CENTRE BOWLING

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1933, Page 4

CENTRE BOWLING

TARANAKI SEMI-FINALS tourney concludes to-day B UCHAN AND HIGGS REMAIN KEEN BOWLING. WITNESSED The Taranaki Centre’s annual bowling tournament advanced to the semi-final stage yesterday and will be concluded this morning. A large gallery of spectators and of bowlers eliminated in the section and post-section play witnessed a splendid. exhibition of bowls all day at Vogeltown, where, conditions Were entirely favourable, for good bowling. Nevertheless, there is little doubt the standard of play yesterday was generally much higher than usual, notwithstanding the fatigue of the players aftei: their previous four days’ play. The greens were in perfect order, becoming slightly dead only in the final heads of the semifinal. The final rounds of the post-section play found A.. Smart (New Plymouth) and -J. McNeill (Fitzroy) dropping out in favour of. J. Buchan (Te Aroha) and R. Boulton (West End), but the semi-semi-finals saw the elimination of R. Boulton and J. Turnbull (West End) lost one life. Higgs, secured the bye, and in the semi-final Buchan again beat Turnbull in a game in which every point was keenly contested. ■ Bowling at its- very best featured the play of the both games between Buchan and Turnbull, and the. score in the first game was no criterion of . the play. Rather, the final score of the semi-final indicated more faithfully the' difference between the' teams. In the first’ game it was impossible to-sort out individual members of the teams for especial mention, though the skips undoubtedly put the final polish on the play. The second game, however, resolved more into a duel between Turnbull and Buchan, and the appreciative gallery was not slow to express its feelings as fortune favoured one and-then the other or remarkable play solved the difficulties presented the two skips. This morning’s game between Buchan and Higgs carries more than usfial. interest for the bowling fraternity, for success to Buchan, will mean the first victory in the Taranaki tournament for a team drawn from outside the province. THE MORNING’S PLAY. Turnbull 23 v. Higgs 16. Considerable interest was evinced : in the game - between the' -‘two-lifers” Turnbull and • Higgs, and the -issue was in doubt until the last few- heads. Higgs began perhaps tod well, for the, first head found his team quicker to settle down and lie a pretty five. To this they added a three in the next head. Stung by this early reverse the West Enders settled down to fight hard to make up the leeway, and, though each side scored singles on' the next, two heads, Douglas and Turnbull’ surely retrieved the position until, on' th®' ninth head they,took the.lead, the score being 10—9., Two twos followed in favour' of Higgs, but then Hooker became erratic, playing much below his previous form. Head after head Papps and Hill had matters all their own way for the lie to be disturbed a clever-yard on. shot by Douglas, and Turnbull was drawing with greater precision than Higgs. Eleven, 13, 16. 17 and 18 came on the board for Turnbull to lead to 13 on the 16th head. Higgs was right up against his luck in the concluding stages and. Turnbull ran out a comfortable winner 23—16. Buchan 18 v. Smart 14. Smart never looked likely to extend Buchan. The Te Aroha team combined well, whereas . Smart practically, carried the game on his own shoulders. Every head found him right up against it and the position was generally against a draw or eyen a, firm bowl, and all he could do was to ...save. Buchan- scored six on the first five heads and, after Smart opened his -card with a single, the visitor ran on to 11, when another single fell, to Smart. On- thg sixteenth the score was 18—3 in favour of Buchan, and although Smart scored on 1 the remaining heads the chance was never his to score more than two or three at the most, and, requiring six on the last head to tie, he was unable to add more than two to his total and the game ended 18—14. Boulton 23 v. McNeill 10. McNeill held R. Boulton in the early stages of their game and was playing better bowls than the West End skip until the tenth head. At this critical stage the trend of play altered ’ .completely when McNeill was unable to save on a five. Boulton found his third a tower of strength and the morale of the whole team was revived at this stage. Scoring steadily and playing safely Boulton ran out an easy winner on the 20th head by 23—10. GAMES IN THE AFTERNOON. Buchan 27 v. Turnbull 10. Turnbull was first to draw blood with a two and .a single, but on the third head Joll played a firm shot to push kitty through for two, Buchan playing two fine draws to make the score four. The next head was burnt, but Clothier’s shot counted on the replay for a single. When the skips Went down on the fifth head Buchan lay five and scored another, but Turnbull saved two with his last bowl. Petty’s two counted ,on the next head and Turnbull added another, but Buchan drew a toucher which Turnbull was unable to shift.’ Joll scored luckily on the seventh head to push an opponent’s bowl through for three, and with a fine cut Buchan shifted kitty across for five. Turnbull’s drive saved two and the score stood at 13-3 in Buchan’s favour. The eighth head saw some pretty bowls. Buchan was one up when he went down to play. He drew for the shot. Turnbull followed his lead and drew just inside Buchan’s shot bowl. Buchan retaliated by playing , a firm bowl, and he trailed kitty a couple of feet for three. It was a perfectly judged shot. Turnbull’s last did not alter the position. A two fell to Buchan on the ninth head and Turnbull narrowly missed saving two on the next head, the score being 20-3. Petty and Tomlins scored-- three on the eleventh head, but Buchan saved two with his first bowl. Then Turnbull drew a fine toucher for two. On the next head Margeson picked up kitty well, when lying two down. However, Douglass’ drive was lucky and left Turnbull another two.

