BOWLING NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4757, 3 January 1918, Page 6

BOWLING NOTES.

(By ‘/fouclier.’’)

It wP: N 'with feelings of keen dis-. appointlljieiV thft the Gisborne bowlers receivecNihJ news that it was m,ipossible, fpxA^^Hawke’s Bay team to v-' Year tourna.t the Co. t Centre, as arr’M uents I were unsuitable for a visv ,f|iiMorne on the dates arrangede/’ bowlers were loobirg good time with Napier, _ for they aKasiipb’ sports, whether win or the jkmrnament was to be lielcfitlie ’’tors Br no visitors, and held put W Bine teams w’fitia three, from wiiicn two semio%s arranged. The tourn’aineifc was held under the new arrangement as come to Retween tlie Poverty Bay and Hawke s Bay Clubs, comprising the Centre. In the new order of things the competition for the Burton Trophy is held on alternate years at Napiei and Gisborne at Eastertide, the iSev Teat. Tournament of the Centre also alternating. This year the Burton Trophy fixture eventuates at Napier, and perforce the New Year Tournament was set down for Gisborne. Thus it comes about that the tournament this year is a Centre fixture. It was in 1914 that a similar tournament took place in Gisborne with the greatest success. . . The green was in lovely order ior the tournament this week, and great was the praise bestowed upon it. The property, of the Gisborne Club, which was the venue, was looking at its best, and high encomiums were passed on the caretaker and the Grounds Committee. All arrangements ran smoothly, and the secretary and president put in a lot ol work in expediting the play. The weather was 'on its very best behaviour, and many a player, with liis sunburnt face, showed lie liad enjoyed to the full his two days’ play in the healthy sunny air. Play commenced on Monday morning at 9 o’clock, and the quid nuncs had the winners placed in four rinks, thqse skipped respectively by Hueston, Smith, Wootton and Martin. In the course of the first day’s play, Martin’s team never got into its stride and were early out oi the hunt. It got two losses on end, from Horne and Hueston, and these defeats settled its chance, whatever it might have been, though it won. both its games on the second day. Hueston’s team kicked off in a splendid game with Crawford’s rink, and got home by the narrow margin ■of one point, which made the difference between defeat and victory. The team kept on its winning way, when it pushed Martin out. and followed up this success by vanquishing Horne. On the second day Hueston easily beat Hird, but lie had a great game, with Micliie. The latter led Hueston till three heads from home, when the lead and victory was wrested from him. Michie’s team put up a real good fight. Hueston ended up his section play with a record of five wins and no losses —the only team in A Section to achieve this distinction. Smith also was going strong on both clays, for his record at the end of the two days’ play in Section B was five wins, no losses. He had a great game with Kyme, and only won on tlie last couple of heads. He gave the old veteran, J. W. Witty, a kiioek-out blow. Smith’s game with Wootton was one of those games "not understood.” He and- his lads ran up a score of 19 to nil before Wootton scored, and then Sam finished only 16 1 down, but "W.A.S.” was the winner, which is the thing that counts. Smith beat Ponsford and Miller on the second day and. won his section outright. Wootton jumped off the mark 'in i great style, only allowing Witty to I get into double figures, while he em--1 pliatically demed this privilege to 1 Harry Miller. But when Sam bump- | ed into Smith, as I have already said, l it was a ,! W.A.S.”-er win. However, he got in two more wins on the see' ond day, and got second position in his section. Hird, to the surprise of the many, got in early on the winning list. He I simply romped over Micliie, and, dear, oh, dear,' didn’t he paralyse Crawford. The latter was anxious to retrieve the position after Hueston had put him one down, but Ben and lus lads | gave him a staggering one on the i point hitting him with a sixer on the ! first head. This made Crawford go I steady, and his team were content I to score singles until they had evened matters, and were a couple in advance !at the luncheon adjournment. Un 1 resuming, Hircl’s men landed blows I right and left with good leading, and scored a knock-out win by tvo to one. But the Fates were unkind, for in the next game Hird bumped into his club-mate Martin, and after tiemg on the last bead, went under by one point. Tlie second day was fatal to Hird, as he lost both his games. The final between Hueston and Smith was not a great exhibition ol bowls, and without a doubt the team that played the better game won. Smith’s team appeared to me to crack up, while Hueston’.s men played a steady consistent game. Both skips had at times a fair amount to do, and Hueston came out of the heads betI ter than his opponent, althougti Smith put in a lot of good play. Hueston’s team deserves its. win, and I offer my congratulations. It was in the year 1913 that the first New Year Tournament was held in the district, and was inaugurated by the Turanganui Club. The Vinners of the various New Year tournaments to date are:— 1913, on Turanganui Green. —Glendinning, Skillen, P. Hovard, J. J. Martin (skip). 1914, Centre Tournament on Gisborne Green: Humphreys, Bullock, i Maher, Paltridge (skip). . i 1915, on Turanganui Green; i airs. Findlay and Somervell (skip). ■ 1915, bn Gisborne Green: lairs. — Beatson and T. A. Crawford (skip). 1916, on Gisborne Green—O Meara, Ivel, R. G- Crawford, T. A. Crawford on Gisborne Green. —Abandoned on account of weather. . 1918, Centre Tournament on Hisborne green: Moir, Beatson, A. to. Seymour, Hueston (skip). I notice some of the bowleis forrrot to observe the new rule passed at the last meeting of the DommionBowlino- Association in reference to the one foot on the mat. The two feet rule was rescinded, hub one tcot must be on the mat and not less than three inches from the top edge of the mat. Bowlers should carefully conform to this when playing. What I have never seen happen before in tournament play happened on Monday —‘Crawford scored the whole eight bowls on the first dead in his game against Micliie. Fancy sce.-i -g the whole eight! The team ought to be proud of itself, but tne at her Lam should feel sorry for ; tsa f. Never mind, it is_a young team, and ds days of scoring the posable are yet to come. . The minimum number or points scored in any game during the tourney was in the Horne-Micliie and Ponsford-Miller games, 'the total being 31. The highest total points scored was in the Ponsford-Witty game, the number being 49. Crawford’s team had the honor of the most points in any game (31)) while Michie’s team achieved the doubtful disbinction of scoring the least points in any game, 7 points being their total in one game. / The honor that is not coveted at a tournament is that of attaining the distinction of Qualifying for the Booby Laurels. In this tournament there were two teams keen after the honors, Micliie and Witty’s and they got the marbles, alright. Mr Witty has earned these honors, on previous-, occasions as the records of the club, show • and he alwavs . carries them with dignity to himself as lie thoroughly enjoys tlie good old game, i May we see him still as active at I many future tournaments to come!