BOWLING TOURNEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22617, 4 January 1937, Page 12

BOWLING TOURNEY

NEW ZEALAND TITLES PLAY COMMENCING TO-DAY LARGE ENTRIES RECEIVED [by tei.kgrapji—siMociAr, reporter"! WELLINGTON", Sunday The Now Zealand bowling championships will coimncncn to-morrow niorniutr. and two fine days have had the effect of bringing the running surfaces into nearly normal condition after a period of wet weather over the holidays. Very large - ntries have been received in all three competitions, 280 in the singles, 25(3 in the pairs, and 160 in the rinks. In tlie first event, the singles, seven previous title-holders are entrants. These are; —M, Walker, Auckland, attempting a fourth honour; Foster, Caledonian, and \V. Carswell, Taieri, with two successes each; J. 1). Best, Otago: Brackcnridge, Lvall Bay; Engobrotsen, Xapier, who had such a hollow victory in Auckland in 1935; and the present champion, F. Livingstone, Onehunga. C. E. Hardley, West End, runner-up last year, and Wellings, Hataitai, who played in the final in 193u, arc on hand again. The latter player has been performing well this season. The 1921 winner, Brackcnridge, has also won the Wellington centre's champion of champions singles on three occasions, and should prove a hard man to dispose of. Walker plays at Hataitai and, if his play is up to last year's standard, he should be returned the section winner, although King, St. Albans, won iu the last tourney. Robertson, Onehunga, will find Lloyd, Caledonian, hard to beat at Hutt, while Bremner, West End. and Edwards, Tcmuka, two old tournament opponents, will clash in the opening game at Porirua. Hardley's opposition reads strong at Seatoun, with Foilding, Hataitai, Noad, Lyall Bay, and Dowland, St. Hilda, in his section. Strong Opposition Livingstone is in a section at Hutt, and Xichol, Cromwell, may prove his most serious opponent. At Island Bay Mingins, Ponsonby, should do well, although his opposition appears to be quite strong. P. 31unn, tho present Canterbury singles champion, will meet tho winner of tho pairs in 1933, Squire, of Hawera, and the Ponsonby representative, Firth, and lie will find this section hard for him at Kelburn. N. Bell, Hamilton, will try conclusions at Petone with Engcbretsen, and this match should be well worth watching. In the pairs there are also seven previous champions competing:—Brackenridge, 1922; Edwards, 1923; Walker, 1927; Gladding (who led for H. Jenkin), 1930; Bremner and Hardley, 1932; Maslin and Squire, lOJiii; and the present holder, R. Haworth, Canterbury. Previous title-holders who will be missed on this occasion are Loveridge and Pilkington, dual winners iu 1931 and 1935, J. Veitch, West Harbour, in 1934, and H. Jenkin, Carlton, in 1930. There will bo some splendid games witnessed in this popular event, which commences on Wednesday. There will be three games on the first day, and j the competition is again confined to tho ! three-bowl innovation, which seems to j have found favour at recent tournaments. Title-holder Absent H. Whittle, who was runner-up at ; the last tourney, and who won the rinks the previous year, will not bo competing in this event, which is tho j big one of the tourney. Play commences on Friday, and there appears to ho every prospect of the ultimate winner being hidden in the early stages, so strong does the opposition seem in tho 16 sections on which the 100 rinks will bo accommodated. One of the skips competing goes back to 1914, when J. Portcous won the title at Dunedin, while Bremner, with two successes, has a powerful rink. Deare, now of Carlton, won for the Dunedin Club in 1931, while others with wellbalanced teams are Carswell. Otago, with J. D. Best as his lead; Bonofield, St. John's, who won in 1927; Walker. 1932; Naylor, 1933; H. Wilson, 1934; and the present bolder, 1?. Haworth, Canterbury; while W. Foster, Caledonian, winner in 1928, leads for a club rink skipped by Lloyd, with J. Scott, twice winner of the singles, as his thi rd• The Wellington opposition is undoubtedly strong and, with tho advantage of local knowledge of tho in- j trieacics of the various greens, tJic province's chance of annexing the title this year is being freely discussed A team from Queensland was expected to play at the tourney, but will not be arriving early enough to compete. There are too many evenly-balanced quartets in tho contest to attempt at 1 this stage to try to indicate the pos- j sihle finalists, but it is expected that ' the old and tried contestants of many ! a thrilling battle will be among those | qualifying at the finish of section play, j