BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 4

BOWLING.

Bt Jack. The intorclub competition will be resumed on Saturday week. Next Saturday will bo an off day, and clubs will have an opportunity to push on with the various club competitions. Local greens wore woll .patronised during tho Now Hoar holidays, but heavy rain on Now Year’s morning prevented play until tho afternoon was fairly woll advanced. Dunedin, however, fared much tetter tlian some of tho northern centres. In Wellington tho greens were wot and unplayable during portion of tho holiday period, and tho central tournament, for which some 200 players had entered, was abandoned. This was doomed necessary in order to protect tho greens in, viow of tho dominion tournament, which is now at hand. The greens are reported to bo in fine condition for the big tournament. Wellington, however, did not have a monopoly of tho bad weather. “Skip, ’’ in the Christchurch Press, writes: “Tho atrocious weather which was experienced during Christmas week was very disappointing to bowlers. Many had looked forward to a day or two on tho green to play off some of their club games, but this was absolutely out of tho question. With regard to tho decision to restore five games in the pairs at tho dominfbn tournament (says a writer in an Auckland paper), it is interesting to see in a Christchurch paper that tho bowlers in the Cathedral City are taking tho credit for this, as it was duo to their expressed disapproval of tho previous intention to cut tho section play down to throe rounds. Probably tlio people in Otago think it was due to their protest, while in Now Plymouth it would appear to b© a direct result of their strong objections, but wo uj Auckland cherish tho idea that wo also had a littlo say in it, and it is very pleasing to know that apparently tho only support to the retrograde stop that was proposed by tho Tournament Committee came from those who did not understand it. If they really understood tho position, it is fairly safe to say that thero would not bo a single person supporting it, and that even those who proposed it would abandon their advocacy, for there has not been one argument advanced which has any foundation in fact. A veteran bowler and colonist of over 60 years’ residence in Now Zealand, Mr Alexander Stewart, passed away recently at Baiklon road, Grey Lynn, at the advanced ago of 92. Mr Stewart was tern in Perth, Scotland, and settled in Now Zealand when a young man. He carried on a baleery business until about 30 years ago when bo retired and came to Auckland. Ho led a very active life until oven recent years, and was a popular figure on all tho local bowling greens whore ho was wellknown as one,, of the former champions of the game. He hold the championship of the Caledonian Bowling Chib at Dunedin for a season, and was for three years in succession champion of the Auckland Club. As a life member of tho Carlton Club ho was for many years a prominent competitor in inter-club contests. It is idle to comment on this marked falling off in entries, remarks “Trumller” in ,lhe Auckland Slur, in reference to I lie dominion tournament (1825. 432; 1924, 549; 1923, 530), unless it is to profit by the experience in subsequent years, and lot this year’s system act as a warning, lest the sumo plan bo followed again, with similar unfortunate results. _ It was only to bo expected that tho singles and pairs would show a heavy reduction on the Christchurch entries, for both competitions are very popular in the South Island, but that each should consist of 42 entries loss than in Auckland two years ago must surely indicate something radically wrong. Without analysing the position very exhaustively, having not yet seen the entries for tho singles, it is difficult to resist tho temptation to say, “I told you bo,” for the opinion has boon freely expressed in Auckland that tho Dominion Council made a fatal mistake in commencing the singles on the Monday. Tuesday would have been quite early enough, and it would have avoided tho necessity for all oouqiotitors outside Wellington to break into tho previous week by having to travel on tho Saturday, and from some places even on tho Friday. The Wellington Tournament Committee completed the mischief by giving everybody a fright over tho pairs, in threatening to cut the section play down to only throe rounds, and probably during tho many weeks that this vexed question hung in tho balance a good many intending competitors gavo up tlio idea of going for tho first week at all. Tho Southland Bowling Centro’s 1924-25 tournament, which was concluded on Saturday afternoon, wa« ono of tho most successful