BOWLING

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 60

BOWLING

BY

JACK.

Congratulations to the St. Kilda Chib on winning the interclub championship, and on being the first club to have its name inscribed on the new shield, which was procured recently to replace the old interclub banner. The St. Kilda men have played consistently throughout the season, and thoroughly deserve the honour they have now achieved. The championship has been won by the Caledonian Club on eight 'occasions'^(seven times in succession), Dunedin four times, Kaituna twice, and Taieri once. The followng is a list of the winners of the intcrclub championship to date: — Season. Winner. 1911- Caledonian 1912- Kaituna 1913- Dunedin 1914- .. .. .. Dunedin 1915- Dunedin 1916- Kaituna 1917- .-. .. .. Taieri 1918- Dunedin 1919- Caledonian 1920- .. .. .. Caledonian 1921- Caledonian 1922- Caledonian 1923- Caledonian 1924- . Caledonian 1925- Caledonian 1926- St. Kilda The following are the results of Saturday's matches, and the position of the teams at the conclusion of the competition:—

For the second time since the inception of the Redpath Shield contest between Canterbury and Otago the shield was won by .the former in the annual match. The following are the results of the shield games since 1921: —

Year. Winner. Place. 1921 .. .. Otago Chch . 1922 .. .. Otago Dunedin 1923 .. .. Chch Chch . 1924 .. .. Otago Dunedin 1925 .. .. Otago. Chch 1926' .. .. Otago Dunedin . 1927 .. .. Chch Chch The Otago men broke their journey at Tiinaru on the trip south and played a seven-rink game against the South Canterbury representatives. The game was played on the picturesque Park green, the surface of which was very keen. Prior to the commencement of play the visitors were shown through the begonia house, of which the Timaru fvlk are justly proud. The interior of the building presents a scene of outstanding beauty, each bloom contributing towards -a. gorgeous colour scheme that almost bewilders the visitor. Reverting to the game, the Otago men again met with defeat, the home team finishing w : th a winning margin of six points. - Un Monday week the flag on the Mornington Bowling Green was flown at half-mast out of respect to the memory of the late Mr Gaven Liddell, a life member of the club, who passed away at his home on the previous forenoon in his eighty-fifth year. The late Mr Liddell was looked upon as the father of the club, and ever since its inception had been . an enthusiastic supporter, and until his health prevented him from doing so he was to be found nightly in the pavilion in charge of the billiard table. Members of the Dunedin Bowling Club assembled in large numbers in the pavilion on Wednesday evening with the object of honouring Mr H. F. Al. Mercer, who has retired from the position of secretary of the club, an office he has held for a great any years. The chair was occupied by the president of the club, Mr J. H. Wilkinson, who said that the special feature of the gathering was to do honour to one whom they all esteemed, Mr Mercer. That evening it was his (the chairman’s) pleasure on behalf of members of the club to make some tangible recognition of Mr Mercer's splendid services. They had felt that they should not be satisfied with passing a vote of thanks, and members and ex-members had very generously responded. He had pleasure in presenting Mr Mercer with a cheque for £B6. Mr Mercer had been an ideal secretary and bad done credit to himself and to the office he had held. Messrs W. Thomson, T. Young, and W. Dall also spoke, and the health of Mr Mercer was drunk with much enthusiasm, and Mr Mercer made a suitable and feeling reply. WAIKOUAITI v. HAMPDEN. WAIKOUAITI, March 3. A three-rink match between the Waikouaiti and Hampden Bowling Clubs was played at Waikouaiti on Wednesday. The scores; -were its under (Waikouaiti names first)AHcpck, Barclay, Malloch, Templeton 33, Stringer, MTverrow, Davis, Stokes 15;, Davis, , Pafterson, Hunt, Fell 20, Williamson, Laing, Dick, A; Tang 17; Gent, Smith, Stewart, Carson ' 25. ” M‘ William, Brain, Woodley, Mursell 26. Totals: Waikouaiti 78. Tampden 58. LADIES’ TOURNAMENT. MRS EASTON WINS THE SINGLES. RINKS TO ST. KILDA. Post-section play in the pairs’ competition in the Otago ladies’-- bowling tournament was commenced on the -Dunedin green yes♦erdUjy morning,, and, thanks to very efaci-

