BOWLING

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 52

BOWLING

BY

JACK.

At the conclusion of. the Singles Championship in the Southland Centre’s New Year tournament a member of the centre presented £1 Is each to J. Tonkin (NorthEast Valley) and W. Foster (Caledonian); whose exposition of singles play was con siderod to be the best seen at the tournament. This gracious action on the part of the Southland official was greatly appreciated by the Dunedin players. Elderly Bowlers’ Day will this rear be held on February 12. Although Mr Mercer has resigned from the secretaryship of th» Dunedin Club he will again be at the helm, and that is sufficient guarantee that the gathering will be a success. Mr Mercer is an out-and-out enthusiast in catering for the elderly bwlers, and there is probably . no one else in the Dominion who could make such a pronounced success of a gathering of this nature. In recent vears about 120 pjlayers, averaging 75 years of "** 4go, have taken part. If thought advisable ecial rinks will be formed of players over uie age of 80 years. An unusual incident occurred in the Christmas bowling tourney at Auckland. Jt was at St. Helier’s green, with the gtme at a critical stage, the Auckland team leading Remuera by one point on tte nineteenth head. Auckland’s lead drew a toucher, and Remucra’s No. 2 “rested” it. As “kitty” fay with the two rival bowls, each only inches away, seeking her faveu'r', it appeared to the contestants, who craned their necks for the usual close e *a nr -'ination, that Auckland would, on the official measure, gain tho verdict. But 1 , as they stooped over. Auckland’s No. 3 dropped his pipe. It fell on the Remuera bowl and deflected it the merest fraction, giving Remuera the shot. In future this player is to be asked to leave his pipe at home when he attends a bowling tournament, so that momentous issues may not be diverted by trivial mischances. There hangs on the wall of the clubroom Of the Burwood Bowling Club a picture °f ? Ir , playin’g a game or bowls at Sherwood Forest, near Parramatta. in 1880. Air Baillie, formerly a schools inspector, in the service of the Education Department, celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday on Christmas Day. His enthusiasm for the game remains aS keen -as it was when that old picture was taken, and to-day he is accounted among the best beloved habitues of Burwood green. • There is- an- aspect in bowls that never fails to interest (writes "Boomerang” in the Sydney Referee). It is the relative merits of the four-bowl player and the rink.player, as separate units. A leading player said the other day: “Name any first-class skip, from anywhere you please, and I ll guarantee that in his club he is either scratch, or well behind, in the four-bowl competitions.” It is held by a section that a good four-bowl exponent is not necessarily a good rink pldyer. But, ; apart from some _ isolated cases, where a good four-bowler is only a very good draw player, with no variety, where is - the logic of such a conclusion? Louis Waxman correctly described the four-bowl game as the champagne of bowls, and believe me, a player who can’t succeed at single-handed play is sailing under false colours when he essays to take charge of a rink. I noticed in a recently-, selected pennant team a skip who, I understand, is on scratch in the singles competitions, but who does not contest the championship, or take part in the handicaps. As a four-bowl player he would be entitled to at least 6 where the rear marker owes 6 • points. The natural conclusion is then, what extraordinary virtue is there in any man who has to take a dozen points from another in a single competition?

In the four-bowl game a man has to know every shot, and the way to play it, to be a conspicuous success. In the rink game (I am speaking of skippers) a man has to know all these shots, and the way to play them also. A poor tour-bowler never has been, and never will be, a passable skipper. A man who was not a star at the rink game never won a big or State. singles in the history of bowls in this country—and never will. It is all so much camouflage. Men who won’t toe the mark at single-handed bowls, and show of what stuff they are made, should never be given a rink. It is the fear of defeat that determines many a man, as he knows full well that the grip on his rink play would soon slip if he goes down to some of the under-graders. Much is made of temperament in classing players. It is the back door for interlopers, and those who succeed in rink play by virtue of the fact that the other three players “carry” thetn. A man who kneels on the mat, and can’t do certain, strong shots, has to be “carried” when such problems present themselves. Nobody can deny that. Unfortunately every club has its quota of players who look for a way out by blaming the skip for a loss. If it isn't his temperament it’s something else, and they will go to no end of trouble to im- • press the selector who lends his ear of the fact that the skip was the fly in the ointment, and not themselves. Nothing is prettier and more in keep, ing with a pairs game than to see two good lead rs battling with the always present feeling that their bowls are going to be in the count, and not in some remote corner of the green when the measuring takes place. Reckless driving, and driving by leaders who are foreign to the art, is cut out in the two-bowl game, and big pots are impossible. And there is another aspect, and a most important one. In the pairs game, as practised in Victoria, the true leader c-.mes into the game. In the four-bowl pairs game, the true leader is not much good unless he can also mix it, and when a leader 'finds he can “mix it” he no longer wants to be a leader. The reckless foirrbowl pairs game unfits him for his position, and discontent soon takes possession. Then also, when two skips get playing fourbowl pairs, one won’t be subordinate to the other, but drives when he likes, and restrains his partner when the fit gets him. In the language of young Australia, the pairs game, as played in New South Wales, is “not a game at all; not a game’s bootlace.”

