BOWLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22807, 17 February 1936, Page 13

BOWLING

FOUR-RINK CHAMPIONSHIP ST. KILDA WINS FINAL The final of the Four-rink Championship between the St. Kilda and Dunedin Clubs was played on Saturday at the Kaituna Club’s green, the game resulting in a win for St. Kilda by 74 points to 72. The weather was fine and warm until the latter part of the afternoon, when a fresh breeze brought heavy clouds and a considerably lower temperature. The green was playing well, and the games throughout were well contested, the issue being in doubt until the last bowl of the day had been rolled up The ending was probably the closest and most exciting ever experienced in the four-rink championship series. With three rinks finished and the fourth playing its final end, Dunedin had a lead of three points, but St. Kilda secured a five to,win by two points. The Championship has now been played 18 times, Dunedin Club having been victorious on no fewer than 1U occasions, Caledonian three, St. Kilda two, and St. Clair, Otago, and Taieri one each. At the conclusion of the game, the president of the Dunedin Centre, Mr J. J. Head, congratulated the St. Kilda rinks on their victory. No one, he said, would grudge them their win. Dunedin had held the Holmes Feathers 10 times, and liad again put up a great fight to retain them. They had been a little unfortunate, perhaps, to lose five points on the last bead. ' Mr Read then presented the Holmes Feathers to Mr E. Longworth, of the St. Kilda Club, who said he had to admit that his players had been, a little fortunate. The gardes had been very close, and it had appeared as though Dunedin wou|d din. He wished to congratulate Dunedin on the fight the players had given St. Kilda. The Dunedin Club put a strong team on the green, and it was hard to heat that combination in 'an afternoon’s play. On behalf of the Dunedin Club, Mr H. L. Smith extended congratlations to St. Kilda. . In the game between H. Gardiner (Dunedin) and Stuart (St. Kilda), the former secured a short lead in the early stagi's, but Stuart caught up on the seventh head, and from that stage forged steadily ahead to win by 18 points to

11. Dowland (St. Kilda) and Anderson (Dunedin) fought out a very keen game to tie with a score of _ 21 points each. Anderson put on sis points before Dowlarid scored, but a three, a two, a four, and another two reversed the positions, and Dowland was leading by 12 to 6 on the .ninth’head. St. Kilda continued to have the advantage till the fourteenth head when, with the score 19 to 9 against him, Anderson went through the next four ends without a loss and the tally was even at 20 after the nineteenth. Dowling took a point on the twentieth and Anderson equalised on the final end. Edwards (St. Kilda) lost to Nelson (Dunedin) by seven points. Nelson took the lead from the commencement and held it steadily throughout. It was the final head of this game which resulted in the victory for St. Kilda, Edwards securing five, and the game ending* 22 to 15 in Nelson’s favour; Adess (St. Kilda) had a win over Hutchison (Dunedin) by 20 points to 18. Hutchison won the first four ends, but the ; scores were even on the ninth, Hutchison going into the lead at the twelfth. Adess was again in front at the seventeenth and he was able to retain his lead to the end. The following are the results: — St.K.D. M'Carten, o’Su]]iyan, Edwards, Stuart • 18 Gardiner, Nicolson, Marshall, Gardiner .. . • • ■ • ■ - • Belcher, Buist, Robertson, Dowland . - . • ... • • .... 21 Gregory, Rigby, Sissons, -Anderson ' .. '.. •• • • •• Spiers. Harris, Longworth, Edwards •• •• *5 M'Millan, Grant, Porteous, Nelson ,••••’ 22 Bremner, Cormack. Whittaker, Adess .. •• .. .. • • 20 —“ Gardiner, Morrison, Bentley, Hutchison - • • • • • • • to Totals ... .. ■ 74 72 ELDERLY BOWLERS’ DAY A SUCCESSFUL FIXTURE In brilliant sunshine the twenty-second Elderly Bowlers’ Day was celebrated on the Dunedin Club’s green on Saturday afternoon, when there was a large attendance of veteran players apd spectators. The fixture' owes its origin to the late Mr Hector Mercer, who for many years was an enthusiastic member of the Dunedin ■ Club, and whose happy thought has provided a muchenjoyed' annual reunion of bowlers who have reached the allotted span of three score years and ten. Saturday’s fixture attracted an entry of 82 bowlers from various clubs in Otago as well as from Auckland, Hastings. New Plymouth and Warepa. The oldest players present on the green were Mr T. H. Hammond, of Warepa, and Mr Daniel Smith, of St. Kilda, both of whom are 86 years of age. Besides these veterans, "there were 13 other players who had attained 80 years of age, the average age of the competitors being 76. These champions of bygone days spent a pleasant day in one round of rinks play. Despite the fact that little depended on the results of the games, every head wag keenly fought, but in a spirit that made for the complete enjoyment of every member of the rinks. . The lady members of the Dunedin Club assisted in making the fixture a pleasant and successful one, for they dispensed afternoon tea in the attractively decorated pavilion. The presence of an orchestra also enlivened the proceedings with selections appropriate to the occasion. The greens, too, were gaily decked out in bunting and flags, and the fixture was a memorable one in the year’s bowling programme. WELCOME EXTENDED

