BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 9

BOWLING

PERFECT CONDITIONS

PAIRS AND FOURS

CLOSE FINISHES

Perfect conditions prevailed today for the closing stages of the Centennial bowling tournament, which are oeing played on Thorndon green. The surface was in beautiful order, and some wonderful bowling was witnessed, a number of close finishes adding higher public interest to the contest.

Two pairs and two fours games were played this morning, and this afternoon -the fiual of the pairs and semi-finals of the fours will be played.^ Livingstone (Onehunga) is the only two-lifer left, and if he wins his game late Jhis afternoon he will come out the tourney winner with two lives. . • ■ Bremner (West End, Auckland) meets Cullen (Thorndon) in the pairs final. In the -pairs today Cullen (Thorndon) and McWhannell (Hat&itai) had a close game with n great finish. Mc--Whannell opened, well and took 7 on the first five ends, and after conceding a couple .of singles, put on a further 1-4-1, to "be. 13-2 on the ninth end. Cullen thenceforward added 1-2-2-2 and brought the score to 13-9 at the thirteenth. In the latter stages Cullen got a'few useful ends, and, with 1 on the fifteenth, followed by 3-2-2 on the .subsequent, the .Thorndon man took the lead," -and was 17-14 on the eighteenth. McWhannell equalled with a 3 on • the nineteenth ■ and added a single, to be 1 up on the last end. Cullen lay 1, and with a little up-shot with his last bowl he turned one of his own" bowls in-for 2—and the game.

Lawrie (Island Bay) and Bremner (West' End, Auckland) also had a stirring" finish after a neck-and-neck game. Bremner was 7 on five ends before Lawrie started,- but with a series of six -fs and a 2, the latter' squared the board, 8-all, at the iMrteenth end. The 'skips sheared the scoring in the latter stages, and Bremner was 2 up on the nineteenth. He lay" 3 on the head, and 'Lawrie, with, a fast one, cleaned them out, and himself lay 2, drawing another when Bremner played wide with his last. This put Lawrie 1 up with the last end to play. Bremner put one on the jack and a close second, and" Lawrie, sending down a ripper drive, missed by a frac-' tion, thus giving Bremner 2 on the end and the game by ,a point—l 7-16.

In the fours, Livingstone (Onehunga) had a comparatively easy win over Bell CJTauranga) by 24-16. The Onehu.o.ga team was always ahead and put on 11 on the first, six ends, adding a 6 on the eleventh, to be at, that stage 19-7,0n the board. Bell made a showing in the second part of the match and secured 2-1-5 on the fourt enth, fifteenth, and sixteenth, but the closest he -got was 15-20 on the sixteenth end, Livingstone taking v 2-1-1 in the closing stages to win by a margin of 8 points.- ,

Hazelwobd (Lyall Bay) and Kirk-Wood^St.-John's).had a great go, the match .being forced to a point on the twentieth end. Kirkwood had easily the better of the first half and scored on the first seven ends, and by adding an occasional single, he led 13-5 at th- sixteenth. With a 2 on the seventeenth and 3 on the eighteenth and 2 on the nineteenth, the Lyall Bay skip squared' the board 13-all, Kirkwopd taking a single on the twentieth and leading by.one on the last end.' 'Kirkwood lay a "sitter and a close second on the head, and with his last bowl he put in a block, Hazel wood with a fast one removing one and' leaving Kirkwood 'with one point on the end and a 2-point win. Results:— FOURS. F. Livingstone (Onehunga1) 24, T. Bell (Tauranga) 16. J. Wirkwood (St. John's) 15, F. G. Hazelwood (Lyall Bay) 13. J. ■£~ Pavitt (Fitzroy, New Plymouth), a Xsye. PAIRS. Semi-finals. W. Bremner (West End, Auckland) 17, J. B. Laurie (Island Bay) 16. A. W. Cullen (Thorndon) 19, P. McWhannell (Hataitai) 18.