Playing a longer length of green on the 12th head Turnbull’s score was increased by a sihgle, but on the next head Buchan drew well to beat the counting bowls of Tomlins and Douglass. Buchan shortened the length of the head, but Douglass was lucky in running in a short bowl for shot and the score after the 15th head was 21-9. Turnbull had a chance to retrieve his position on the 16th head when Petty’s, Tomlins’ and Douglass’ bowls were counting five until Buchan drew the second shot. In trying to run Buchan’s bowl through Turnbull played narrowly and cut the shot bowl out with his last. Buchan played a perfect draw with his last for the shot itself. Margeson played

a fine yard-on shot on the next head to trail kitty for two. Joll played a narrow shot, and with a wick he caught up kitty and ran across to another bowl, leaving Buchan still two up. Buchan played two fine blocks and Turnbull failed to alter the position. Margeson held the shot on the head and Buchan drew another. Turnbull played a running shot which took the kitty, but it bounced off the back wood into the centre of the head again, where Buchan was still two up and the game concluded 27-10. Higgs 28 v. Boulton 6. A startling reversal of form was the game between- R. Boulton and Higgs.. The West End team cracked up badly after playing great bowls throughout the tournament and the only feature of the game was the consistent scoring of the New Plymouth team. Boulton scored a single on the first head, but stood still for the next six heads while Higgs scored 12. Another single came to Boulton and then Higgs ran on to 25 in the next eight heads. A two and two singles for Boulton and a three for Higgs on the . 14th head concluded the game on the 19th head, the score reading Higgs 28, Boulton 6THE SEMI-FINAL. Buchan 19 v. Turnbull 18. The draw gave Higgs the bye and Turnbull and Buchan were matched again. Winning the toss Turnbull concentrated on long heads, scoring a two and a single on the first two heads, and a three on the next. Six down, the Te Aroha team “bucked up” on the fourth head and Clothier set the main with a toucher. When the skips went down, Buchan still held the shot with only Tomlins saving five. Turnbull played a firm bowl but was just too wide and he pushed his second back to give Buchan three. Buchan added another with his last. There Was another bunched head on the fifth and Tomlins’ first was still counting at the change over. Buchan was very short with his first, but he played on to the shot bowl with his second and Turnbull failed to alter the position. Clothier drew two fine bowls on the sixth head and Petty caused some amusement by driving. Tomlins played a fine firm draW to push the shot bowl through for the shot itself. The head was ticklish, but Buchan played a really good draw to push the kitty across to Clothier’s bowl. Turnbull could not alter the head. Tomlins drew two shots on the seventh head, but Buchan drew a great shot to run the kitty on a few inches, and another splendid draw, added a second. Turnbull played firmly to rest the shot bowls out, but was unfortunate in promoting ,a short one and giving an extra point to. Buchan. On the next head all the bowls were short, with Buchan one up until Turnbull drew a fine bowl for shot. Buchan played on to the head, but gave Turnbull another, the score after the eighth head being 9-8 in’Turnbull's favour. Petty and Tomlins placed a couple, in Turnbull’s favour on the i ninth head until Buchan called for Joll on the back hand, and ..his firm shot rested a,short bowl in for the shot. The skips could not change the head. The luck was against Buchan in' the tenth head. Turnbull was three up, when the Te Aroha skip played a running shot at the head, but his bowl did not take kitty cleanly and he was able to save