BOWLING

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1933, Page 4

BOWLING

HIKURANGI TOURNAMENT

WHITELAW’S TEAM WINS

The Hikurangi Bowling Club’s Easter fnll-Hiik- tournament was concluded on the Whangarei Club’s greens yesterday, the final being fought out between West well, of Hikurangi, and Whitelaw, of Whangarei.

The game commenced early in the afternoon and provided those on the bank with one of the most interesting and exciting tournament finals seen for some considerable time.

An incident unparalleled in the history of such an event in the North characterised the -game. At the eonelusion of the 21 heads a draw resulted, which, according to the rules, necessitates that a further 21 heads be played. The second game commenced at 3 o’clock and after four heads had been played The teams adjourned for tea until f).4u p.m., when the remainder of the match was played under electric light. The opposing teams were as follows: —

Whangarei.—E. Woledge, A. Chisscll, S. Simons and M. Whitelaw (s). Hikurangi—R. Walker, E. Macnav, W. Robinson and H. Westwell (s). The Blay, In the first game Whitelaw opened the scoring account with a two, Westwell replying with a single on the second head and a brace on the third. On reaching the sixth head the scores were even, 3 all. From then on until the tenth head Westwell had the better of the exchanges to establish a lead of 14 points to Whitelaw ?s 3.

At this stage an adjournment was made for afternoon tea and on recommencing Wliitelaw gradually reduced the deficiency. On reaching the 10th head, Westwell led by one point only, the next head going to Wliitelaw for two, giving him a lead of one point with one head to go. In the final head, Wliitelaw held three beautiful counters which looked fairly safe. However, the Hikurangi third, Robinson, trailed kitty with his last bowl to his own back timber, within a foot or two of the ditch, to reverse the count in Westwell’s favour. It looked as if the Hikurangi skip had the game in safe keeping. Wliitelaw elected to kill the head, but without avail, and Westwell put in a block to force the draw, which Wliitelaw accomplished magnificently te save two of the three counters, and the game ended in a draw —17 all. The final game was evenly contested up to the fourteenth head, when the scores read 11 all. At this stage Whitelaw went ahead to establish a comfortable lead, and on reaching the 19th head - the score read: —Wliitelaw 19, Westwell 12.

The Hikurangi skip scored a nice four on the twentieth, leaving him three, to tie and four to win on thejlast head. However, the, Whangarei .skip was not'taking any chances and built the head on “safety first” lines, giving the opposing side little chance o£ scoring the required four. Whangarei held shot with two or three thirds very handy. Westwell elected to run the shot bowl off with his first and draw with his second for throe, but he played a narrow one with his opening shot and was successful in pushing the shot bowl off with his second to count two. Wliitelaw placed a back bowl with his first and had no necessity to play his seeobd. The game ended with the final score reading:—Wliitelaw 19, Westwell 18. After the final the teams adjourned to the pavilion, where the president of the Hikurangi Bowling .Club, Mr A. Steele, presented the trophies to tli’tf winners and runners-up. He congratulated them, on the splendid game they had put up. Both skips.- on behalf of their respective teams, suitably acknowledged the presentations.

The president then made reference to the unicpie conclusion' of tho final, which he considered to bo an incident unknown in the history of such an event in North Auckland. In conclusion, he paid tribute to the excellent state of the greens and complimented the superintendent, Mr W. Delamore, and the greenkeeper, Mr T. Newton, on the manner in which the surfaces were kept. He then thanked the Whangarei Club for kindly permitting the Hikurangi Club to use the greens and appointments. Three cheers were then given for the winners and the runners-up and the assCihbiy ’ dispersed.