BOWLING NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23022, 27 April 1938, Page 23

BOWLING NOTES

EASTER WINNERS CARLTON CLUB'S SUCCESS KEEN DUEL BETWEEN LEADS BV SKIP A feature of the events in the recent Enstor bowling tournament was the success of the Carlton Club in the finals. With two wins and a runnerup position out of four events, the club's representatives once again demonstrated their ability in open tournament play. Lancaster's win in the Kaster fours marks the .second occasion on which the Carlton colours have been carried to victory, the previous occasion being in 1933, when the late G. Carter piloted his team to victory. The Epsom Club lias the best record in this respect with five wins in the 16 years the tournament has been held. In the all-Carlton final on this occasion the most interesting feature of the game was the duel between the two leads, J. Proud and Cutler. Both players were on their game and there was little between them at the finish. It was a very close contest for a final game, but there was little exciting play. Lancaster did open out on occasions and he seemed to be more successful in his fast work than in drawing. He now has two centre wins to his credit.

C. H. de Launay, the runner-up, has an Easter win to his credit, which he established in 1927 as a member of the Epsom Club. De Launay is generally an outstanding contender in big tournaments. It is surprising the number of times he qualifies in sections and his section win this time was a great one, as he had nine wins to his credit. It was unfortunate for him that his only loss in 12 games occurred at a critical stage. Ho was as usual wel] served by his team up to the final game, but in that contest his inside players did not live up to previous

showings. The two losers in the semi-finals, R. Thomas, Mount Albert, and A. Murdoch, Otahuhu, did well up to that stage. Thomas, when opposed to de Launay, failed to get going at any stage and was easily defeated. Connew's leading was not so good in this game and his team mates were not equal to retrieving the position. Thomas' drives lscked the necessary sting to do any good against packed heads. Murdoch played a very fine game against Parsons, Ponsonbv, in the previous contest, but could not reproduce his best form against Lancaster. This loss was his first in 11 games. The team which nearly caused a surprise was W. "Walker's Mount Eden .combination, which went down to de Launay by a single point after an extra head. Walker, who had eight wins in his section, played excellent bowls throughout the tourney. He received able assistance from his third player, H. Pearse. Walker is a young skip and is to be congratulated on his good showing.

t DYSON'S FINE RECORD i NO LOSSES SUFFERED 1 t FIRST MAJOR SUCCESS r F. Dyson, the winning skip in the " clubs' executive fours, achieved his first major success. Ten games and ten wins 1 was his record. Two years ago' he , played in the final of the same com- - petition, which was won by E. Buckley, } Grey Lynn. Dyson has been playing ' in these tournaments for a long time. , He played a cool and steady game against Whiteside's Waiuku team and saved the position nicely on occasions. Dyson's three partners, J. Daniels, J. Bull and F. Breckon, were also steady. Daniels' leading was first-class and he drew an excellent shot on the jack on the last head when the scores wore even. The Waiuku team started off well against Dyson, but faded at the end. The skip, Whiteside, was driving and drawing splendidly at one stage, and he looked a certain winner. More determination in his fast shots was required over the last few heads. W. Swinton, who skipped the Ponsonby team to victory in the intermediate competition, is a promising young player. His play in the final against F. Brittain, Carlton, revealed splendid drawing qualities. The leading work of White was a vital factor in the success of the Ponsonby team. He conies of a bowling family, being a brother of the well-known St. Heliera players Stanley and Percy White. FIRST-YEAR CONTENDERS FINE SPIRIT IN EVIDENCE Two outstanding characteristics of the first-year players' event were the splendid plav of the "colts" and the fine spirit of friendliness in which the games were contested. This was especially apparent in the final game between H. Craig, Carlton, and W. E. A. Smith. Mount Ede,n. Both skips were not slow in applauding a good shot by the opposition. The finalists were very evenly matched, n. fact which was demonstrated by the results of the two games between the teams. The winning skip, Craig, was rather better supported by his lead and two than was Smith by his front division | men. Both skips had excellent number | threes, Delioli, for Carlton, being very I steady, while Ackroyd, Mount Eden, was generally equal to saving his skip an undue amount of work. SECTION QUALIFICATION RULE TOO STRINGENT Some disappointment was expressed by those with a high number of wins in their sections in the Easter fours at their not being able to participate in the inter-section play, owing to the absolute rule tvhereby only actual section winners go forward. As it happened, there would have been only three more teams included and under the "sudden death" system it would not have taken any longer to find the winner. Nine teams qualified, but even if three times that number had come forward it would have taken only one more round to find the winner. Another weakness of the "actual winner" rule is that the last day's play is robbed of a certain amount of interest. This was particularly so in the two sections in which the winners went through without a loss. The same, rule which applies to tho events at Christmas should be applied, but tho minimum number of wins could ho fixed at seven instead of six. This would in no way inconvenience anybody, Mould give more satisfaction to those with a chance on the last day, and would not prolong tho inter-section play.