ent management, the final game was played in (he afternoon, when Mesdames Dunn and M'Namara (Balclutha) beat Mesdames Colbert and Campbell (North-East Valley). Play was also continued in the singles competition, and at the close of Mhe day’s play only seven players were left in. Ihe following are the detailed results: — PAIRS. POST-SECTION PLAY. First Round. Mrs Easton (Dunedin) 22 beat Mrs Stubbs (Caversham) 4. Mrs Bennett (North-East Valley) 15 beat Mrs Adcss (St. Kilda) 14. Mrs M'Namara (Balclutha) 16 beat Mrs Chapman (North-East Valley) 10. Mrs Edwards (St. Kilda) 14 beat Mrs Read (Anderson’s Bay) 13. Second Round. Mrs Easton 18 beat Mrs Bennett 14. Mrs M’Namara 13 beat Mrs Edwards 9. Mrs Campbell , (North-East Valley) 22 beat Mrs Hutchison (Dunedin) 5. Mrs Wallace (Mornington) 19 beat Mrs Marshall (North-East Valley) 12. Semi-final. Mrs M'Namara 17 beat Mrs Easton 8. Mrs Campbell 17 beat Mrs Wallace 9. Final. Mesdames Dunn and' M'Namara (Balclutha) 21 beat Mesdames Colbert and Campbell (North-East Valley) 11. The Balclutha pair started off with a single, followed by a three. Singles were then scored on the next four ends and the score read 5—3 in Balclutha’s favour at the sixth. A four, a three, a brace of twos, and a single then fell to Mrs M'Namara, her opponent scoring only a single, and at the twelfth head Mrs M’Namara led 17—4. From this stage on the Balclutha pair easily maintained their lead, Mrs M’Namara playing with consummate skill and, though their opponents scored a brace at the twentieth, they gave it up at this stage, being 10 down with a head to play. The, tournament was brought to a successful conclusion on Tuesday on the Dunedin green, when the final games in the singles and the rinks sections were played off. During the week's play' the games were got off very expeditiously, much of the credit for this being due to Messrs Sullivan and Whitelaw, who were in control of the play. They were 'ably assisted by the umpires on the various greens, while a great deal of credit is also due to the greenkeepera of the Dunedin, Caversham, and North-East Valley greens, all of whom prepared fine playing surfaces on their respective greens during the week.. The following are the detailed results of yesterday’s play:—

SINGLES. Sixth Round. Mrs Euston (Dunedin) 11 beat Mrs Wallace (Mornington) 9. Mrs Morrison (Mornington) 14 beat Mrs Stubley (Anderson’s Bay) 12. Mrs Walker (Dunedin) 20 beat Miss Gray (two lives, North-East Valley) 9. Mrs Scott (Dunedin) 19 beat Mrs Marshall (North-East Valley) 12. Seventh Round. Mrs Walker 17 beat Mrs Morrison 7. Miss Gray 15 beat Mrs Scott 6. Mrs Easton, a bye. Eighth Round. Mrs Easton 21 beat Mrs Walker 5. Miss Gray, a bye. FINAL. Mrs Easton (Dunedin) 19 beat Miss Gray (North-Ea=t Valley) 14. Miss Gray was the first to open her scoring account, and thereafter she established an early lead, the card reading B—l8 —1 in her “Favour at the sixth Jaead. A useful four and a brace of singles to he<r opponent, however, evened up the scores considerably, and at the ninth end they stood B—78 —7 in the Valley lady’s favour. From this stage on some very fine bowling was witnessed, but Miss Gray held the upper hand during the next two heads, at the conclusion of which the score was 10—7. Mrs Easton at last found a beautiful length and a pair of twos and a four gave her the lead at the fourteenth, 15— 10. The Valley lady then camo to light with a brace of singles, but Mrs Easton replied with a 2 and a 1, and at the eighteenth led 18 —12. A single to Miss Gray- on the nineteenth brought her total to 13. On the twentieth head Mrs Easton lay shot, but with her last bowl she promoted her opponent from second to first position, making the score 18 —14 in her favour, with only one head to go. A closely built head on the twenty-first, saw Miss Gray just lose, the final score readresults of Tuesday’s play:—

