NATIONAL BOWLING TITLE

Evening Star, Issue 25698, 23 January 1946, Page 8

NATIONAL BOWLING TITLE

SECOND YEAR IN SUCCESSION SMITH REACHES SEMI-FINAL (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 22. With the exception of one game to he played in the fours, the 1946 Victory bowling tournament was concluded to-day in ideal weather and on greens that played fast and true. J. S. Martin, a resident of Auckland, hut representing the Edgeware' Club, won the singles championship for the second year in Succession, the first time that a bowler has attained this honour

in the history of the tournament. In to-day's play Martin played two games, and each time scored a decisive win. In the semi-final he beat J. Smith (Caledonian), 21-11. and in the final, which finished on the nineteenth head, he' won by a similar margin from V. C. Potter (Tauranga). Martin's only defeat was by J. M. Giles (United). He played consistent bowls throughout the tournament, and his experience in big tournament play was the deciding factor in the result. The remaining two-lifers in the fours, F. White (Runanga) and W. F. Hadwin (Hutt), met twice to-day, and in each case White was successful, the first time by 20-18, and the secon.d by 18-13.

6. A. Deare (Mount Eden) retained his one life when he scored from F. Livingstone (Onehunga), 19-18, and in the last game of the day he defeated White, 23-10. This was White's first loss in fours either in sectional or post-sectional play, and he will now meet Deare in the final to-morrow. THE FINAL.

Martin started off well against Potter in the final of the singles, and notched 2 on the first end. In the second he was lying 1, but Potter, with his last bowl, rested Martin's shot out and lay 1. Martin's first bowl on the next 'head was short, but with his second he knocked it in and drew a third shot with his last, to score 3, making the score 4-1. Martin added another on the fourth head. Martin drew two shots with his first two bowls on the next endl 1 Potter ran at the head with his second bowl, hut missed. Potter _ rested one of Martin's shots out with his third, but with his last knocked a short bowl of Martin's in and was down 2 on the head. Potter scored 3on the seventh, resting out the shot bowl of Martin's. He drew another shot with his last bowl, and Martin was unable to improve the position. That made the score 7-5 in Martin's favour. Martin's first three bowls were all counters on the next end. and in drawing to save, Potter ran over the head. Martin did not score with his last bowl. A single'to Martin on the ninth made the-score 11-5 in his favour.• and _at that stage he did not look like being beaten Potter appeared to be feeling the (fffects of three hard games earlier. One to Martin on the tenth and 3 to Potter on the eleventh made the score 12-8. Potter, with an excellent shotpn this head, knocked out the second shot of Martin's to lie 3. Potter was lying 2 on the. next -head,, when Martin, with his last bowl, played a running shot and sprang the Jack about 10 feet to score 2 with his back bowls. A single to Potter on the thirteenth and 3 to Martin on the ■ next left the score 17-9 in favour of Martin, who made his position more secure on the fifteenth, when he added a single. In a wide head" on the''sixteenth fend Potter scored 1, but two beautiful bowls by Martin on the next were not removed, and the score was then 20-10. Potter, with his second bowl on the eighteenth, trailed the jack when he was Iving 2, and scored 1 only on the end. Martin, with his last bowl on the nineteenth, drew av beautiful shot to give him the game and the title. Results: — * SINGLES. —Twelfth Round.— H. M. Deavoll (Lyttelton) 20, Scarborough (West End, Auckland) 12. V. C. Potter (Tauranga) 18, J. Smith (Caledonian, two-lifer) 16. —Semi-final.— J. S. Martin (Edgeware) 21, Smith 11. Potter 21, Deavoll 12. —Final.— J. S. Martin (Edgeware) 21, V. C. Potter (Tauranga) 11. In the play-off for third, H. M. Deavoll (Lyttelton) 20 defeated J. Smith (Caledonian) 17. FOURS. ■ —Second Round.— W. Hillhouse, J. Gourley, J. Armstrong, F. White (Runanga) 18, G. Littlejohn, R. Goldsmith, N. Macdonald, W. F. Hadwin (Hutt) 13. —Semi-final.— E. J. Wilson, H. Gribble, H. Wilson, G. A. Deare (Mount Eden) 23, White (two-lifer) 10,