BOWLING

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1618, 4 March 1903, Page 54

BOWLING

THE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.

VICTORIA DEFEATS PALMERSTON NORTH. ' Tho champion bowling teams of the North and South Islands met on tho 25th ult. on tho Wellington Bowling Club’s green to play for the honour of being the champion team of the colony. As very great interest was naturally taken in the match, many bowling enthusiasts' and friends of the teams assembled to witness tho play. The teams were :—•

Victoria (tho South Island champions)—Brackenridge, junr., Gooder, N. Bell, Brackenridge, senr. (skip). Palmerston North (the' North Island champions) Bunting, Nash, Drew, Mowlem (skip).

Tho test was to consist cf three games of twenty-one heads, the team which won two of the games to be declared the winners. Victoria Avon two, and tho third, therefore, Avas not played. In the first game, after some close play, Victoria Avon by one point, the scores being: Victoria, 21; Palmerston North, 20. The green, which Avas fairly hcaA r y Avlicn play started, was rendered still heavier by a misty rain which fell at intervals during the morning and Avith some persistency during tho afternoon. The Palmerston men could not get the measure of the heavy ground, and Avent to pieces in tho second game, scoring only .13 to 34. scored by Victoria, the latter team thus winning the championship of tiie colony. The folloAving are details of the play:—

FIRST GAME. Victoria Avon the first bead with a score of two, and followed this up by scoring one in the second; but Palmerston, mainly by good play on the part of Mowlem, gained four in the next head, and thus led by one Avith three heads played. Palmerston’s, score Avas increased to six in the next tAvo heads, the Victoria skip saving his men from a larger score against them by a timely drive. Victoria scored one in the sixth head, and another in the seventh, the total scores then standing:—Palmerston, 6; Victoria, 5. The eighth head Avent to Palmerston for one, but Victoria won the ninth, the Palmerston skip having dislodged tho shot bowl of one of his OAvn men. Palmerston, 7; Victoria, 6. Palmerston scored one in the tenth head, hut Victoria, then two points behind, equalised “matters in the next head by gaining two, after some fine play on both sides. Victoria’s leader, Brackenridge, junr., sent one of his shots on to the jack, and Gooder put another close beside it. RreAV, for Palmerston, then • took the jack into the ditch, leaving his oavu bowl a couple of feet off. Brackenridge, senr., Avhen the turn of the skips came, sent his first boAvl on to the edge of the ditch, and Mowlem having failed to drive him out, Brackenridge again drew the shot Avitli his second boAvl, amidst loud applause, making the score eight all. The tAvelftli head Avas Avon by Palmerston for a single, but in tho folloAving head Victoria gained the lead, the totals being:—Victoria, 10; Palmerston, 9. From some good play by Gooder, Bell and Brackenridge, senr., in the fourteenth head i Victoria scored scored four. Victoria, 14; Palmerston, 9. This lead Avas reduced in the next head, Palmerston scoring three. A driving shot by Brackenridge, senr., in the nick of time in the sixteenth head prevented a large score for his opponents. Mowlem had placed his tA\ r o shots on the jack, hut these Avere dislodged by Brackenridge, and Palmerston’s score Avas thus only one. Victoria, 14; Palmerston, 13. The next head AA-as Avon by Victoria Avith a score of three, and this team gained the next one also AA'ith one, but in the nineteenth head Palmerston decreased the lead again through some good play by Moavlem, winning the head Avith three. Victoria, IS; Palmerston, 16. In the tAveutieth head there was again some interesting play. Palmerston AA'as lying three when the skips went to play, but this Avas reduced to lavO', Mowlem knocking out one of his oavu men. A drive by Brackenridge, hoAvever, brought about a like result for Victoria, the result being that Palmerston won the head with a score of four, and thus gained a lead of two, Avith only one head to go. Palmerston, 20; Victoria, 18. The play of Brackenridge, senr., in the last head saved the situation for Victoria. Palmerston Avas lying one, but Brackenridge dislodged the shot bowl, and thus Victoria was lying three. MoAvlem’s shot failed to'alter this condition of affairs, and the first game thus resulted in a Avin for Victoria by 21 points to 20. SECOND GAME. Palmerston Avon the first head with a score of one, and the second Avith a score of tAvo through some play on Moavl era’s part Avliich Avon loud applause. Victoria then gained two, and in the fourth head a single, making the scores equal—three all. By good play in the fifth head, Palmerston scored four. Palmerston, 7; Victoria., 3. Moavl cm sent doAvn tAvo fine shots in tho sixth head, but Brackenridge, with uis second boAvl, pulled a score out of