RINKS. Section Tie—Caversham Green. Mrs Edwards (St. Kilda) 19 beat Miss Gray (North-East Valley) 9. FINAL. Mesdames Falck Leeden. Walker, Edwards (St. Kilda) 29. beat Mesdames Johnston, White, Marshall, Lattimore (Balclutha) 9. This game proved a runaway victory for the St. Kilda ladies, who led throughout. The Balclutha rink failed to display the form shown in the preliminary rounds and were badly beaten by a much superior combination. N.S. WALES VISITORS. AUCKLAND, March 1. A party of New South Wales bowlers arrived by the Marama to-day. The players are purely on a social visit, which will be confined to the North Islaud. No test matches will be played, and the matches will be limited to one per day.

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS. ANNUAL COMPETITION. The annual competition to decide the champion of champions in the Otago Bowling Centre -was commenced on the Dunedin green on Friday morning. The conditions were ideal for bowling, as the sun shone brightly, with just sufficient wind to prevent the heat from being oppressive, and the green was in splendid order, though probably a shade too fast to suit some of the players. The games were played on the two-life system, and at the end. of the day, when five rounds had been decided, only four out of the 19 players who started were' left in the competition—T. Sanders (Kaituna), who is the only player still with two lives, D. Stevenson (Taieri), R. J. Watts (Otago), and A. Black (Kaikorai), each with one life, ' •

Some of the games were won easily, but in others the competition was very keen, the issue being in doubt until the last bowl was sent down. In a few eases, in fact, an extra head had to be played before finality was reached. , The following are the results of the day’s plav : — FIRST ROUND. - A. Smellie (Green Island) 15 beat A. Thomson (Caversham) 14. . J. D. Best (Roslyn) 19 beat D. Bennie (Balmaeewen) 13 A. Black (Kaikora.i) 13 beat D. M. Stuart (St. Kilda) 13. J. G. Bentley (Dunedin) 22 beat R. J. Coxon (St. Clair) 10. D. Stevenson (Taieri) 19 beat J. Abbott’ (Caledonian) 17. i R. J. Watts (Otago) 21 beat A. I. Peters (Port Chalmers) 16. T. (Kaituna) 19 beat J. Veitch (West Harbour) 17. G. Dunn (N.E. Valley) 20 beat C. Rawlinson (Leith) 11. G. Miller (Fairfield) 17 beat A. Walker (Anderson’s Bay) 16. J. L. Smith (Mormngton) a bye. SECOND ROUND.

Thomson 21 beat Abbott 15. Stevenson 21 beat Smellie 12. Miller 19 beat Dunn 11. Best 25 beat Black 9 Smith 23 beat Peters 18. Veitch 20 beat Coxon 18. Sanders 19 beat Bentley 14. Bennie 18 boat Stuart 17. Rawlinson 22 beat Walker 14. Watts a bye. The following players, having lost two games, dropped out: Stuart, Coxon, Peters, Abbott, and Walker. THIRD ROUND. Stevenson 26 beat Best 11. Sanders 20 beat Smith 15. Black 22 beat Bentley 11. Veitch 21 beat Bennie 12. ’ Smellie 23 beat Dunn 10. Watts 27 beat Miller 7. Thomson 23 beat Rawlinson 10. The following dropped out at this stage, having been defeated twice: —Bentley, Bennie, Dunn, and Rawlinson. FQJJRTH ROUND. Stevenson 20 beat Watts 17. Sanders 19 beat Thomson 17. Smith 16 boat Best 15. Smellie 19 beat Veitch 18. Black IS beat Miller 17. Thomson, Best. \ eitch, and Miller were eliminated at this stage, having been beaten twice. FIFTH ROUND. Sanders 25 beat Stevenson 5. Watts 18 beat Smith 17. Black 19 beat Smellie 18. Smith and Smellie were eliminated at this stage.

