16. The next head was burnea by Carlton ana the time limit was exhausted, Stewart winning, 16 to 13. '

Pilkington had an easy victory over\ Hayafeh. The Hamilton team soon got' a substantial leaa, the scores at .the seventh heaa being 11 to : 5 in Pilkington's favour. Pilkington scored 6 on the next head,' and at the fourteenth the scores were 26 to 5 in Pilkington's favour. The game concluded at the eighteenth heaa: Pilkington, 28, Hayden 13.

The semi-final proved an easy, victory for Benefield's team, which gave a great exhibition, of all-round play. The Hamilton, team did not play badly., but time and again Benefield treated the jack with great arives or running shots, taking scores from his opponents. At the eleventh heaa Benefieia's score was 11 to Pilkington's 5. The latter haa addea only one to his total when the eighteenth heaa was reached, the scores being, Benefieia 32, Pilkington 6, at which juncture the latter retirea.