BOWLS TOURNAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21241, 23 January 1931, Page 8

BOWLS TOURNAMENT.

■ RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. DUNEDIN TEAM IN FINAL. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 22. Play in the Dominion Rinks Championship was resumed <thig morning, when the fifth and’sixth rounds and the semi-finals were decided on the Carlton green, which, owing to the heavy soaking of the previous day’s and the overnight rain, was decidedly holding at the start, but improved as the day wore on. A drying wind helped considerably to that end. The two southern teams, Brighting (Hataitai) and Lobb {New Plymouth) survived the fifth and sixth rounds. Brighting had a good win over Walker in the sixth round. The Wellington team played considerably better bowls than the Auckland Club men, the efforts of numbers two and three, Martin and Dr Shore, being particularly good. The i semi-final games were full of interest for the large crowd of spectators. Walker met his second defeat in succession at the hands of Deare’s Dunedin rink, which was undoubtedly superior on the day. The other game between Brighting (Hataitai) and Lobb (New Plymouth) ended in a rather sensational manner, as the latter was three up with one head to go, but owing to an opportune trail shot by Dr. Shore (the Hataitai third man) the way was paved for his team to secure five points and the game by 17—15. The final will be played tomorrow between Deare and Brighting. A game in the sixth round of the Singles was played between Bell (Hamilton) and Muston (Auckland), but was a rather one-sided affair, the Hamilton player being too solid. Walker, who had a bye in the Rinks in the morning, played off a round .in the Pairs competition, his opponent being MTntyre (Hufitly). The latter held the advantage in the early stages, when his lead (Seecombe) was playing a really good game. However, Brackebush and Walker improved over the second part and won the game, which went to the very last head. Another Pairs game, between Pilkington (Hamilton) and Layzell (Devonport), was got off in the afternoon, when the Hamilton pair won comfortably after getting well away in the early stages of the game. This win places the Hamilton men in the final. Results:— RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. Fifth Round. Brackebush. Kummer, Muston. and Walker (Auckland), a bye. Bennett, Martin, Shore, Brighting ! ( Hataitai) 26, Gregory, Gardiner, Best, Deare (Dunedin) 19. Casey, Luscombe. Bruce. Lobb (West End, New Plymouth) 21, Delamore, DigEan, Vivina, Fraser (Mount Eden) 12. Buxton, Wilson, Casey, Kilgour (Carlton) 24, Burrows,. Ingpen. Smart. Munro (Pukekohe) 11. Teague, Lanigan, Caddy, Buckley (Grey Lynn) 22. Hay, Mackenzie, Morris, Lowry (Kelburn) 13. ■ Sixth Round. Brighting 22, Walker 14. Lobb 25. Kilgour 12. Deare 16. Buckley 12. Semi-finals. Deare 20, Walker 12. Brighting 17, Lobb 15. PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP. ' Green Winners. Brackebush and Walker (Auckland) 16, Seecombe and MTntyre (Huntly) 15. Fourth Round or Semi-final. Loveridge and Pilkington (Hamilton) 22, Melville and Layzell (Devonport) 15. ■ SINGLES. Sixth Round. Bell (Hamilton) 19, Muston (Auckland) 10. DOMINION RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES ON THE PLAY. , (From Oub Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, January 20. Now that section play is finished in this important contest, and the post-section games are under way, it may be said that the opinion generally held by bowlers about the strength and solidity of Otago players has been deepened by the performances of the southern men during the Rinks Championship. And another opinion expressed was that the worse the outlook, the stiffer became their game and the ( more dangerous they were, as they seem to concentrate on recovering lost ground. And each one of the four teams from Dunedin city helped to augment the respect in which the Otago players are held. Lindsay and his team from the Roslyn Club, even though it had six losses, put up some fine fights under difficult circumstances. Sharp (Edendale), though he beat him 17—13, had to go all the way. Wooller (Remuera) and ■ Vella (Onehunga), almost equally strong, had to push to win by “five points each; and Perry (Carlton) held him out by only a fraction. “Long” MTntyre (Huntly), the ex-Taieri player, and also of Ponsonby one time, rounded him up badly by 25—10, and Mantell did likewise 27 —18, but both were good games. Lindsay proved Ure’s (Auckland) superior all through their game, winning 19 —14. and his best effort was when, in a game exciting alike to player and spectator, he squeezed home in front of the New Plymouth crack (Allan Smart) by one up. Ferguson (Balmacewen) did better than the hill skip at Roslyn, It is true Vincent (Edendale) flailed him 23—11, but Rankin (New Lynn) won only, on the final head by a point, after a terrifically thrilling go, scoring 23 to Balmacewen’s 22. In the third game Ferguson gave a taste of his quality to Harvey (Devonport). 