DOMINION TOURNAMENT. SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP. -<AUKLAND, January 10. Beautiful weather again prevailed for the continuation of the Dominion singles championship contest. The following were left in at the end of the day:— No losses—MTntyre (Hamilton), one loss —Bell, jun. (Hamilton), - Walker (Auckland), Smellie (Green Island), Clarke (Rocky' Nook), Maher (West End). It will be noted that Smellie is the only player from outside the Auckland province still left in. Australia’s last hope of success faded with the defeat of Allatt (Victoria) by Maher and Bell, jun.

Keen interest was taken in the ninth round when MTntyre and Maher, the only two-lifers, were pitted against each other. MTntyre played brilliantly, winning by 19 paints to 12.

Walker had a close game with' J. Hutchison (Dunedin), Walker holding the lead until the fifteenth head, when the score was 12 all. With one head to go the score was 16 all, and in an exciting finish Walker won by 17 points to 16. An even pegging contest was provided by Gray (Kelburn) and Knight (St. Heliers). Knight, led s—o5 —0 on the third head, but his opponent then crept up and lead 10 —9 on the twelfth head. After 10 all at the thirteenth, and 13 all at the eighteenth, Gray was one up with one head to go, but Knight scored two to win, 15 —14. Bell, jun., and Duff had another even game, Bell winning 15 —14. SECOND DAY’S PLAY. AUCKLAND, January 11. The second day’s play in the Dominion singles was again conducted in beautiful weather and on fiery greens. The twolifers (17) were accommodated at Carlton, and the 68 one-lifers were spread over the Mount Albert, Mount Eden, Remuera, and Epsom greens. The ex-Otagoite, MTntyre, was the hero of the day. He came out the sole two-lifer for the two days’ play. - He played brilliantly all day, and had some, handsome wins. His last game with Maher, the remaining two-lifer, was fairly even to half-way, when the score was 10—9 in his favour. From then on he drew away and won 19 —12 with a head to play. Smellie (Green Island) is the only South Island man left .in the final six. He played Brcmner (West End) in the last game, and got home by a fair margin. He is playing consistently. Harraway could not pick the going at Carlton. .In the first game against Russel) (Remuera) he got a bad beating, the score being. 25—12. ' He had'a pretty easy win over Evans (Hamilton)' in the second essay, but he was eliminated in the third round. Harraway said' afterwards that what with the heat' and the strenuous games it was the hardest tourney play he had ever participated in. Lambeth (Balmacewen) won his first game, 25—12, but went down to Bremner (West End) in the second round by 16—11. Smellie (Green Island) beat Armstrong (Pukekohe), and had a battle royal with Howarth (Canterbury) in the next, the score being 18 —17. O’Hagen (Timaru) went out in the second round to the Carlton crack, Flem Laurenson, formerly of Dunedin, by 24—9. He won his first against G. Tutt (Mount Eden), 22—18, Pilkington (Hamilton) sent Hindle to the bank, the sicre being 29 —15. J. D Smith (Dunedin) won his first two gi-mes, but was put out in the third attempt. Bentley lost his remaining life to Doherty (Kelburn), With the two-lifers Edwards (Temuka) v?ent down to Clark (Rooky Nook) in tho first round after a great fight. He was one up on the last head. Clark played a splendid shot to split two bowls and stop on the jack with his own for two and the game.

Edwards was easily defeated by the youthful representative of the Ta’kaka Club, Nelson Feltcher, in the third round. ■Hutchison preserved well with his one life. He went right through the -day without a loss till he met Walker in the last round. The Auckland Iran just beat him in the final head.

Allatt (the Australian hope) was eliminated in the first two rounds. He played a fine drawing game, but lacked sting in his play.

RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. POST SECTION PLAY. The tournament was continued to-day in ideal weather, with a commencement of the post-section play for the rinks championship. At the end of the day the 59 teams had been reduced to 30, eight being twolifers and 33 one-lifers, as follows:— Two-lifers: Hosking (Carlton), Stewart (Dunedin), Laurenson (Carlton), M'Robie (Remuera), Jenkins (Rocky Nook), Elvey (Devonport), Truscott (Carlton), Hayden (Takapuna). One-lifers: Beynon (Petone), Parsons (Po^isonby), ,Stephens (Kelburn), Hell (Hamilton), London (New Plymouth), Trayes (Mount Eden), Woolier (Remuera), Benefield (St. John’s), Smith (Dunedin), Morison (Epsom), Walker (Auckland). Smart (New Plymouth). Dee (Maitai).Jury (Fitzroy), James (Cambridge), Pilkington (Hamilton), Scrivener (Wanganui), Gordon (St. John’s), Kerr (Masterton), Harraway'(Green Island), Findlay' (Mount Eden), Everett (<» Swain (Melbourne) met his first defeat in the post-section play at the hands of Pilkington (Hamilton). The teams were level at halfway. Pilkington then piled on points in great style, and ran out a winner by 21 to 13. All the prospects of an Australian team gaining the premier honours were dispelled in the next round, when Swain went down to Dee (Maitai) in a sensational game. Swain was six up. with two heads to go. Dee secured a two and a seven on the last two heads, and won by 23-20. The se -ond round also spelt defeat for Pilkington. Elvey (Devonport) played a determined and accurate game, and the score was 16 all at the last head. Bruce and Elvey both drew shots, and the Devonport rink won by two points. Pilkington beat Redpath 1 Canterbury) in the third round. Harraway (Green Island), last year’s winner, triumphed over Sommond (Auckland) after a close game. The score was 21-18. Harraway continued on a winning vein in the second round, leaving Redpath 19 points. In the third,round Elvey (Devonport) beat Harraway' in a great game. Doherty (Kelburn) went out as the result of defeats by Truscott (Carlton) and James (Cambridge). Naylor (Thorndon), whose record of nine wins was unequalled in the intersection play, showed a surprising reversal of form, being beaten by' Mingins (Epsom) and Trayes (Mount Eden). There was a margin of one point in the first case and nine in the second.

Kerr (Masterton), who is. a well-per-formed rinks player, won his first two games, and entered the third round to be beaten by Jenkin (New Plymouth)-.-The team skipped by London had a close tussle with Woolier (Remuera), and was beaten 20-18. At its second venture it had a big win over Scantlebury (Auckland) , and was then badly' beaten by Hosk Ings’s team. Howarth (Canterbury) did not reach the third round, through being defeated by' M'Robie (Remuera) and Skoglund (Stratford). Benyon’s (Petone) rink made a remarkable recovery against Parsons (Ponsonby) in the first round. The score at one stage was 22-10 against him, but he kept at his task, and won by two points, 24-22. In his next game he was extended all the way by the crack Hamilton skip, Norrie F 11, but won by three points. Stewart (Dunedin) beat him in the third round. Stewart had a close call in the first round against Clark (Rocky Nook), but was not seriously troubled by Blanchard (Remuera). NOTES ON THE GAMES. AUCKLAND, January 12. • The rink championship opened on 17 greens in splendid weather. -.The greens again ran fast, but a fairly strong westerly wind made play very tricky and had a good many of the competitors thinking all day. At the time of writing the weather looks like changing, and the chances are for rain, for the second day’s play at any rate. On the whole, the southern men did well. Buchan won by' a margin of fivve over Moffatt (St. John’s), and by a single from Frank (Masterton). He had a great tussle with Glendining (Wellington) in the third round, the score being 24 —22 in his favour.

Swain (Victoria, Australia) came through with three wins. He is a highclass representative.

Efford (Edgeware, Christchurch), who generally does well in the Dominion tourneys, had only one win—that being over Chapman (Ponsonby), who later on beat the local Christmas tourney winner, Truscott.

