BOWLING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 April 1926, Page 3

BOWLING.

SOUTH TARANAKI TOURNEY. CLOSE AND KEEN PLAY. An interesting position was reached in the South Taranaki bowling tourney yesterday by the conclusion of the section play and the playing of the first two rounds of the post-section matches. Those who survived to this stage were Spurdle, R. Hicks and Douglass (two lies to go), and Sole, Harrison, Bull and Foy (one life). R. Hieks and Spurdle were the only rinks to come through from tlie Degiuniug unbeaten, though both had several very close calls. They, with Harrison and Sole, came into the post-section play unbeaten with seven wins each.

In the playing of the first two rounds of post-section matches, R. Hicks and Spurdle maintained their victorious career, and Douglass, by winning both his matches, joined them in the ranks of the “two lifers.”

■ The draw for to-day matches Sole and Harrison, Foy and Bull, Spurdle and Douglass, Hicks drawing a bye. Play in both rounds yesterday afternoon was marked by a number of very close and exciting incidents in the course of the matches. In the first round there was only one close call, Sole just beating Goodwin after the latter had made a great recovery. In the second round Douglass easily disposed of Sole and Foy beat Andrews, but the others were all closely contested. At the 12th head in the Ilicks v. Goodwin match, the former led 17 to 7, when Goodwin scored steadily, going to 18 while Hides stood at 17. It was a great struggle, but Goodwin struck ;v lean patch and could not get moving, while Hacks, scoring steadily, put on five more while his opponent notched only two, and the match ended thus.

Spurdle and Harrison had a dingdong “go,” and each scoring steadily the game was I—o at the 9th head." A disastrous loss of six against Harrison decided tlie match, for despite great efforts on liis part, lie coiild get only to three short of his opponent, on the 2fitli head. Going .back for the lasthead, Spurdle Jay three when Harrison came to play. He drove and cut out, one and then with his last bowl just failed to draw the shot, and tlie final, score was 21 —17. It was a- great fighting finish. Quin and Bull also had a good struggle. Quin scored best on the first six heads, and then Bull drew away up to the 14tli and had a good lead. Quin, fighting gamely, scored well and consistently, and reduced the lead till at the 21st lie was only three behind. It was a good match.

TO-DAY’S PLAY. Of tlie seven left .in for to-day, R. Hicks drew tlie bye, and other three matches began promptly at nine this morning. There was keen excitement shown and play throughout was good. The greens were somewhat slow at tlie beginning, but quickened considerably during the day. There was a large attendance of visiting bowlers to see the contests, and much enthusiasm prevailed. The winners of the respective games won by substantial margins in each case. The results were:— Bull 26 v. Foy 8. Spurdle 27 v. Douglas* 12.

Harrison 30 v. Sole 14. Foy finished one up on the first: Read, but Bull scored two on each of the three following heads, Foy only securing singles on the sth, 9th, 13th. and 15th heads and three on the 14th. Bull followed from the ( fourth head with a number of singles until he scored 1 five on the 12th. In the remaining five heads on which he scored he secured three singles, a two and a three. A commencement was made with the next round, the draw for which was as follows: Hieks v. Spurdle, Bull v. Douglass, Harrison a bye.

SEMI-FINALS REACHED. The post section play iu the South Taranaki howling tournament was concluded this afternoon, and a com-' men cement made in the semi-finals. The results were: — ; 7 Douglass 20. v. Bull 12., ye Douglass opened by scoring six on.’ the first’ four heads, after which Bull scored a single. On the sixth Douglass 5 added two and Bull added three by . securing the next two heads. Douglass j scored singles on the ninth and tenth heads, and Bull added a single on the eleventh. Douglas then took the next three heads with six, and Bull scored four on the fifteenth, Douglass taking a, two on the sixteenth, while Bull took a sin ale from the next head. Douglass added two on the eighteenth, Bull takng singles on the last two. only 20 heads being played. Hicks 22 v. Spurdle 19. 'Phis game proved most .interesting,. being won by Ricks, although Spurdle was one up at the commencement of the last head. Spur ale had secured nine on tlie first four, heads before 1 licks opened liis account, which he did on the fifth for two, followed by another on the sixth and singles on the next three. Spurdle then took three' on tlie tenth head, and a single on the * eleventh, after which Hicks took a double.' The thirteenth hAstd pro^ <1 treed a- single for •• Spurdle, and the next, two added four to Hicks’ total, making the scores Spurdle 14, Hicks 13. Spurdle immediately coun--tered with a four, and Hicks took three on the next two heads. A single taken on the nineteenth head concluded Spurdle’s score for 19, and Hieks took' six on the last two, a two, and a four secured by - a well-placed cannon. ’ N Semi-Finals Draw. The draw for the semi-finals was: Hicks v. Harrison ; Sipurdle: v. Dougl lass. Hicks has two lives.