POST-SECTION PLAY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 April 1935, Page 10

POST-SECTION PLAY

EASTER BOWLING TOURNEY FOUR RINKS ELIMINATED A. C. SMITH REMAINS UNBEATEN

At the conclusion of the eighth, round of section play in the South Taranaki Easter bowling tourney yesterday eight rinks, which qualified by virtue of six or moi;e wins, were left to contest the post-section draw on the Park green. E. Espiner (Manaia) played P. Douglass (West End), W. W. Thomas (Park) played A. C. Smith (Park), C. Sheahan (Patoa) played -F. Spurdle (Inglewood) and L. J. Bull (Hawern) played A. Andrews (Manaia). The weather, which had threatened rain, remained fine and warm until the close of the day, when a light shower fell.

A crowd of "spectators on the bank followed closely the progress of the four games and frequently beautifully placed shots earned well merited applause.

Results were as follow: Bull 19 . v. Andrews 18. Smith 27 v. Thomas 12. Douglass 20 v. Espiner 16. Spurdle 27 V. Sheahan 21.

In the Bull-Andrews match the former ship had scored a two and two singles before the latter opened his scoring account on the fourth head with a single, followed by a handy four on the fifth, which placed him one point in the lead. Two mpre singles to Bull and then a two to Andrews still saw the Manaia skip in the lead until Bull equalised on the ninth and then took a three and a single before Andrews reduced his deficiency by two on the 12th. Three to Bull and the same to Andrews left Bull with two points still in hand at the loth, from which stage of the game he had a succession of wins in the next four heads, taking five points to his credit. Andrews won the last two heads, but a four and a two were insufficient to give him the lead. All through the game both skips played high class bowls.

Espiner had five points in hand scored on the first three heads before Douglass opened with a three, followed by a two and a one. Two’s and singles to both skips made the scores 10—7 in Espiner’s favour at the 10th head, when two three’s gave Douglass a big lift in points and > made both level at the 14th. It was fairly even pegging to the last head, Douglass scoring seven to Espiner’s three to win by four. With the scores 21 points each at the 20th head there was tense excitement in the Spurdle-Sheahan contest, Spurdle taking two out of the 21st to win. Fortunes fluctuated throughout the game, Spurdle commencing the better of the two by taking a two, a four and a three to Sheahan *s two singles. Towards the end of the game, however, Sheahan scored three’s and two r s freely and quickly made up lost ground, Spurdle failing to score .on four consecutive heads, in which his opponent took nine. With a margin of 15 points A. C. Smith had a comfortable win over Thomas, who scored on nine heads to make his total 12 made up of singles with a two and a three. Smith scored on nine heads, taking one four, four three’s, four two’s and three singles.

Smith maintained his unbroken re cord of successes in the tournament.

SURPRISES IN SECTION PLAY.

In section A in the morning N. H. Murray (Ilawera) with five wins in six rounds, was expected to qualify, but he lost both games. Espiner, who had also won five games, went ’on to win the two yesterday morning, making certain of qualification. He had little difficulty in both his games. A. C. Smith, who went through the eight rounds in section B without a loss, had the whole-hearted support of every member of his rink and their bowling was remarkably consistent. Sheahan, Andrews, Thomas and Douglass all qualified from the same section as Smith.

In section C, Bull, with seven wins, and Spurdle, with six, were the qualifiers. Eoy at the end of the second day had five wins in six games and was expected to qualify fairly easily. Foy himself must have thought so, in the seventh round, against his clubtnate, 11. S. M&slin, for at one stage he held a 19 to 5 lead. With an inspired tspoll of bowling Maslin and his men drew level at 23 all on the last head, and two more heads were required before Maslin just got there. A feature of the play was the consistent bowling of Bull, who saved, literally, a score or more of points and won dozens himself. No matter how disastrous the position, when Bull went down to play, the scene would he materially altered. On one occasion he was three down, with one bowl to play. With a fine shot, ho drove kitty into the ditch and neatly and effectively gathered five' as a result. In his post-section game he was always there when the going'was hottest, and on one particularly memorable head he converted four down to one up with a perfect draw. Smith also had several inspired patches, though the bowling of tho whole team was most consistent. 0. Curtis gave the rink some great starts with fine leading. In the post-section game Smith made no race of it with Thomas. It was rather unfortunate that the two Park rinks should have been drawn together. In the semi-finals ■; which- were to have been played this morning when the weather cleared Bull was to.'meet Douglass and Smith to meet Spurdle.

MARLBOROUGH TOURNEY. SECTION PLAY CONCLUDED. (By Telegraph- -Tress Association.) BLENHEIM, April 22. The Marlboro agh bowling tournament was continued to-day when sectional play concluded. After nine rounds the qualifying skips were Martella (Marlborough) 9, McArthur and Nicol (Picton), Nicholas and Healey (Blenheim), Watt (Marlborough) 9, Stone (Seat,mm) 7,. Smith (Picton), Glover (Blenheim), Roche (Awatere), Webb and Glennie i(Seatoun), Warwick (Newtown), Taylor (MastertOn), Sheedton (Beckenham) B. I