BOWLING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 January 1927, Page 12

BOWLING

DOMINION RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. A DRAMATIC CLIMAX. “We’re five up,” yelled Benefield, of Wanganui, and he leapt into the air in a frenzy of excitement as Stewart’s howl missed its rightful mark and fouled his own wood in the final of the Dominion bowling rink championship (says the Auckland Star). It was a dramatic climax to one of the most interesting and exciting bowling contests that have been seen in this province. The position on the final day was that St. John’s Club team, McMillan, Rowlings, Wight and Benefield (skip) had, in order to win the coveted title, to beat the Dunedin Club’s team, Gregory, Smith, Bentley and Stewart (skip) twice, as the latter held two lives to their opponents’ one. At a quarter .past twelve, under a broiling sun and on a fiery green, the first match was commenced. The Dunedinites set the hall rolling with a pair of singles on the first two heads, but thereafter thev were scarcely in the picture. Head after head they were clearl.v outplayed. Wight, the. Wanganui number three, in particular was plaving with uncanny accuracy, whilst, Benefield, both in drawing and driving, as well as in generalship, gave an exhibition that lias rarely been surpissecl. The game finished on the 20th head with the score: Benefield 21, Stewart 10. A short adjournment was men made for afternoon tea, and then the two teams were called out to contest the final. Bight from the .start a reversal of form was manifest. The Dunedinites started out with- a three on the first head, and although Benefield responded with a four on the next, he failed to score on the next four heads. Meanwhile Stewart’s trno were playing much better, and the skip himself was drawing many scoring shots. The St. John’s men, two of whom, the skip and the three, had also played a pairs match in tiie morning, were obviously feeling the strain, land despite their best efforts could not keep the score down. On the 13th head the board showed: Stewart 19, Benefield 7. The position .seemed hopeless for the Wanganuites, as they were being clearly outplayed, and at least half of the ■spectators lost interest, and left the grounds. As one of them remarked: “Stewart has only to play safe to win.”' This was precisely what Stewart essayed to. do, and with apparent ■success. St. John’s men were fighting doggedly, and a green that was deadening with the dew seemed to suit, them better. Several times they held a fair .score, but always Stewiart or Bentley would save. For three heads Benefield had to be content with singles. Then on the seventeenth head the St. John’s skip, with ,a capital drive, took out a lying shot that was partly hidden, to count three. With four heads ist-ill to go, and six down on the board, he now had a fighting chance. Counting two singles on the next two heads and a pair on the 20th, he started the final head with only two of a. deficit.

■St. John’s lead placed his first- howl within inches of the jack. Gregory's first shot was short, and his second ran past the head. Rowley drew a counter lor St. John’s, but smith then removed the shot bowl, and took its place. Wight then 'performed up to the great reputation he has made in Auckland by claiming the shot with a toucher. Benefield drew .a second. The head was fairly open, and totewart played a running shot, but it went narrow, and sent his own nearest bowl away, with the result that St. John’s iay four, not five as their skip at finst supposed. the incident was electrifying. Benefield was the first to .realise what had happened. After his leap in the air with his right hand uplifted to indicate “five up” lie bounded along the length of the green for a close inspection, followed by the less temperameutiall Stewart, whilst the «jr<j>wd stood on toes in tense excitement.

With a bowl each stil lto play, the two skips carefully examined the head before making the deciding effort. Benefield played a perfect shot, which counted, /and also bloc-iced / the draw. Stewart drove, but his bowl was wide of the mark, and as it passed the head the pent-up excitement of the crowd found expression in a volume of .spontaneous cheering for the winners, who had achieved .success after a- prolonged struggle against apparently hopeless odds. Tire runners-up were also warmly applauded. Although the fortune of the game was against the Dunedinites in the final head, St. John’s would have been unlucky to lose, for even in the second game, to -say nothing of the first, they played better bowls than their opponents.

In presenting the shield la.fter the match, the president of the Dominion Bowling Association, Mr. J. W. Hardley, stressed the fact that although Aucklanders had a preponderance of entries in the rink championship, the finalists were both outside teams. It was obvious therefore that local howlers 'had evidently quite a lot t-o learn from their friends in other parts of the Dominion.