GAME OF BOWLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23272, 15 February 1939, Page 20

GAME OF BOWLS

POPULAR TOURNAMENT ROTORUA CLUB'S EVENT ONEHUNGA PLAYER'S SUCCESS BY SKIP The annual Rotorua rink tournament gains in popularity every year and, although the first day of this year's event was a wet one, the pleasant conditions enjoyed during the succeeding five days offered full compensation. The green conditions were realty good, the bottom green in particular being in splendid order. The inside rinks on this green could hardly have been improved on for accuracy, while their pace was also keen.

It lias been mentioned previously that the Rotorua green is Robertson's happy hunting ground, and in winning the recent event the Onehunga player proved this contention. His team put up a very fine record of wins. Commencing with a loss in the first round, which came at the hands of Townley's Mount Albert rink, the team went on to win 13 games in succession. ' The Onehunga team was a wellbalanced one and contained no flaw in its make-up. Mack low led brilliantly throughout and the remainder of the team followed his good example. Gatland was a steady number two, while there is little necessity to enlarge on the capabilities of the third roan, F. Livingstone, who gave invaluable assistance. Robertson skipped well throughout the scries and, when he was called on to score or save, he was generally equal to the occasion

Gardiner's Otahuhu team was another well-balanced combination. Ogilvie was si steady lead, while the play of Harper imd Sykes, numbers two and three respectively, was up to their well-known standard. This team did not have such a good record as the winners, and just managed to quality. Taken all round, there were some very goqd teams competing. Stewart's Mataniata rink was one of these, the country team giving an outstanding display to overwhelm the strong Carlton rink skipped by de Launay in the postsection play. The West End team in the name of Bremner, but which was skipped by Needham, had a similar record in the section play to .Robertson. It was unfortunate that Bremner was confined to the number two position owing to an injury to his leg which kept him out of the first four rounds. His place as number two was filled by the ileum era player H. J. Bray. Mention must be made of the fine play of the two young members of this team, Overington, lead, and X. Donaldson, number three. Very pleasing also was the play of Michell, Whitiora, who had only two section losses and who survived to the semi-final stages.

A STRONG SECTION ONLY TWO SURVIVORS In the strong section C there were only two survivors, de Launay, Carlton, and Duncan, Remuera. Notable failures in this section were Lancaster, Carlton, who did not live" up to past records, and H. Whittle, Grey Lynn. The latter's non-qualification was one of the real surprises of the tournament, it being confidently expected that lie would play a prominent part in the concluding stages of the tournament. A skip in this section who created a good impression was L'\ H. King, the Manawatu player. He staged a great recovery in one game, going from a 10 —3 deficiency to score a comfortable victory.

The president of the I'otorua Club, A. Queenin, with eight wins, did reuiarkaljly well to lead his team so far in the competition. A.J. Let ham, Ponsonby, who is to the fore in Kotorua tournaments on most occasions, again filled a prominent position in his section, but failed to get past Gardiner, Otubulin, in the first round of postsection play. It was pleasing to see the veteran E. Forrest," Taneatua, again in action. He recorded some good wins, one of his victims being Letliam. It was a surprise to find the fine Kotorua player, JO. L'owkes, so far down the Jist. His record of three wins and seven losses was a new experience for him. lligginbothain, .L'onsonby, another eight winner, was in great form. His driving was very accurate, while his drawing was superb at times. He fell in the first round of post-section play to.the eventual winner, but with a little more support from his team might have easily reversed the position. Dr. Whiteside did not do as well as expected. His final tally of three wins was rather a poor record for the Waiuku representative. The president of the New Zealand Bowling Association, Mr. F. A. Hosking, was a competitor in E section, where he assisted a fellow councillor, Mr. L\ H. Uowe, Whitiora, in the number three position. He dropped a hintto the Rotorua executive to do something in the way of providing entertainment for visiting ladies. A noticeable omission on this occasion was the usual concert. Otherwise the arrangements were excellent and reflected great credit on the secretary, Mr. W. A. Knaggs.