CENTRE BOWLS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1934, Page 5

CENTRE BOWLS

BUCHAN THE WINNER LONDON (WANGANUI) SECOND WEATHER DOGS BOWLERS TE AROHA SKIP’S DRAWING Several records were created at the 29th annual tournament to be held under the. auspices of the Taranaki Bowling Centre which ended yesterday afternoon in a win for M.,R. Buchan (Te Aroha) on the West End bowling green. The most important—as Mr. A. H. R. Amess, vice-president, remarked in presenting the tropines in the unavoidable absence of the president, Mr. L. H. Sampson—was that for the first time in its history the; tournament had been won by a team from outside Taranaki. On previous occasions visiting teams had put up splendid performances and had filled the role of runners-up, but on this occasion they had put up the excellent performance of filling the role of both "winner. and runner-up. ,The successful teams .were:— Winner: J. A. Clothier, A. H. Margison, H.S. Powell, M. R. Buchan (Te Aroha). Runner-up: Stone, Cramqnd, Simmond, A.' London (Wanganui). . The Win was’ undoubtedly a popular onfe. Buchan, who skipped the second team last year, was carried off the ground while both winners and runnersup were congratulated, on all hands by the very , large gallery that watched play throughout the day despite the misty weather that prevailed. The rain fortunately held off, only one shower causing a dispersal, and that near the close of the final match. The fact that Buchan ran through to the final unbeaten in post-sectional play enabled the tournament to be completed yesterday, which, the vice-president stated, together with the rain created two more records, record bad weather and record finishing time. ' ’ GREEN VERY HEAVY. Weather conditions were decidedly against the bowlers when the third round was resumed yesterday morning, the. green being very heavy, while there was a heavy mist overhead. The round resulted in the elimination of two of the local teams—A. C. Smith' (Hawera Park) and P. O. Skoglund (Stratford)—while E. Billing (West End) lost a life. As a result the chances, of the visiting teams were greatly enhanced as they were left with four lives—M. R. Buchan (Te Aroha) two, F. Adamson (Thames) and A. London (Wanganui) one each—with E. Billing (West End) one life, the sole Taranaki suryivbr. In. the fourth round the visitors made a certainty of contesting the final when Buchan eliminated Billing after a game that had been keenly contested and was anybody’s up to the 19th head, when Buchan added five which proved the deciding factor, for Billing was left io score seven to tie on the final head. He made a game effort, scoring' four to be beaten by two. A. London eliminated F. Adamson (Thames) by four points after another fine struggle in which,- after the fifth head, ;he was always in front. BUCHAN’S UNCANNY DRAWS. The .final, between Buchan, and London provided another classic, contest It showed what a high-class bowler Buchan in particular is. His drawing powers were uncanny. No matter how difficult the head was dr how much depended on the shot, he could be depended upon to draw the shot. He showed remarkable steadiness throughout, and if the position appeared extra difficult he would study the head carefully in consultation with his third and on his return to the mat he was almost certain to turn the scales in his favour. His shots would have been heart-breaking I to some opponents, but London stuck to him well and it was anyone’s game until / the, 16th head, when following a four; on the 12th Buchan with a great drive, i his first of the match, turned the scales! from one down to three up and led by 15 to 16. He had increased his margin by. one on the next head., The finish provided somewhat of an anti-climax following, great bowls, for with his last bowl on the 20th. head, London, to whom a single was of little use, tried to burn the head. He scattered it with his first, but his second slipped from his hand as fie went to deliver it, leaving Buchan three up and giving the Te Aroha skip a. 9-point margin, so that the 21st head Was- not required. Details are:—