Stewart (Dunedin) had two wins. He went down in the middle game to Crawford (Wanganui), the winner’s score being 21—17. Stewart won the other two games —against Clarke (Rocky Nook) 29 —17, and against Edwards (Temuka) 23—14. Thomson (Southland), the runner-up last year, had a bad day, and never struck form at -all. He was badly beaten by Stone (New South Wales), 29—14, and by Pilkington (Hamilton), 23—15. Langley (Caledonian) went down in the first round on the Ponsonby green to a hot Epsom rink skipped by' T. George. He made a good fight at the finish, but the score was 22—18. He beat Jenkin (Rocky Nook) easily by 28—12, and Wright (St. Heliers), the latter with the same rink he did so well with at Dunedin last year,, by 24 to 18.

Harroway, the present holder of the title, went down to the Petone combination* skipped by a regular and successful patron of Dominion tournaments, C. Beynon, the score being 23—22. It was a pretty gruelling struggle played on the Grey Lynn green. Harraway’s two wins were over Rawsley (Papatoetoe), 21—14 and Eagleton (Rocky Nook), 23—17. Hutchison (Dunedin), went down in the first round to a medium team skipped by M‘Farlane (Remuera), the score being 23— 14. He won his next two games—against

Bell (West End), by 22—16, and against Elvey (Devonport), by 20—16. Moyes (Timtiru), had two'wins He lost ms first game to Bray (Remuera), 27 to 16. J. D. Smith (Dunedin), beat Gray (Kelburn). by 19—17, Rankin (Avondale, late of Cromwell), by 22—17, and was beaten by Jackson (Frankton), by 24 to 9 in the third game of the day. ? Pilkington (Hamilton) was beaten by m his first game, by Brookfield (St Heliers). His No. 3 (MTntyre) was very tired after the severe struggle in the singles contest.

serond r ® ate ? ed . rain hung off, and the eoond day s play m the rinks championship was conducted in bright but windy weather van , ous , consequent on the preceding day s play, were very fast. The tngh wind was very troublesome and upset players CU atl ° nS a many of the

Stewart (Dunedin) had three easy wins BUC u a 5 < with three Zins. crashed badly in the second day’s play, and three Josses went to his credit. Langley (Caledonian) did not improve his Position, and he also had three losses. J. Hutchison (Dunedin) won his first two games, but lost his last game rather badly to Parker (Auckland Club). The Dunedin team s first game was a remarkable one they scored a 6,5, and 2 on the concluding heads and won by 4. Efford (Edgeware, Christchurch) is amongst the fallen,, rather a novel position lor him.

a^ s lrce wlas over bright (Epsom) 24-18, Clements (Edendale) 31-19, and Thomas (Mount Albert) 26-13. Thomson s Southland rink has done no good at this tourney. It lost to Feilding (Hataitai) 20-17, to Kilgour (Carlton) 30-20 but beat Brookfield 29-10. Harraway (Green Island) had three more wins. He beat Ritchie (Carlton) 24-17. Kenny (Onohunga) 26-20 and the crack Grey Lynn rink skipped by Buckley, 25-23, after a big struggle.

. January 14. The curtain was rung down on the section play in the rinks to-day. The weather was again fine; but windy, and the greens were very keen.