AN EXCITING FINISH. The competition to decide the champion of champions in singles play in the Dunedin Bowling Centre was brought to a conclusion on the Dunedin green on Saturday afternoon, and resulted in the hononr being secured by T. Sanders, of the Kaituna Club, after an exciting finish, in which A. Black (Kaikorai) was defeated by one point. With one head to play Sanders required three points to win, but it was only with his last shot, which was one of the finest played m the. course of the contest, that he secured the winning margin. Sanders put up a fine performance in. going through the competition without a defeat. He had two narrow escapes, however. The first was when he met Thomson in the fourth round, in which 'he won by two, after being four down with three heads to go, and the second was in the last game, in which Black, after having the scores B—l8 —1 against him at the end of four heads, made a wonderful recovery, leading by 13 points, to 16 at the end of the 14th head, and by 16 points to 14 at the end of the 20th head. Both the finalists played very steadily throughout the contest, and gave a good display of drawing, beside showing their skill in playing a fast shot when the occasim demanded it. When play ceased on Friday the number of competitors had been reduced to four—T. Sanders (two lives). R. J. Watt Cone life). A. Black (one life), and D. Stevenson (one life). The play on Saturday morning resulted in the elimination of Watts, who was beaten by Sanders, and Stevenson, who was defeated by Black. <

The weather was almost ideal, though it was. perhaps, a little on the warm side even for bowling. There was a mild breeze in the morning, but in the afternoon a gusty wind from the south made matters rather difficult for the players, who found it hard at times to decide exactly how to play. The games on ootfi days were followed with keen interest by a large number of spectators. The following are the results: — SIXTH ROUND. Sanders 19 beat Watts 14. Black 24 beat Stevenson 12. FINAL. T. Sanders (Kaituna) 17 beat A. Black (Kaikorai) 16. LIST OF WINNERS. The following is a list of the winners of the competition to date: — 1909 C. J. Payne, Kaituna 1910 F. Smith, Kaituna 1911 J. M’Fadden, Taieri 1912 J. M'Fadden, Taieri 1913 E. Harraway, Dunedin 1914 IV. M'Laren. Dunedin 1915 , J. Scott, Caledonian 1916 D. Cormack, Caledonian 1917 J. G. Bentley, Dunedin 1918 ... ... J. Veitch, West Harbour 1919 W. Carswell, Taierk1920 J. Tonkin, N.E. Valley 1921 .- J. Scott, Caledonian 1922 W. Foster. Caledonian 1923 D. Campbell, Roslyn 1924 ; D. Campbell, Roslyn 1925 ... W. M. Hogg, Dunedin 1926 ... \*.. J. Tonkin, N.E. Valley 1927 T. Sanders. Kaituna OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. HOME TEAM’S EASY WIN. The annual interprovincial match between Otago and Southland was played

on the Caledonian green on Saturday afternoon. The home rinks secured an easy win oyer the visitors, who never looked like winning. It was late in the evening when the 25 heads were completed. At the tenth head the scores were—Otago 98, Southland 58* and after another five heads the local players had increased their lead from 40 to 60 —the scores being—Otago 147, Southland 87. At the twientieth head the issue was placed beyond all doubt, Otago’s total being 182 against Southland’s 118. The final scores were—Otago 238, Southland 150. - In only one rink did the visitors secure a win over the home players. W. Connor’s team could not get ahead of the Southland rink under Stevenson, the final score being 2.3—16 in favour of Southland. Payne’s rink won the honours for the most decisive victory, defeating Murphy’s rink by 33 —13. The rink with Tonkin as skip beat the Southlanders under Hain by a very narrow margin—24 to 23. The scores were as follow:—

