BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18445, 5 January 1922, Page 2

BOWLING.

* B» Jack.

The local greens have received a _ largo amount of patronage during the holidays, players who intend taking part in the dominion tournament making the most of the opportunity afforded for practice. The fine weather experienced recently has greatly benefited the greens, which should bo in the pink of condition in a few day®’ time. The greonkeepors will have a, busy time until tho opening of tho tournament. The Southland bowling tournament, which commenced on Saturday, was not so well patronised as in previous years, this being no doubt largely due to the fact that many of the northern players are holding bock for the dominion tournament, which commences in Dunedin next week, Saturday was devoted to tho single® games, only two greens being occupied. Tho following Dunedin players competed:—M‘Curdy (St. Kilda), Dcwland (St. Kilda), Edwards (St. Kilda), Stuart (St. Kilda). Suramorficld (Dunedin), Harravvay (Dunedin), Best (Dunedin), and Black (Dunedin). On the North End green tho section winners were M'Gurdy, Stringer (Invercargill), Piercy (Southland), and Harraway., In the play off for green winner M'Ourdy 20 beat Piercy 15; Harraway 22 boat Stringer 16; Harravvay 15 beat M‘Ourdy 9. On the Invercargill green Stuart was defeated by M'Gorlick (Bluff) in his first game by 16 to 12. Ho then defeated Crodgington (North End) by 24 to 19, and Stevenson (Invercargill) by 20 to 18. In the section tics Stuart defeated M'Gorlick. Tho section winners were Stuart, Young (Bluff), Clark (Southland) and Holloway (North End). In tho semi-finals Holloway defeated Clark and Stuart defeated Young. Stuart defeated Holloway for green winner. In the final Harraway had a runaway victory over Stuart by 23 to 5, the game ending on the seventeenth head. Harraway’s hardest game of the series was against Donald son, whom he defeated by a single point. The rinks games commenced on Monday morning, three Dunedin rinks competing— Dowland, Edwards, Stuart, M‘Curdy (St. Kilda); Summerficld, Young, Barnes, Harraway (Dunedin); and Bolwell, Best, -Hutchison, Black (Dunedin). Unfortunately all tho Otago players were drawn to play on the same green. Some of the sectional play was very interesting, but a remarkable feature of the day’s play on the Southland green was the email scores of M'Curdy 9 (St. Kilda) rink and Thorn’s (Mataura) rink. Playing against Harraway, M'Ourdy s rink made a very poor showing, the former scoring 21 points to 5. Black had an even more substantial victory against Thorn, who added only 5 points agaipst Black s 20. Tho section winners were Thorn (Mataura), M'Ourdy, Harraway, and Black. In the semi-finals Black boat Thorn by 20 to 3, and Harraway beat M'Curdv by 21 to 5. The pairs’ matches were commenced yesterday morning. On the Southland Green Stuart (St. Kilda) and Hutchison (Dunedin) wore beaten in the semi-finals. On the Te Bangi Green Young and Harraway (Dunedin) were the green winners. Edwards and M‘Curdy (St. Kilda) also competed on this green.. In the ■ final for green winner on the Northend Green Kissell (To Rang!) beat Barnes (Dunedin) by 12 to 10. The "final game was played between You-hg and Harraway (Dunedin) and Usshor and Hicks (Gore), the former pair winning after a keenly contested game. Harraway is to be congratulated on his fine perform an oe in winning both singles and pairs competitions. He narrowly missej getting into tho final of the rinks. The final was played between rinks skipped by Black (Dunedin) and Holloway (Northend), the latter winning by 21 to 15, A Dunedin enthusiast who spent the Christmas'’ holiday's in Timaru has sent mo the following:—The annual-bowling tournament of South Canterbury commenced on Monday morning, December 26, with the rinks competition, and was continued on Tuesday with tho doubles; the finals being played on Wednesday on the Timaru Green. The weather for the first two days was ideal, , though slightly on the warm side. On Wednesday morning a howling gale sprung up, followed shortly afterwards by a heavy drizzle which continued more or less throughout tho day. The final' of the rinks was played between rinks composed of Leslie, Courtis, Allnutt, and F. Oarlton (skip) v. Home, Souter, Menzies, and E. Bust (skip).- At the beginning ot the game the green, though somewhat heavy, was playing splendidly, but after half the game had gone, a eoaking rain set in, and continued throughout the afternoon. Good play now became almost an impossibility; nevertheless, same remarkably good heads were built up. ’The game resulted in a somewhat comfortable win (as regards points) for E. Bust’s rink. Several Dunedin players took part in ,the games, but the only one to reach the finals was the Kaikorai veteran, W.’ C. Allnutt, who played third for Carlton. Allnutt is in great form at present, and several times gained plaudits for his shot®, his raking and drawing being l of a high order. ' E. Bust’s team played consistently throughout the tournament, especially so in the final when tho skip showed -great generalship in building the heads, and also playing some remarkably good shot®. The game which attracted -most attention during the day was the doubles between tne Kaitangata pair, Sharp and Penman (s) v. Larimer and L. Dewar, of West End. Dewar is having groat success with his accurate driving; and repeatedly caused consternation by talcing out the shot or putting the jack into the ditch. However, steady drawing by the Kuitangata men more than counter-balanced tho onslaught ot tho local skip; and the game resulted in a well-earned and decidedly popular win for Penman. The leading of Sharp in this game was an object lesson to Invercargill. He appeared to be able to put his bowl exactly where his skip directed. Latimer was u-so playing a splendid drawing game for Dewar, but was up against a tough proposition in Sharp. Owing to the heavy vain the final had to be put off till Thursday morning, when the Kaitangata pair played lilaokha-m and D. Dewar (a}, of West End Honours were fairly even for four heads, when Penman gradually drew away from his opponent and by beautiful play tho Kaitangaca paiir outdistanced their opponents by 40 points to 12, and won a welldeserved and popular victory. Tho Otago ‘ Central Periling Centre’s annual champion rinks tournament was held at Roxburgh on Boxing Day under favourable weather conditions. Pivo out of the six clubs in the centre took part, and were represented os follows: —Bannockburn —Parcell. Robertson, J. Ritchie, Fowler; Cromwell —T. Varcoe, Rankin, Shore, E. Jolly; Clyde—Miller, J. Smart, Sutherland, Bringans; Alexandra —Mitchell, Lawry. W. Hewitt, Richards; Roxburgh—Gilligan, Murphy, Donnelly, Francis. In the first round Cromwell defeated Alexandra (16 —15) in a closoly-contested game, scoring in 11 heads to Alexandra's ten. With one head to go Alexandra were 1 up, and when Richards had played his first bowl in the last head Alexandra were lying three. Jolly drove the kitty into tho ditch, and Cromwell lay four, but Richards drew the shot with his last. Only part of the bowl was standing clear, but Jolly drove and cut it out, leaving Cromwell three up. In the second round Cromwell played Clyde, and Bannockburn met Roxburgh. At- the conclusion off tho twelfth head in the ClydeCromwell match the scores were, 12 all, but thereafter Cromwell did most of the scoring, bagging a five on the eighteenth head, and ran out seven up. Bannockburn led Roxburgh all the way, and finished 11 up, 27—16. . . _

