SMITH'S ELIMINATION

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

SMITH'S ELIMINATION

STARTED DAY WITH TWO LIVES (Special.) CttitISTCHUttCH, Jan. 22. J. Smith (Caledonian), who started the day as the sole two-lifer in the singles, was eliminated after a defeat, 18-16, by V. C. Potter (Tauranga) and then 21-11 by J. S. Martin (Edgeware), the title-holder, who went on to win the championship in the final with Potter. Pottei got four drawn shots to lead Smith 5-2 on the fourth end in their game. Both players took time to nettle down, but half way through vere playing fine bowls. • The eleventh end saw Smith get three touchers, which stayed undisturbed to make him three down.-10-7. Potter had two touchers on the next end, Smith driving to disturb the head, but leave Potter with two shots. Potter then drew to within a foot of the jack, but with the last bowl Smith rested. Potter 10. Smith 8 Smith drove on the next end to take his second shot out, leaving Potter with two counters. A good trail to Smith earned him two shots on the fifteenth end, but the next two ends saw Potter add pairs, and though Smith got a three on the eighteenth end the score was against him, 17-13. Potter increased the margin by one on the next end, where Smith failed to get up to the jack. Smith took the jack through on the twentieth end to get a pair. On the final end Smith drew the shot with his third, then tried to run off Potter's second shot bul missed, and the head remained unchanged, leaving Potter the winner. 18-16.

The game with Martin was of a very different calibre, Smith obviously tiring in the oppressive heat. Martin got four beautifully-drawn shots on second end, leading 6-1. At the fourth end Martin outdrew Smith repeatedly, and by the fifteenth end, after it had been burnt bv Smith to save three, Martin led 19-7. Smith showed something of

his old form when on the sixteenth end he drew the shot and then trailed tin 4 jack to make it a pair, and tvo ends later took the shot off Martin with a nice rest. A pair to Martin on the nineteenth end brought the fame to a close.