O. S. Gregory. Smith, Henaghan, S. Hutchison 33 — Robertson, Ayling, Hollaway, Strang .. — 23 Thomas. Alullenger, Hinchcliff, Connor 16 — Ussber, Parker, Allan, Stevenson — 23 Campbell, Ferguson, Shore, J. Hutchison 29 — M’Donald, Stevens, Broad. Kingsland — 12 J. D. Smith 30 — Ure, Campbell, Whittaker, Rigby. C. Anderson, Piddington, Aitchison —— 19 Don. Nisbet, Smith, Payne . . 38 — T. Marshall. R. Marshall, Irvine Murphy — 13 Vance, Hinton. Strang, Tonkin 24 — Cridginton, Meredith. Smith, Hain . . — 23 Proctor. Thomson, Tretheway, W. Anderson .". 34 — M'Robie. J. Thomson, Donald-" son, D. Thomson— 20 Gardiner Al’Gregor, Nelson, Stewart 34 — Fletcher, Al’Stay, P. Ure, M’Garliek — 17 Totals 238 150 VISITORS ENTERTAINED. In the evening "the Dunedin Bowling Centre entertained the visiting bowlers at a smoke concert in the Somerset Lounge, Savoy. Representatives of the various local clubs were present. Mr W. T. Henaghan (centre president) presiding over a large gathering. The toasts of the contesting teams were enthusiastically honoured. and an excellent musical programme was provided. Mr Cridginton. one of the Southland players, kept his hearers amused with a series of entertaining anecdotes and humorous recitals. ST. CLAIR CUP MATCH. ST. CLAIR v. CAVERSHAM. (St. Clair names t.rst.) Wills, Coutts, Kilpatrick. Howorth 29, Johnson. Scott, Romeril. Walmsley 7; M’Kcnzie, Wilson, M'Kitterick, Cole 24, Farrant, Seddon, Dempster, Forster 25; Burclcken, Johnson, M'Naughton, Rodgerson 14, Melville, Lowry, Shand, Thomson 18; Gillespie, Grigg, M'lntosh, Thompson 16, Todd. Thomson, Thorne, Brown 13; Palmer, Johnstone, Crawford, Longworth 27, Thompson, Paine. Cranston, Mitchell 13; Callender, Ruhen, Bishop" Harraway 19, Blackwood, Offen, Giles, Harraway 16; Humphries, Briggs, Serymegeur, Foster 16, Lousley. Kennard, Wilkinson, Will 23; Passmore, Adams. M'lntvre, Coxon 10. Edlin, Beecroft, Anderson, Todd 24. Totals: St. Clair 155. Caversham 139.

• Total Club. Wins. Losses. Points. Points Anderson’s Bay 1 1 1 11 Bal mace wen •> 1 9 9 Caledonian ‘) » —— 14 Caversham . . . . 0 1 2 10 Dunedin . . . . 4 0 o 18 Fairfield .. — 1 — 10 Green Island . . ■ 0 — 9 Kaikorai .. 2* 1 2 8 Kaituna . . .. 0 2 1 9 Leith .. .. .. — ■ . . 6 Mornington 1 9 ——. 10 N.E. Valiev .. 2 1 0 4 Otago -— 9 12 Outram . . . . — 1 —— 4 Port Chalmers 1 1 1 7 Roslvn 1 2 — 10 St. Clair . . .. 1 0 9 St. Kilda .. .. 4 — 0 19 Tareri •. 4 .... — — 0 — H West Harbour *Bye •J . — 8