Tho final between Cromwell and Bannockburn proved to be a most interesting game, and, as in Cromwell's first game against Alexandra, was won by Jolly’s last bowl. With 13 heads gone Bannockburn appeared to bo sure winners, the board reruling Ifj—7 in their favour. Cromwell won the iioxt three heads with two, five, and one, and a single to Bannockburn in the seventeenth head saw the latter with a lead of two. Cromwell won the next two with one and three, followed by a single to Bannockburn in the twentieth head, who evened up the scores with another single in the twenty-first head., In the oxlro head Cromwell lay three till Fowler, tho. Bannockburn skip, drew the shot with a beautiful bowl. Jolly drove, and, with a clean shot, took the kitty into the ditch, and lay the shot with his own bowl, Cromwell thus finishing one up. At the conclusion of play, Mr Graham (president of the centre) congratulated the Cromwell rink on winning the tournament, particularly in view of tho strenuous day they had had, leaving Cromwell at 6 o’clock in the morning, and playing three hard games. It gave him groat pleasure to refer also to the splendid performance put up by the Bannockburn rink', and at his call hearty cheers were given for the Cromwell and Bannockburn rinks. Mr E. Jolly (Cromwell) and Mr J. Ritchie (Bannockburn) replied on behalf of tho visitors, and a few appropriate remarks wore also made by Mr A. Peters (president of the Dunedin Centre), a frequent and welcome visitor to Otago Central greens.