A feature of the concluding day’s play was the speculation as to whether six wins would qualify teams for inter-section play. Contrary to all calculations, six wins got in, and 59 teams o forward. This came about in a sectinr through Bell (Hamilton) beating Fookes (Carlton) and Sewell (Wanganui) beating Redpath in the final round. Had either of the defeated won only 24 teams would have qualified. This constitutes a bulky lot, but, given fine weather, it is hoped to complete the tourney in a fortnight. Buchan Had five wins only. Swain (Victoria) had seven wins. Stewart (Dunedin) was beaten by Perry (Carlton), 23—18. He beat RouLston (Pukekohe), 19 —18, and Polloch (Wellington), 21 —20, after an extra head had been played. Thomson (Southland) did not do so well this time. He had only five wins to his credit. Langley (Caledonian) had only two wins. He lost three games on the St. Heliers. green, reputed to be the best in the tourney. J. Hutchison just failed to qualify, with five wins and four losses. He had a hard fight in the final game with Stephens (Kelburn), the score being 21 —17 in the latter’s favour. Moyes (Timani) got in with six wins. He was defeated by Porteous (Wellington) in the last round, the score being 21 —20 —a real dingdong go on the fiery Remuera green. J. D. Smith (Dunedin) had a hard tussle with Dee (Nelson) in the ninth round, the score being 16—13 in the Dunedin man’s favour. January 16. Play, in the inter-section part of the rinks championship was commenced on four greens on Saturday. The greens used were Remuera, Auckland, Mount Eden, and Carlton. The main part of the programme was, of course, staged at the latter green. The weather was again good, and the greens were fast. The wind was still troublesome. The surprise of the day was the defeat of Harraway by the Devonport team, in charge of Elvey. It was a fine game to watch. The Dunedin players left nothing to chance, and were always on their guard against the clever tactics of the Devonport skip, who, by fine play off his own bat, had just beat Pilkington in the previous round. Best led well, but the others were only medium. Harraway made desperate efforts to cope with Elvey’s deadly' drawing, but generally had to be content with the second shot. There were not many twos and threes scored, and singles predominated. Pilkington, with only one life, had a hard job to stave off the Canterbury team skipped by Redpath. The teams were all square on the twentieth. MTntyre protected Hamilton’s shot bowl on the final head, and Redpath could not get on to the kitty. Victory went to Pilkington by one. Stewart (Dunedin) is going well with two lives. He just topped off the singles finalist, H. Clarke (Rocky nook), the score being 23—21. He had a two to one victory over Blanchard (Remuera) in the second round. The third round essay saw a great fight with Beynon (Petone). The game was even throughout, the final score being 22—19 in Stewart’s favour. Smith (Dunedin) had an easy win over Bray (Remuera) in the first game on the Mount Eden green, and a great struggle in the second round with Smart (New Plymouth. The ex-Dunedinite, Laurenson, beat him by 26—16 in the third game. The Carlton front division was too good for the Dunedin front rankers. Dee (Maitai), with one life, very nearly went out in the second round. He got a seven on the last head against the Melbourne team skipped by Swain and finished three up. He had a good win in the third round. The team, however, does not look a winner. The three Carlton rinks (Truscott, Laurenson, and Hosking) have a good chance with two lives. Out of the eight teams with that amount there are some good ones left. In the ranks of the onelifers Walker, Parsons, Bell, Stephens, and Harraway seem to possess the best chances of going further.

UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. AUCKLAND, January 14. “What are left in?”, “Sixes, curse them.” Many brief telephonic conversations to that effect took place this evening when, bowlers competing in the Dominion championship tournament

asked which rinks had survived the complction -of nine rounds of the section play in the rinks competition. The rinks competing had been divided into 17 sections of 10 rinks each, and a clause in the conditions referring to the post-section play states:

‘The teams to continue play shall be those with a greater number, or the same number, of wins as the team which wins, or ties, for a win in any section with tho least number of wins, provided that this least number shall not be less than six.” With tho last of the nine rounds in progress late this afternoon, the officials of the Carlton green breathed a sigh of relief for a survey of the results made it almost certain that only teams with seven wins in the nine games would participate m the post-section play. Later the telephone began to buzz as results of the final rounds came to hand, and smiles broadened as the certainty increased that matters were turning out according to expectation. In fact, the skips with only six wins began to feel very sorry for themselves, with the result cf only two sections outstanding. There was none which did not contain a rink with at least seven wins.

Then luck, which has some part in alt games, played its hand and word came from the St. Heliers green that Sewell ' b K J ?“ ns - Wanganui) had beaten Readpath (Canterbury) by one point. The result of that match meant that no rink in that section had more than six wins. Ihe announcement received a decidedlv mixed reception. T o the officials it meant that their work was more than doubled. Io the teams in other sections with six' wins the gate leading to the post-section play had been unexpectedly opened. Instead of only 24 rinks remaining, 59 are now left, and another fair-sized tournament be necessary to reduce the rinks to n One fateful point has made ail Mils difference. A similar happening occurred when the Dominion tournament was last held in Auckland in 1923, and, strangely enough one of the rinks which had just managed to find its way into the post-section stage won the championship honours. The question bowlers are now asking is: Will history repeat itself? PRESIDENT’S GARDEN PARTY. AUCKLAND. January 16. A gay scene presented itself at the Ellerslie racecourse on Saturday night when the Dominion president tendered a garden party to the competing bowlers. 2000 persons were present, and, the night being fine and warm, a most enjoyable time was Licit. Needless to say, many games were played over and over again. The pairs start this morning, and the prospects of fine weather seem good. There is bound to be some fine play in this competition now that the visitors have got the run of the greens and surroundings. Rigby is leading so well that Hutchison end lie should put up a good showing. Likewise Gregory, who is finding ins way pretty regularly to the jack, should- be of material advantage to Stewart.