fixtures yot hold by that centre. Throughout tho tournament tho weather was delightful, and tlio greens presented finer bowling surfaces than they have had for some seasons past. Tho semi-finals and finals of tho rinks and tho finals of tho [lairs were played in bright sunshine on the Southland green, which was particularly keen, requiring fine judgment of weight and width on tho part of the players. The final of tho Provincial Rinks was won by Hay Smith, Israel, and Stevenson (Invercargill), who defeated Bowell, Peterson, Best, and llsrra.way (Dunedin) by 16 to 15. in tho Southland Bairs Best and Harraway (Dunedin) defeated Ussher and Graham (Gore) bv 23 to IS. In tho final of the City Kinks Shand, Bnttorsby, Reid, and Smith (North End), defeated Gilchrist, Don, MiilJongor, and Connor (West Harbour) by 23 to 12. Tho Muribiku Pairs was won by Israel and Stevenson (Invercargill), who defeated Walsh and Caldor (Mataura) by 22 to 19. It was rather a coincidence that the winners of (he Southland Fairs .and the Murihiku Pairs should meet again in tho final for the Provincial Rinks, which produced ono of tho greatest contests over seen at a local tournament. The game aroused a lot of interest among local bowling enthusiasts (remarks tho Southland Timos), and when it commenced tho crowd lined all sides of the green. Every end wag keenly fought, and, considering tho fast nature of tho green, tho play was of a high order. Tho scoring came mostly in singles, and thero wore Ho “pots,” the highest number of points scored on any ono head being three. Belli skips were well supported by tho other members of their rinks, and although in the early part of tho game the Invercargill skip hold a slight; advantage in this respect, Harraway was saving well. Tho game was essentially a drawing one, and tlio skips very rarely drove. Tho scores read 0-3, 2-3, 3-4. 5-4, 5 all, 6-5, 8-6, 8-7, 9-7, 9-8, 9 all. 9-10, and 10 all, Stevenson loading for the first timo on the sixteenth head at 11-10. Harraway then took over tho lead again and on tho eighteenth led at 15-11. Stevenson then scored a single on two successive ends, but still required three to win with the last end to go. ITarrawav’s men failed in tho last, their bowls being either too short or too far over tho jack, while Stevenson had four shots in when the skips changed over. Harraway drove with his first and took one out, and with his second tried to draw to save. IHs bowl wag woll greened, but a little heavy, and ran through the head, Stevenson winning a most, exciting contest which extended over throe hours and a-half. It was generally anticipated that in the Provincial Pairs Ussher and Graham (Gorol. who had given an unusually good exhibition on the previous evening against Torrance and Stewart (Southland), would fully extend Best and Harraway, but beyond a certain stage tho game proved uninteresting. Harraway scored a single and a five on the first two ends, but tho Gore pair gradually made up leeway, and drew level ut the eighth end. Harraway then had a run, and a “pot” of six on the thirteenth, and practically made tho game secure, the Gore men being nine down at that stage. Finally the Dunedin pair won at 23 to 18. The game between Israel and Stevenson (Invercargill) and Walsh and Calder (Mataura), in the final for the Muribiku Pairs, wsw more closely contested, and the scoring was always close. Both leads and skips played consistently well, and with two ends to go only a single point separated the contestants. On the last two Stevenson added a threo and a single, winning out at 22 to 19. In the final for the City Rinks tho Northern! rink skipped by S. Smith always bad the lead from Connor's West Harbour rink, and won by 23 to 12. The Northond rink' was composed of young players, who played consistently well throughout tho competition. The Mornington bowlers wno participated in the tournament —Orr, sen., Cunningham, Holgato, and Smith, did not disgrace themselves. In the pairs Orr and Holgato tied for their section on tho Southland Green, but were beaten in the playoff Cunningham and Smith won tlieir section on the Te Rangi Green, but were Ixxiten for the honour of green winner. In the rink games they won four out of five e-ames, and were just beaten on the last head for section winners. General regret would bo felt among Dunedin howlers when it becsMiio known that Mr Allan M‘Dougall, a member of the Roslvn G'ub, had passed away suddenly on * Sunday. ’Mr M'Dongall played a i ery serviceable game of howls, but what was much tetter, he was a thorough sportsman, who was deservedly popular among all howlers, and his eirelo ot real friends was a very wide one.