BOWLING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7029, 18 January 1910, Page 8

BOWLING

! FINAL OP THE! PAXES TOURNAMENT. WON BY THE BROTHERS BRACKEN--1 RIDGE. A CLOSE CONTEST. Considerable interest attached to the final match for the pairs competition held in'connection, with the Northern Bowling Association’s tournament, over 150, spectators assembling at the Wellington green yesterday morning to witness the last game. The competitors were Lock (skip) and Geddis (Wellington Chib) against the brothers John (skip) *.md James Brackenridge, of the Newtown Club. Shortly before play commenced, very light mist fell, but fortunately it was insufficient to have any, detrimental effect oh*the green, which was very fast. The contest was .a sterling one throughout, and provided • the onlookers with • plenty’-of excitement, being in doubt right up to the last LtUcL when, the Brackenridges won by three points. They speedily, established a lead at the-com-mencement of. play, at cue age . being 7 up on their opponents. . Lock, however, played very steadily, and at the seventh head had equalised the score, making it seven all. He overshadowed his previous good, performances by getting 5 up on his opponents oc. the next head, mainly-as the result of beautiful drawing. At the tenth head, the. margin between the teams had been reduced to one, wliilo at the next head each pair hod 12 points. ’ Lock came with 'another rattle at" the twelfth head, and scored four up, making him 16—12, while the next one saw him increUse his lead by four more, having thus notched-20 points, while tho Braokenridges had only registered 5. The latter then commenced to make up their leeway, both drawing well, whereas at this stage Geddis began to go off in his druwing. On tho fourteenth head, Brae kenridgo had reduced his deficiency by three, while two later, ho was only one

point to the bad, tho score being—l/ock 20. Brackenridge 19. Tho excitement at this stage began to grow, and some capital bowling resulted. Tho seventeenth head was particularly interesting. AU through it the brothers had the upper hand, drawing with grout accuracy, and were actually lying 6 when Lock had only his last ball to deliver He adopted ills only apxjarcnt prospect of success, and drove, having the tUtis*faction of carrying kitty into tho ditch, making-a dead head. The next head was again going all against .Lock until another splendid drive by him ‘again removed tho jack from The Brackenridges' reward for their consistency was the scoring of ono on the seven tc-onth head, making each pair equal with 20 points. From this out tho Brae* kenridges never looked / back, though they did not have much margin to spare. On tho eighteenth head they,gained ‘an advantage of two points, having scored 10 while Lock’s total - remained stationary. At the .nineteenth,'Lock,' aftei soino capital play, scored one, making the difference only ono point. In tho next. Lock was lying one up, and seemed likely to equalise the score, when Braeken ridge, with a. splendid drive, knocked kitty into the ditch, and turned the head tqi his own favour by 1 up, giving him an advantage of two points to enter on the last head with. This was the most exciting of tho .whole lot. Biuckenridge was lying 2 up, and victory seemed almost assured, when Lock drove, and carried kitty into the ditch, lying one’. John Brackenridge, however, was equal to tho occasion, and with his last •ball drew to within four or five inches of kitty, amidst a' great outburst of Upplause, winning the head by ono point, and the contest by three. The winners were superior in drawing, .being more consistent than their opponents, but there was little to choose between the driving of the respective ■ skips, which was particularly good.