the fire by driving Palmerston out, and scoring five. Victoria, 8; Palmerston, 7. Palmerston responded in the seventh head Avitn a score of four, and again gained the lead. Paimerston, 11; Victoria, 8. In. the eighth head, Victoria scored three, making the totals eleven all, hut a single by Victoria in tho next head gave the local team a lead of one, Avliich lead Avas increased in tho tenth head by a score of tAvo. Victoria, 14; Palmerston, 11. The eleA'entli head Avent to Victoria for a single, MoAvlcm, who attempted a drive with his last boAvl, just missing the jack. Victoria, 15; Palmerston, 11. Victoria gained another tAvo in the following head, Brackenridge, senr.* flitting tho jack. Bell drew the shot in the

thirteenth head, bub Dro\ • by good play, placed his -bowl inside Bell’s, and then Brackenridge, senr., by a beautiful si lot., faced Palmerston out, and gained tho head. Victoria, 20; Lalmerston, 11. In tho next head, Bell again showed excellent play, placing his first bowl a couple of inches from the jack from ono cf Victoria’s boAvls, and then draAving the shot Avith his second bowl, AAhilo DreAV missed altogether Avith a drive: Brackenridge, senr., sent down a couple of fine shots, hut Mowleni’s last shot went Avidc, and the head resulted in a score of five for Victoria. Victoria, 25; Palmerston 11. Tho second boivl of Brackenridge, senr., in the fifteenth head, faced Palmerston out, and gained a single for Victoria. Tavo heads folloAved AAihicli avci’o declared “dead,” the jack being knocked out of hounds. Finally, the sixteenth head resulted in a single for Victoria. Brackenridge, junr., avlio Avas playing an excellent lead, as Bunting Avas for Palmerston, placed a shot on tho jack Avliich the efforts of the Palmerston men failed to dislodge. Victoria, 27 ; Palmerston, 11. In the head, the first boAvl of Brackenridge, junr., went Avithin ffve inches from tho jack, but Bunting displaced it. Gooder Avent Avicle, and Nash then sent down an excellent one, so that Palmerston Avas lying tAVO. DreAV placed another good shot, hut his second boAvl moved the jack, xvith the result that Victoria Avas lying two. A fast drive by Mowlem failed, Victoria winning the head. Victoria. 29; Palmerston, 11. Bunting played a beautiful shot in the eighteenth head, landing inside of Brackenridge, junr., and Nash played another good one close to the jack. A drh'e hv Bell altered the position a little, but finally the head Avas AA'on by Palmerston with a score iff two-. Victoria, 29; Palmerston, 13. The nineteenth and twentieth heads resulted in a single each for Victoria, and in the tAventy-first head Victoria scored three, thus AA’inniiig the game by 34 ponts to 13. At the call of Mr F. Grady (in the absence cf the president), hearty cheers Avero givoxv for the Palmerston men, aa'lio responded Avith cheers for the Avinners.

Ec>ur goid medals, the gift of Mr D. J. Nathan, Avere presented to the members of the Avinning team. Mr Nathan, in handing over the medals, said they had hoped, after having seen the play of the Palimevrston men at the last -tournament, that that day’s play Avould have been closer. He did not blame tho individual players, for they all kneAV that they were genial men with big hearts, and that they could play a magnificent game. But they Avere accustomed to a keen green, and had the green .that day been keener, in-, stead of heavy AA'ith rain, the play AA Ould haA r e been much better. He did not, in saying this, wish to detract from the merits of the performance recorded by the AA'inners; hut the Palmerston Club had Avon at nearly every tournament, and no one would naA r o regretted it had the Palmerston North men taken the victory home with them. (Applause.) Mr Nathan then'presented bb.e( medals, and at his call three cheers were given for the winners. Three of the members of the winning team belong to tho Victoria Club. Tho fourth, N. Bell, is a .member of the Wellington Club. The skip, JBrackenridge, is a av ell-known boAA r ler, Avho has played for the Victoria Club for a considerable period. He AA 7 as formerly a member of the Newtown Club. Before coming to Wellington, he Avas a prominent player in Invercargill. _ In a single match* between Bunting, of Palmerston North, and Bell, of the Wellington Club, Bunting Avon by 24 points to 11.

