BOWLING TITLES O’Neill Still Has Two Lives

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 February 1947, Page 10

BOWLING TITLES O’Neill Still Has Two Lives

Five Rounds In Singles Completed (P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 4. The early elimination'of C. Spearman (Christchurch R.S.A.), twice previously the winner of the title, was a major surprise in the singles championship at the Dominion bowling tournament which opened in ideal weather to-day. Spearman went out in the third round. Another feature was that F. Livingstone (Onehunga), also a previous winner and the Australian singles champion in. 1938, and runner-up for the British Empire singles in 1938, was forced to play extra ends against J. E. Cooper (Barrington) and F. Hazlewood (Lyall Bay), before he was successful. ■ i The leading players in Section A, who still have two lives include R. Haworth (Canterbury), A. Murdoch (Otahuhu), who was third at Auckland in 1945, J. M. Squire (Hawera), the 1941 champion, W. P. O’Neill (Runanga), S. Vella (Onehunga), who was in the last five at Christchurch last year, L. L. Macey (Remuera), and ,T. M. Giles (United), who was the only player to secure a win in the section play against J. S. Martin, at Christchurch last year. Two-lifers in A Section. The two lifers after five rounds in Section A play are R. Haworth (Canterbury), IT: Roberts (Wairoa), A. Murdoch (Onehunga), F. Livingstone (Onehunga), T. Anton (Hellensville), A. Dey (Christchurch), C. G. Maher (Auckland), A. Dickinson (AvonStratford), E. P. Exelby (Frankton), G. Olliver (Hutt Valley), T. L. Williams (Paeroa), A. Bell (Central Petone), J. M. Squire (Hawera), T. C. Thomas (Ohakune), ' P. McVean (Central Petone), Tai Ngapaki (Patea), W. E. Jelley (Cromwell), W. P. O’Neill (Runanga), W. Freeth (Maitai), G. Burgess (Edgeware), T. B. McDonald (Omarunui), P. Bond (Frankton Junction), S. Vella (Onehunga), J. M. Giles (United), L. L. Macey (Remuera), ’ and E. Hurdley (Hutt Valley). . The B. sections were of eight players each and three rounds. Among the interesting developments was the defeat by E. E. Somerville (Poverty Bay) of J. H. Wyatt (Karori). H. A. Robertson (Onehunga), who was run-ner-up for the Australian singles in Brisbane in 1931, lost a life to Hyland. Hillhouse Suffers Two Losses. J. Higginson (Parnell), who usually shows up well in tournaments, suffered a reverse at the hands of R. M. Glennie (Woburn). W. Hillhouse, who was in the winning Runanga four at the tournament last year, suffered two losses in his section. O. S. Symons (Otaki Railway), who led well for A. C. Mclntyre in the winning Wellington Centre New Year pairs, did not strike form. Buchanan, in the same section, had three wins, and Cronin, the Wellington Centre singles champion last year, after an initial loss, showed some of his old form. W. T. Wilson (Central), winner of the Wellington Centre open singles last month, and skip of the runner-up team in the Christmas fours, retained one life. W. R.-Fleming (Newtown), who skipped the winning pair in the Wellington Centre competition last year, also retains a life. Gee, maintaining the form shown in the Christmas fours, won his three matches. W. C. Frank (Balmoral), the 1939 New Zealand singles champion, and skip of the winning four in the same year, lost to T. Gray (Kelburn). T. Bowes (Runanga) was a two-lifer left in his section. R. E. Austin, a member of the New Zealand Bowling Club, and H. J. Green (Wellington), played well, G. A. Crowley (Tolaga Bay), a member of the well-known bowling family, headed his section. D. Hunter, who was unbeaten on the day, was lead in J. W. Lowry’s pair which won the New Zealand pairs in 1937. Play In Pairs Commenced To-day (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. Fine but windy conditions prevailed to-day for the continuation of the New Zealand bowling tournament. The day’s play is being given to the commencement of the pairs. Most of the greens are too dry to be ideal, and many competitors experienced difficulty in judging draw Ting power. At least two “cricket scores” were recorded. Cooper and Clark (Barrington) won 45-8, and Cairns and Gleeson (Papatoetoe) won 33-7. An experienced and capable pair in the Bennetts, father and son, of Hastings, were given a comparatively close call by relatively inexperienced opponents from Raumati South. , The Falconer brothers (Anderson s Bay) had the misfortune to have their bowls stolen last night from a motor-car. Grey Chib Championships Continue Further championship matches played in the Greymouth Bowling Club’s series resulted as follows:— Singles.—Meldrum beat Pring; Kilgour beat Adamson; Hughes beat Hood, Warnes beat Hood; Warnes beat Patterson by default; S. Smith beat Lambert: Mercer beat McKay; McMillan beat A. Brown. Pairs—Donovan, Haglund (s.) beat Patterson, Lemin by default; Clothier, Sansom beat Adamson, Crankshaw; Laing, Tate beat White, Lancaster; Tabb, Robertson beat Lemin, Patterson by default; Pring, Warnes beat Squire, A. Brown; Hood, Hughes beat Prescott, Shannon. Fours. — Semi-final: Crankshaw beat Robertson.