Prior to extending a welcome to • the competitors on behalf of the Dunedin Bowling Club, Mr H. L. Smith (president) referred to the death of his Majesty King George V, and those present stood in silence for a few moments as a mark of respect. Mr Smith extended a very warm welcome to those present and especially to the veteran competitors who had come from as far as Auckland in the north to Warepa in the south to take part in the fixture. The large attendance that afternoon showed that Elderly Bowlers’ Day was not waning in popularity. He _referred to the founder of the 'function, Mr Hector Mercer, to whom they owed the inauguration of such a pleasant annlial fixture. The Dunedin Club, Mr Smith said, felt it a privilege to be allowed to conduct the fixture, and, on behalf'of its members, he. expressed the hope that the players would be spared,to take part in many more Elderly Bowlers’ 3 Mr J. J. Read (president of the Dunedin Centre), also welcomed the bowlers, and expressed the centre’s gratitude to the Dunedin Club for controlling the fixture. - T. 1 Mr \V. B. Galloway (Mayor ot Palmerston ) returned thanks on behalf of the elderly bowlers, who, he stated, looked forward to this fixture as the outstanding event of the bowling season. the detailed results The following are the details: — F. Hilgendorf, J. Kay, J. Rhodes, J. Tonkin (aggregate age of rink, 293 years) 28, I. Stevenson, E. J. Bryant, G. Cardno. G. Shand (319 years) 14. T. M. Hammond. A. Cameron. W. Roberts, C. Gardner (317 years) 17, H. Hagen. J. Gellispie, A. Kilpatrick, H. Booth (298 years) 17. J Dawson. D. Smith. R. ihomson, .1. H Ford (318 years) 11. T. Barnett, J. Pullen, M. Maloney, C. Beeby (312 years) 9. . m ,1

J. M'Comiell, T. M. Gillies. T. Dallas, C. Beasley (287 years) 20, J. Ross, J. M*Lennan f A. Walker, S. Burgess (3.13 years) 10. J. Waddell, C. Clark, J. M'lntosh, A. Bishop (302 years) 18, J. Murray, E.

Dodds, J. Knewstubb, J. Watson (299 years) 11. W. J. Croft, William Smith, J. B. Frame, W. H. Adams (304 years) 17, J. W. Wootton, J. Barron, J. Radcliffe, R. W. Reid (298 years) 16. W. Dryden, S. Ross, J. Mitchell, W. Grimsdale (308 years) 26, A. Selby, J. Rotting, J. H. M'Kay, W. J. Bardslcy (295 years) 20. D. Mackay. L. Page, A. L. Applegarth, D. Whiting (301 years) 26, C. M’Kenzic, J. Murray, J. A. Robertson, W. A. Scott (296 years) 24. John Brown, R. M'Kinley, G. Simpson, J. H. Fraser (305 years) 24. F. W. Knight, T. M'Crorie. F. W. Hoddinott, W. Smart (308 years) 9. M. Higgins, E. Rosevear. W. Briggs, J. Rodger (289 years) 14, J. Stewart, W. M'Kenney, R. Cameron, W. B. Galloway (289 years) 13. FRIENDSHIP CUP MATCH Logan Park v. Leith, for the Friendship Cup to-morrow, at 6 p.m.: —At Logan Park—Logan Park: Hogue, Casey, Marslin. Crawford: _ Hector, Cornish. Ayc-rs. Thompson; Wylie, Cocking. Wallace, Lee: Blackwell, Marslin, Wallace, Lough. At Leith—Logan Park: Davidson, Pullen. Looker, Foster; Coulter, M'Pherson. M'Lennan, Livingstone; Williamson, King. Hill. Watson; Ireland, M'Laughlan, Moore, Eskrick.