BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 February 1932, Page 9

BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

RINKS AND* PAIRS WINNERS Beautiful overhead conditions during this week, greatly assisted towards the success of the West Coast Bowling Championships, which commenced on Monday, and finish to-day. A strong wind at times made bowling difficult, the morning play being more seriously handicapped, usually, than that later in each day, when the wind appreciably dropped. Yesterday saw the semi-finals, and finals of rinks and pairs play. There was a large attendance of interested onlookers for the finals, and the bowling was good. The Championship Pairs went tb W. Fletcher and W. Blair, of the Greymouth Club, after an easy win over the Runariga players, A. Johnston, and O. Kroening. The drawing of Fletcher in this match was splendid, his good play being recognised with frequent applause. An exciting and unexpected manner of finish, gave the Rink Championship to L. Mercer’s team. From the tenth head, to the nineteenth, scoring was kept low, both teams playing well, and being level, 14 all, at the nineteenth. Ahern’s team .then lay three up at the finish of the twentieth. A similar advantage was held by Ahern, when Mercer was left with his last bowl on the final head. Mercer played a perfect drive, however, and was successful in “burning” the head. Ahern’s team again secured the advantage, and were two up when Mercer went to play his last shot. He succeeded in taking his opponents’ tvto counters out, which left him three up, but was fortunate in “wicking” another . of the opposition’s bowls, to give him four, counters, and the match, by one point. At the conclusion of the tournament, the President of the West Coast Bowling Centre, Mr. J. Ring, returned thanks to the visiting bowlers for their patronage of the tournament, the ladies, wlio had provided refreshments each day during the week, the Secretary, Mr. A. A. Adams, and also Mr. J. Mossop of Runanga, for their assistance, the lawn keepers, and the Pi ess for publishing the results. He stated that the tournament had been a decided success, the weather being favourable-, and the bowling good, yet at times not so good. He congratulated the trophy winners, and presented each with a prize, and the skips, with the cups held by the winners of rinks, and pairs. Results:— . Pairs: W. Fletcher, and W. Blair (s) (Greymouth) 28, beat A. Johnston and O. Kroening (s) (Runanga) 16. Rinks: D. Stevenson, F. G. Davies, W. Scott, L. Mercer (s), (Greymouth) 18, beat C. Strongman, J. M. Bunt, A. Steele, J. Ahearn (s) 4 (Greymouth) 17,

TO-DAY’S PLAY. Under ideal conditions, the Champion of Champions single, matches are being played at the Greymouth green to-day. Four clubs are represented, the tournament being confined to the West Coast. The results of the first and second rounds are: — "First Round: Breeze (Hokitika) 27, beat Leach (Runanga) 10. Whibley (Greymouth) 16, heat Floyd (Reefton) 14. Second Round: Breeze 19, beat Whibley 16; Leach 22, beat Floyd 12. ROTORUA SEMI-FINALS [special to “stab.”] AUCKLAND, February 12. The Rotorua bowling rink semi-finals to-day resulted —Robertson (Onehunga) beat Maxwell Walker (Auckland), 22/20; Whittle (Grey Lynn) beat Chiplin (Rawhiti) 20/16. AUCKLAND, February 13. The score in the Rotorua bowling final was: Sutherland, Flowerday, Livingstone, Robertson (Onehunga) 26; Mincham, Person, Liversedge, Whittle (Grey Lynn) 17. Rain commenced to fall steadily after the nineteenth head. Whittle, nine points down, and only two heads to play, therefore decided to retire.