BOWLS TOURNEY

Southland Times, Issue 20148, 7 April 1927, Page 8

BOWLS TOURNEY

CHAMPION SINGLES D. H. THOMPSON SUCCESSFUL N. McGORLICK RUNNER-UP ftThe day dawned fair for the Southland Bowling Centre’s last fixture for the season —the champion of champions singles tournament which took place at the Southland Club’s green yesterday. D. H. Thomson (Southland) was the successful contestant. Out of six games he lost only one. He defeated Bell 24—3, McGorlick 19—18, Leishman 17—16, Macdonald 19—16, and McGorlick for the second time by 17 points to 16. He lost one game to Macdonald. N. McGorlick (Bluff) the runner-up, defeated Macdonald 18—11, McGill 19—11, Watson 25—11 and Leishman 25—7. He lost two games to Thomson 18—19 and 16—17. In the morning the green was in excellent condition, but towards mid-day a heavy shower of rain rendered it very heavy for play. The bowling, however, was little affected, and some excellent games and close finishes were witnessed by the large crowd of spectators who lined the banks. Representatives from twelve clubs under the jurisdiction of the Southland Centre were present, Wyndham, Edendale and Otautau, being the only clubs entered which did not take part. The results were as given below:— FIRST ROUND. F. G. Stevenson (Invercargill) 20 v. T. Watson (Waikiwi) 12. D. McGill (Gore) 24 v. A. S. Froggatt (Te Rangi) 11. N. McGorlick (Bluff) 18 v. T. F. Macdonald (Waihopai) 11. W. Leishman (Hokonui) 23 v. J. Wright (Aparima) 11. S. Smith (Northend) 18 v. W. Thorn (Mataura) 16. W. Bell (Woodlands) a bye. D. H. Thomson (Southland) a bye. SECOND ROUND. N. McGorlick 19 v. McGill 11. Leishman 23 v. Smith 15. Thomson 24 v. Bell 3. Macdonald 20 v. Stevenson 15. Thorn 20 v. Froggatt 7. Watson 21 v. Wright 9. THIRD ROUND. Thomson 19 v. McGorlick 18. Leishman 20 v. Stevenson 18. McGill 22 v. Thorn 18. Macdonald 19 v. Bell 18. Watson 19 v. Smith 16. FOURTH ROUND. Macdonald 18 v. McGill 16. The scores were running equal in this game until about the fourteenth head, when Macdonald began to put on a lead. At the ninth and eleventh heads the scores were 9 —9 and 10 —10 respectively. Two singles to the Waihopai champion put him ahead at the thirteenth, and after a single to McGill he again scored with a three. Two ones followed to McGill, Macdonald responding with a single. At the next to last head Macdonald retained a lead of one, and with a drawing shot on the final gave himself a two-point majority. McGorlick 25 v. Watson 11. The Bluff representative led off well, reaching thirteen at the eleventh head to Watson’s six. The former gradually increased his lead to win eventually by fourteen points after an easy game. Thomson 17 v. Leishman 16. This game seemed to be safely in the hands of Leishman in the earlier stages. Thomson secured six to Leishman’s four on the first five heads, but thereafter the latter ran away from his opponent and had the scoring to himself on the next seven heads, reaching the total of fourteen; Thomson’s total remained at six. The lafter then became more conspicuous and scoring was equal on the next four heads. Thomson’s innings then came and he scored on the last five heads with four doubles and a single, this giving him the game by a single point. FIFTH ROUND. Macdonald 26 v. Thomson 14. Thomson started off in good style but went off in the latter stages of the game. The players fought it out until the eleventh head, by which time Macdonald had a lead of one point. For the next five heads Thomson was out of the running, the score against him during this time including two successive fours and a three. A three and a single then went to Thomson, but on the remaining two heads Macdonald scored with two singles this leaving him a majority of twelve. McGorlick 25 v. Leishman 7. Leishman had been playing well up to form in his previous games and it was generally anticipated that he would have put up a better stand against the finalist McGorlick. He failed lamentably, however, and at one stage the score board showed the scores at 14—1 against him. He reached seven on the call of time, by which time McGorlick had compiled 25. SEMI-FINALS. D. H. Thomson 19 v. T. F. Macdonald 16. Play throughout was consistent. Both players had a good innings and on several occasions the scores were equal and until the last few heads there was not a great deal of difference in the scores. With three heads to go the scores were 15—15. Thomson, if anything, was playing the better bowls of the two, but would have been even better on shorter heads. Macdonald was playing well up on the long heads. On the nineteenth Thomson lay two and Macdonald put too much weight on his last bowl and failed to score. Good drawing by Thomson gave him another two, leaving Macdonald four to get to secure a tie. Two of these he secured but Thomson reduced this to one. The game finished as the bell rang for time, the Southland representative winning by three points. FINALS. D. H. Thomson 17 v. N. McGorlick 16. Thomson had the advantage of knowing the green, as the game started immediately after the semi-finals. McGorlick did not get on to his game until about the tenth head, w’hen he commenced to pull up. At the fourteenth head the score read, Thomson 13, McGorlick 8. Thomson played con- | sistently all through. At the fifteenth both players were sending up short balls, McGorlick scoring with a single eighteen inches from the jack. With three heads to go McGorlick was lying one but Thomson neatly cut this out and trailed the Jack to lie two. At the next to last head Thomson lay three, but McGorlick drew’ with a fine ball and left the former only one. This left McGorlick four to get to draw. He secured a good three and had an opportunity to draw with his last bowl for the requisite number, but was several inches off. This meant a one point win for Thomson, the Southland Club’s representative.