BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18463, 26 January 1922, Page 3

BOWLING.

DOMINION TOURNAMENT.

BRACKENRIDGES WIN DOUBLES

A SENSATIONAL FINISH,

The luck of the game took control of the closing scenes of the Dominion Bowling Tournament yesterday and provided a finish which those who were .fortunate enough to see would not forget for many a day. The final lay between the Brackenridgea (Newtown) and P. Daubney and, E. Smith; of the North End Club, Invercargill. The Newtown pair had. the be»t of tno others and led <JO—l6 ax the nineteehth head. Brackonridgc junior hud been playing a sterling game—in iact he was the game oh their side—and though Daubney, as lead, had been placing shot after shot right on the jack, the odds were against them. Smith was also playing some excellent allots, but Daubney and Brackenridgo junior were the conspiciuous among tho four. In the last head, and with hie last shot, Daubney trailed the kitty right away from Braokenridge into the middle of his own bowls, which lay behind. Braokenridge junior either drew short- or failed to get in. and the surprising result was five points to North End —Smith having put his ;last bowl in—and a tie at 21. Unfortunately the spectators wanted to take charge. Books of rules came out like magic and there some contended that the gahie, went for nothing. The president (Mr W. Nicolson) directed that an extra head should he played, according to the dominion rules, and when quiet was restored Daubney led off. It was a crowded head. When. Brackenridge junior took up ,his last bowl North End lay one with a Newtown bowl close beside. Braokenridge drew hard. “Missed,” called the crowd, but the bowl struck the outside of the head, and with a loud knocking one of his own bowls, was rolled,.right into the centre of the heed abreast of Daubney. The distance was measured and the point went, to Braokenridge. So fortune won for Newtown. Daubney and Smith had just played a game in The. semi-final, but the Brackonridges were fresh as their gatpo had been disposed of.,the afternoon before. ' FORENOON PLAY, Play began early in the forenoon between Johnson and llutabison (Dunedin) and Casey and Parsons (Ponsonby). The game resulted in' a win for the Dunedin pair. Parsons came up to Hutchison when • the latter was 10 at the eighth round, but tho former ran up ; to 17 at the fourteenth head when Parsons was only 11. Parson’s best position was 16 wlien Hutchison'was 18, but the Tatter wan the last three heads and added seven to his score. The game was by Ho means a walk over for Hutchison, his bowling was undoubtedly the better ot the two. It .was the last three heads that made the difference k> The score Johnson and Hutchison, having won tho first game, had to play Gutt and Ham (North End) for the semiffinal. At an early stage of the game North End led 12—6, but five successive wins for Dunedin resulted in a tie. North End made three in the next end. and then stood still while the Dunedin pair went up 13, 14, 18, 21, 23. In the twentieth head North End got only one point, and as they were then nine down the game was finished. 1 his brought Johnson and Hutchison into the semi-fulal againstP. Daubney and E. Smith (North End). THE SEMI-FINAL. The North End pair got the best of the first half of the semi-final, and at the tenth head tho score wa io 9—6 their way. In the next head Daubney secured three touchers, and Johnson’s drive missed. Hutchison’s first' shot took out one, but his second struck one of his own bowls. His third drive put the “ jack ” into the ditch, but Smith drew to the edge. Hutchison's last shot was unfortunate, as it knocked another of Dauhney’s touchers into the ditch, and gave North End an extra point. In the fifteenth head, when the score was 13—7, a good bowl by Johnson knocked out one of Daubney’s, and Dunedin lay two. Smith got one nearer the “jack,*’ but although Hutchison drove it successfully, Smith still got one point out of the head. There were five bowls in line behind the “ kitty,” next time. Smith trailed it, and lay three, and Hutchison’s drive with his last bowl missed. At this stage the game looked like an' easy win for the North End, but Smith kept going through the next head, and Dunedin went up four. This success put fresh courage into the Dunedin pair, whose bowling became more confident. In ,t-hc next end Smith trailed tho “kitty,’! and lost Dunedin one, but Hutchison mode it up with his last bowl. The score was now 17—14, and the nineteenth head resulted in a tie. Johnson drew no fewer than three touchers. Two were lying, and Hutchison got in a third, hut Smith, after both Daubney and he had missed, hit the head, and put out two. Hutchison drew a second. Smith’s drive went' wide, and the former drew a third. In the next head 10 bowls were wasted through bad judgment, and the “jack” was still lying a yard from any of them. Hutchison drew three in succession, but Smith’s last, bowl trailed the "kitty.” and gained him a point. Hutchison’s drive with his last bowl burnt tho last head when North End were lying two, and an extra head had to be played. Johnson placed a difficult one in front of Daubney’s toucher, but Daubney .knocked it out with has next draw, and North End lay two. Hutchison could not risk a drive, as North End were ready on each side, and the latter added three to the score, winning by 21 to 18. A SENSATIONAL FINAL. At the eight end in the final between the North End pair and the Brackonridges, of Newtown, the score was 10—4 in Newtown’s favour, but North End made three and two. In the next end Brackenridgo, jun., drew on one Smith had trailed, and got them out of tho head. . North End then went up two. In the next head Braokenridge, jun., spoiled two of Daubney’s, and when Smith trailed the ” jack ” the former again displaced him, and gained two points. Daubncy, when-lying two, was again bowled, but this time by Brackenridgo, sen., but Smith served the latter in the same way, and got in a second-with his la-st shot. The score was then 15 —13, with seven heads to . go, and in the next Brackonridgc went .up one. The next head was a tussle, . but .Braokenridge lay two after the last shot, and Smith’s drive went through the head. Brackenridgo, sen., drew through a very awkward head, and •Smith got the second shot ■ with an accidental rebound from another bowl. After this the head remained unaltered, and Braokenridge got the point. In the- next head Daubney, after having lost a toucher to Brackenridgo,, bowled, a second and lay one. He drew a-second, and his partner added a third. Braokenridge, jun., for once failed to improve ■ the • position, and the game stood. 19—16... Daubney again got the best of Brackcnrklge, sen., the next head, and although Brackenridgo, jun., removed his toucher, after two unsuccessful draws, he was still one up. Brackenridgc’s last shot, however, caught him, and the point went the other way. In the last head but one Daubney once more stood three to win, but Braokenridge. jun.. saved one, and with the next bowl drew the winning shot. Smith had two drives, but both missed. At, the lieginning of the last head the score was thus 21 —16, and it ecmed .quite impossible tor North End to win. Dauhney's first bowls were too heavy, and Brackonridgc was right up to tho kitty. Daubney, with his last shot, however, trailed the kitty hack, leaving Brackenridgo, jun., with the awkward task of drawing through the head. The latter drew short, leaving Daubney lying four, and Smith got in a fifth with his last shot. An extra head was played, according to the rules. Daubney and Brackenridgo each had a bowl close to the jack in the middle of n crowded head, and Daubney was lying. Brackenridge sent a heavy shot wide, but his last bowl struck the outside of the head, and it ended .by one of his own bowls coming to rest about the some distance from the jack ns Daubney’s. There was a dispute between tho two sides as to the position, so tj}o president- (Mr W. Nicolson) was called to measure the distance. Having done this, ho declared that Brackenridgo had the point. Following on the surprising result of the last. head, this unexpected turn of events was the climax, and there was an outburst of excited cheering with much argument and waving of hands. Mr Nicolson expressed the thanks of the council to the Dunedin Club for allowing them the use of its green, and called for three cheers, for the Newtown and North End bowlers, which were heartily given.