SASTER TOURNAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 95, 23 April 1935, Page 11

SASTER TOURNAMENT

POST-SECTION PLAY

WIN FOR VICTORIA

Favoured by excellent weather on the preceding,days of its Easter tournament, the Wellington Bowling Centre was not so fortunate today in setting out to find the winners. The intention was to go right through with the event today, and a programme was mapped out accordingly—two series of matches in post-section play and the final. Of those who qualified for post-section play Watts (Victoria) and Gray (Kelburn) were drawn to play at 9 a.m., and, not deterred by dampness and a very dull outlook, the two rinks played their part in the process of elimination on the Seatoun Club's green, where the tournament is being concluded. During the progress of play a drizzle set in", and this made matters difficult and unpleasant for the participants. Nevertheless, the players stuck it out and gave a good demonstration of the fact that.a high standard of accuracy can be attained with greasy bowls on a greasy surface. The Victoria representatives had rather the better, of play, and, in winning, they qualified to meet Brackenridge's Lyall Bay rink in the second round of post-section play, in which Lowry (Petone) and Routley (Kelburn) were also engaged. The result of the first of the postsection games was:— Victoria, Martin, Collett, Tucker, H. Watts (s), 19; Kelburn, Arthur, Widdop, Marris, T. Gray (s), 11. RUN OF PLAY. A promising start was made by Victoria in being 3 up _ after the first two ends, but Kelburn retaliated with a 2 on the third end. The shot bowl alone stood to Victoria's account on each of the next three heads, and a handsome collection of four counters was taken when the seventh head was finally inspected. That gave Victoria a commanding lead of 10-2, but it only served to stir Kelburn to greater effort, which produced ■ results and altered .the whole complexion of the game. A 3 on the eighth set the tide turning, and, after a further point to each rink, Kelburn registered another 3 on the eleventh. The Kelburn recovery was completed with a shot that ftiade the scores equal when twelve ends had been decided, and Kelburn actually took the lead with another counter on the thirteenth. Asserting themselves again, the Victoria players drew all square with their opponents and then notched a valuable 4 which practically settled the issue. The Victoria tally was increased by three points on the sixteenth and seventeenth heads, at which Kelburn were quite content to call it game—-19-11. All games, except the final, are limited to eighteen ends. SEMI-FINALS.'. .'■■'.. The commencement of play in the semi-finals (second round of post-sec-tion play) was delayed pending a decision by the ■tournament committee as to the fitness of conditions for play. It was decided early this afternoon. that play should proceed,1 the weather outlook,'then being rather better at Seatouri than in town when the decision was made. There was little prospect, however, of the final being played today, and this was postponed, the intention being that it should take place at Seatoun tomorrow. . , The ,semirfinal. principals were players who have figured prominently in bowling tournaments—Brackenridge (Lyall Bay), Lowry (Petone), Watts (Victoria), and Routley (Kelburn). The draw was: Watts'v. Brackenridge and Lowry v. Routley. ; The full rinks were:—Lyall Bay: Deare, Moutray, Raven, Brackenridge (s), v. Victoria: Martin, Collett, Tucker, Watts (s); Petone: Hunter, McArthur, Paul, Lowry (s), v. Kelburn: Wicks, Spence, Doherty, Routley (s). Watts's rink ,was not able- to repeat its performance of the morning in setting the pace during the early stages of the game with Brackenridge's rink, although the account was opened by Victoria with a single. Lyall Bay put in counters with such consistency as to give them a good lead before the game was far advanced. The second head produced three, and the .third and fourth two each, while one on the fifth end made the position 8-1 in .Lyall Bay's favour. Singles, two of which were registered by Victoria, were the only scores on the next three heads, the run being broken by a brace to Lyall Bay on the ninth, whereupon Watts made a spirited bid to make up leeway. A three on the tenth and a single on the eleventh served to make the game more open and interesting, the position on facing the twelfth end being: Lyall Bay 11, Victoria 7.

In the game between Petone and Kelburn it was fairly ■ even pegging over the first seven ends, each rink by that time having registered 5 points. The best yield from any one head was a 3 to Routley on the fifth. Lowry took the lead with one counter on the eighth, and his tally was further improved by a 3 on the ninth, making the score at half-way: Petone 9,- Kelburn 5.

At 3.10 p.m. the scores were: Lyall Bay 117, Victoria 9 (one head to be played). Petone 11, Kelburn 11 (five heads to be played).