SATURDAY’S MATCHES. NEWTOWN CLUB. EdAvin Buckles.—A team from the Wellington Club played the holders, hut Avere defeated. Holders.—NancarroAV, Prince (skip), 17. Challengers—Berry, ChurcliAA'ard, 16. TT , Haworth, Higgmbottom, Hendry, Danks (skip), 22; Alpe, Green, Shearer, Lambert (skip), 20. McCumiskey. Hosie. Blythe. Brogan. 20; Worboys, Sexton, Martin, McLean, 13. McDoAvell, Cre\A r es (skip), 22; Bolland, Bell (skip), 17. THORNDON CLUB. Sproule, MattheAvs, Tait. Seaton (skip), 17; Parsons, Stuart, Heywood, Burns (skip), 15. AndreAvs, McKay, Longton. MoAvbray (skip), 20; Freeman, Holmes, Barry, J. M. King (skip), 19. Letham, Nimmo. Jameson. W. Nathan

(skip), 19; Kane, Thompson, Hatch, Rosa (skip), 18. * Wiggins, junr., Gamble. McEldoAvney, Webb (skip), 31; Archibald, Leslie, DaAves, Co-nlin (skip), 18. Speed, C. Barraud, Fraser, Blanchard (skip). 22; Quick, Dimock, Eliott, Wiggins (skip), 16.

VICTORIA GREEN.

Junior Pennant.—Newtown met Victoria on the latter’s green, and, after an exciting finish, lost by one point.—Victoria—Hampton, Guise, Hatch, Leslie (skip), -8; NeAvtoAvn Dumb ell, Scott, Campbell, Shore (skip), 10. Victoria—Tattle, Codber, Hendry, Mayer (skip), 12; New toAvn— Crease, Salmon. Roberts, Wise (skip). 19. Totals— Victoria, 30; NeAvdoAvn, 20. The final game av i 11 be played next Saturday, betAveem Victoria and Pctone.

Townsend Buckles.—The challengers were not successful, losing by 13 points.— TreAmr and Brackenridge, junr., 31 ;RoVe and Page, 21. "Wilson. Graham. NorAvood. McGoAvan (skip). 29: McLeod, Smith, Kellcnv, Anderson (skip). 14. KersbaAv. Patterson. Avery. Scott (ship), 23; Menelaus. White, Mackay, KibbleAvhit.pi (skip). 20. Dixon. Johnston, Martin, Redstone (skip). 16; SehAvartz, Cottrell, Hamerton, Shirtcliffe (skip). 15. The final for the Pairs Match was played during the Aveek, and resulted in a victory for Baggett and Keith, aaJio defeated EellOAA r and Dixon by 24 to 14. WELLINGTON CLUB. G. Evans, M. Fox, W. Gray and W. Waddell (skip), 23; Captain Edwin, W. Watson, R. Thompson and T. Ballinger (skip), 22. Hill, Hopkins, Remington, Falconer (skip), 24; Jones, Wilson, McLean, Mentiplay. (skip), 16. Adams,-France, Maudsley, Lockie (skip), 23; Morris, DaA-y, Miller, Hume (skip), 18.

Collins, Hustwick, Still. Flinders (skip), 20; Purvis, Ledger, Focke, Wix (skip), 11. Fletcher, Price, Hodgson, S. C. Johnson (skip), 19; Harbroe, Osborne, Drummond, E. O. Gibbes (skip), 15. Finlay, Tancred, Lawson, Grundy (skip), 24; MoAvatt, Grady, Plimmer, Knapp (skip), 15.