19—15, and the fourth saw Toy (Ellerslie) lose in a small scoring game by 13 to Balmacewen’s 17. England (Whangarei) beat Ferguson 24—21, both sides scoring freely, and the game being won only by the last couple of bowls played. With Newman (Thames) another last ditch fight saw Ferguson get home at the death knock, 21—20. Then Mountain (Carlton) lost to him in a fair game 18—14, but Steele (Auckland), with a.great team of players, took the game and also the section by beating the Balmacewen boys comfortably. But they showed they could play, and a slight element of luck would have put them to the posrt-section. In section A. Higginson started badly, Robertson (Onehunga) putting it over him 23—17, his team not playing up to its quality, and in the second game it again failed to display its ability. Brookfield (St. Heliers) notching 32 against 10. This second reverse put the Dunedin players on their mettle, and they settled down in dour fashion, and McCarthy (West End) saw them mend their ways to win against him 22—15. They got into their stride with Stone (Hawera) in the ’next round, beating him 22—12, then extended a strong invitation to Fookes (Carlton) to beware of them, putting 21 up to 8, and as Lewis (Cambridge) presented no difficulty to them, as shown by the score 27 —12. Armstrong (Pukekohe) essayed to stop them with a very fine team, but gave way under their strong pressure, losing 16 —23. Taylor (Hikurangi) and MacPherson (Rawhiti) had no chance with a team playing ideal bowls, and passed out by good margins. The Dunedin team therefore put up a remarkable run of seven successive wins, and snatched the section out of the fire. The other Dunedin Club lot (Deare and his men) were looked upon to be knocking all the time. It was an open secret that this, team would take some beating, and it certainly looked a quality team by overshadowing Goldsmith (Dominion Road) to the tune of 28 —10. The bankers rushed to see the game between them and Clarke (Carlton), but the latter was a bit better than Deare, and his skill pulled his team through, Carlton winning 22 —15. Johnson (Ponsonby), however, gave Deare’s men no uneasiness, and never was in it. losing to them 7—25. Porteous (Wellington), a well-known player, gave Deare all he wanted in a wonderful game, with both teams at their best, and lost only by a single 22—21. Then Deare struck a hard proposition in Scantlebury (Auckland), who gave the Dunedin team its second loss by winning 23 to 20. But with the front men delivering the goods, Deare made a late run, disposing of Rolls (Featherston) 22 to 15, Hosking (Pukekohe) in a heavy scoring match by 29—25. and Munro (Onehunga) by another good margin. His last game in the section was

with Frost (Frankton Railway), both with six wins now, and both out for victory, but the Dunedin team always held the upper hand and. registering another win, finished up ns winner of the section with seven victories. The post-section games will be played on the two-life system, with three games per days of 21 beads each. January 21. In the post-section play of the rinks Deare met Woolley (Auckland) in the first round. Woolley had a good team, including Maher as third, but they stood no chance with the Dunedin players, who won 26 to 12. Doherty (Kelburn), in the second round, also went down before them 20 —18, and in the third round Deare held the bye. In the fourth round he disposed of Lowry (Kelburn), thus showing his impartiality. 20 —16. Higginson met Bremner (West End), a dual rinks winner. with a good team in front of him, and in a game which see-sawed either way beat him 18—16. Maxwell Walker, in the second round, relegated him to the one-life division, after a good recovery by Higginson on the seventeenth head, and finally he lost his chance pf going on by Fraser (Mout Eden) sending him to the bank. , I Walker beat Buckley, thus reducing him I to a one-lifer, and leaving' Deare and Walker both with two lives for Thursday's play. If another bye takes place it will go to Walker probably.