BOWLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22670, 6 March 1937, Page 25

BOWLING

ANNUAL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION PAIRS EVENT P 1 FINAL STAGES REACHED Inter-section play in the Auckland Bowling Centre's annual champion pairs tournament was commenced on the Mount Eden Club's green yesterday morning. At tlio end of four rounds of play the decision lay between two teams/ Griffiths, Ponsonny, and Prangley, Mangere. The finalists will meet on the Carlton green to-day at three o'clock. , Fine weather conditions favoured the contestants and the green was in excellent order. It was not surprising, therefore, to note a high standard of play, and hard-fought contests were witnessed. The best play was seen in the third round, in which eight teams took part. The whole four games resulted in very close finishes. The game between Deare, of Carlton, a former Dominion champion, and Griffiths, Ponsonby, was very exciting, and it was only on the last head that the issue was settled in the Ponsonby team's favour. Bird, lead for Deare, in endeavouring to clear Iris immediate opponent's bowls off the heaO, was not successful. He took out his own woods and left Deare in a hopeless plighli. The Parsons-Barber game was another good one, the Ponsonby skip drawing and running in good style to snatch a narrow win. The Mangere skip, Prangley, who is in the final, gave one of his best displays and, ably assisted by his lead, Granger, ho gained a narrow decision from the Carlton skip, Fookes. The Auckland Club pair, Robertson and Mnson, had a very close contest with the successful "West. End pair, Skinner and Colthnrst, who performed so well at Rotorua in the recent pairs tournament. When the semi-finalists came out to play it was neen that the two Ponsonby teams were to meet. The winners, Best and Griffiths, were undoubtedly superior to Bnchan and Parsons. The former skip frequently raised applause with his excellent drawing, which saved some serious positions. Parsons was in good form for the greater part of the time, but he faded toward the finish. Buchan was leading well at the end of the game, but Best was superior in the early part. The other game, between Mnson and Prangley, saw the Auckland team establish a good lead of nine points on the 13th head, when the score was —7. However, from then onward the Mangere pair came with a determined run and, securing scores of 1, 3, 3, 1, 4 and 1, took the lead on the lfith head, with the score at 20 —10. Mason scored a single on the second to last head and, requiring three to tie, was not sue- ■ cessful, the opposition scoring one and taking the game by four points. Granger led in fine style and was superior to Robertson. Prangley gave a polished display of drawing and surprised by his quiet methods on this occasion. Mason, who had played splendidly in the two preceding games, was not quite up to his earlier form. Results are as follows: First Round.—Savin, N. Thomson (Rawhiti), 20, v. ,T. Darby, F. Eshelby (West End), 17; J. Bird, G. Deare (Carlton), 23, v. S. Harris, J. Allely (Auckland), 17. Second Round. —Deare, 23, v. Thomson, 30; "W. Best, J. Griffiths (Ponsonby), 21, v. L. Pitkethley, L. J. Keys (Auckland), 35; W. D. Kelly, J. Barber (Balmoral), 23, v. ,T. Proud, A. Taylor (Carlton), 11; G. Buchan, A. Parsons (Ponsonby), 23, v. E. Price, H. Collins (Takapuna), 18; Granger, R. S. Pranfrley (Mangere). 32, v. J. Garlick, J. Newton (Mount Albert), 20; Cutler, A. G. Fookes (Carlton), 23, v. T. Mayson, L. G. Donaldson (Grey Lynn), 20: W. ! Robertson, J. P. Mason (Auckland), 20, v. Baskiville, B. Emirali (Carlton), 18; W. Skinner, J. H. Colthurst (West End), 22, v. T. Rowo, F. M. Ritchie (Carlton), 19. Third Round.—Griffiths, 19, v. S. Deare, 17; Parsons, 23, v. Barber, 16; Prangley, 22, v. Fookes, 19; Mason, 22, v. Colthurst, 14. Somi-finals.—Griffiths, 21, v. Parsons, 14; Prangley, 21, v. Mason, 17.