only one. On the next head Tomlins again came to light with a brace. Douglass added another one. Buchan drove twice, but was not favoured with luck and Saved only one. Petty held the shot on the 12th, but Margeson trailed the .kitty for two. Joll drew a third and Douglass was short. Turnbull, was left with a difficult shot, but rose to the occasion, found a narrow' lane and picked up the kitty for two. Not to be outdone, Buchan responded with a similar shot and ran through with kitty clear of the' bunch. Turnbull’s second was wild and Buchan’s last just toppled over into the ditch. This head had the gallery acclaiming all the time. Clothier drew two .fine bowls on the thirteenth head. Douglass drove and moved the two shot bowls slightly to leave Turnbull one up. Buchan played up to form to draw the shot with his first bowl and rested kitty through with his next for a second, taking the lead again 13-12. One down, Buchan asked Joll for a firm bowl on the second shot and the Te Aroha skip’s third played a wonderfully judged bowl to run bn for the shot. Douglass was somewhat unlucky with his second. The skips did not change the head. Turnbull lay a possible two on the fifteenth, but Tomlins trailed kitty only to lose it and give Buchan one. Joll was a trifle strong and returned the compliment. Buchan played a fine draw on the back hand to secure the shot by taking kitty through for a single, adding the second by promoting the previous jack-High bowl of Joll’s. The next head was one of the poorest of the game. Buchan was not up with either bowl and Turnbull added one to the bunch, the measure giving him three. With a measure >for two against him, Buchan was somewhat lucky to receive assistance from some outside wood to run on to the shot. Buchan 17, Turnbull 15. Clothier led ’well on the 18th head and Margeson played a good bowl with his second to rest the shot for three. Drawing with great judgment Buchan added another to lie four, but the kitty was slightly disturbed and gave Turnbull an opportunity to draw. The West End skip did not bungle his -opportunity and aroused well-merited applause by drawing a wonderful shot. On the 19th head Turnbull was one up, but Joll drew a sweet bowl for the shot. Turnbull played a good shot for the kitty, but it bounced back off the shot bowl to leave Buchan still one up. Turnbull’s second was a splendid draw on the back hand for the shot, but once more Buchan rose to the occasion. Playing a firm bowl with a pound or two on he pushed out Turnbull’s shot bowl and the third shot for a great two. The score-board then read 19-16 in Buchan’s favour. Clothier led off well, but Petty did one better to touch kitty and lay the shot with his second. The head piled up with Clothier’s bowl behind and Petty’s and Tomlins’ three bowls in front. Buchan took the sporting chance of splitting the front bowls, but, although he caught the bunch, Turnbull was still left one up. Clothier lay the shot on the last head until Douglass promoted a short one with his second bowl to roll in for the actual shot. Joll was a trifle narrow? with his second and failed to alter the position. Turnbull played two great bowls to move Clothier’s second shot, his second bowl going through the narrowest port, failing to secure .the required two to tie. Buchan did not attempt to alter the head with his last bowl.

DETAILS OF THE PLAY.

POST-SECTION GAMES.

Two-Lifers.

J. Turnbull (West End) 23 v. A. Higgs (New Plymouth) 16. Single-Lifers. J. Buchan (Te Aroha) 18 v. A. Smart (New Plymouth) 14. R. Boulton (West End) 23 v. J. McNeill (Fitzroy) 10 on the 20th head. Higgs 28 v. Boulton 6 on the 19th. Buchan 27 v. Turnbull (two lives) 10 on the 19th.

Semi-Final. Buchan 19 v. Turnbull 18, Buchan meets Higgs in the final on the Vogeltown green this morning.