THIRD ROUND. Two-lifers. J. A. Clothier, A. H. Margison, H. S. Powell, M. R. Buchan (Te Aroha) 24 v. C. Ward, J. Christoffel, T. Petty, E. Billing (West End) IL . J One-lifers. A. Saunders, J. Boyle, W., D. Bennett, F. Adamson (Thames) 19 v. R, Curtis, T. Skoglund, P. Skoglund, P. O. Skoglund (Stratford) 11. T. Stone, Crambnd, Simmond, A. London (Wanganui) 18 v. W. Franklin, J. Thomas, F. Brett, A. C. Smith (Hawera Park) 8 . abandoned on the 18th head.' ’ '• .. P. 0. Skoglund (Stratford) and A. C. Smith (Park) were eliminated. FOURTH ROUND. R. M. Buchan (two lives) 21 v. E. Billing (one life) 19. A. London (one life) 20 v. F. Adamson (one life) 16. E. Billing and F. Adamson were eliminated. FINAL. R. M. Buchan (two lives) 20 v. A. London (one life) 11. THIRD ROUND CONTESTS. With five down and six heads to play P. O. Skoglund (Stratford) still had 'a great chance against F. Adamson (Thames). With the score 14—11 in Adamson’s favour and two heads to play the game was anybody’s and interest was intense. T. Skoglund failed in two attempts to drive to bum the last head, but Adamson had put in an effective block, the game ending 19—11 in his favour.

With nine down and seven heads to play. E. Billing (West End) still had a fighting chance. The fortune of the game was strikingly illustrated in the 17th head. Billing lay three when the skips went down and his chances looked very rosy. Buchan, who was playing great bowls, sent down a yard on shot which trailed kitty to three of his own timber, that made the score . 20—10 with four heads to go, making the West End skip’s task practically hopeless, and the game ended on the 20th head 24—11. LUCK OF THE DRAW. The luck of the draw saw Buchan and Billing set to meet again in the fourth round, London and Adamson being the other pair. With Billing three up the 11th head changed the aspect. When the skips went down Buchan lay three. He promoted'a fourth counter with his first and drew a fifth. Billing failed to make any alteration and Buchan led . 10—8. Powell drew the shot on the 15th head

within six inches of the jack. Buchan drew a perfect toucher, but. Billing with a yard on shot took both out. Buchan, not to be.denied, drew another. A similar shot tp his first saw Billing trail kitty for three, greatly, enhancing his chances, as the score read 14—11 in Buchan’s favour. Billing improved to be only one down with five heads to go. With two heads to go, however, Buchan held a 6-point lead. Billing missed with a drive and entered the last head with a forlorn hope, being seven down. He made a great, recovery, notching five, and Buchan won 21—19.

London started well against Adamson, scoring three on the first head, but the Thames team held the scoring for the next three heads to take the lead 5—3. On the sixth head London led 7—5. Great drawing by both, seconds and thirds elicited great applause. The 11th saw diamond cut diamond when .the thirds sent their bowls down, each drawing the shot in turn for, the Thames third to flick off a wing bowl for a measure. Adamson just failed with his first, a yard-on,shot, but London wicked off his own bowl to score a. second, and he led 14—6. Adamson was unlucky when his bowl just flicked kitty away from his shot bowl and left London with a lead of nine with four heads to go. Next head saw the margin reduced to three. On the last head Saunders drew the ..shot for the Thames rink and Boyle carried the jack for two. Cramond saved one, but Bennett (the Thames third) made it a measure for two. Simmond rested one out. Adamson just failed to draw another with his first bowl and then London clinched the game by drawing beautifully and turning one of his own bowls for the shot.

When the skips went down in the first head of the final between London

and Buchan London lay one, but there was plenty of room to alter it and Buchan with his first drew the shot, the position thereafter remaining unchanged, London just failing to trail the jack for five. At the third head the score was London 3, Buchan 2. London was two up, when Margison flicked the kitty, but Simmond drew a couple of great shots. Powell flicked the jack but did not alter the score. London put in a block but Buchan got past it to flick the jack again, saving one. After examining the head Buchan with a yard on got a rub off a bowl and wrested kitty for the shot, evoking applause. Great bowling saw the second in turn draw- the shot i nthe next, Cramond being right on kitty with his first and drawing a second. Simmond added a third right on kitty, but Boyle with a firm shot displaced the head, giving Buchan one up. The skip drew another three inches from the jack. London placed his first just behind the jack and Buchan wrested it off for three. With his last London drew second shot. In the .sixth head Cramond evoked applause by drawing the shot, which held till the skips went down. The score became 4-all. London scored one on the eighth, a very straggly head. In the ninth head Cramond drew an almost perfect shot for London. Buchan roused the gallery, however, by a perfect draw for the shot with his first.

The score at the tenth read 7—5 in London’s favour, but the measure in the next went in Buchan’s favour, making the score 7-all. When three down in the next head Buchan saved a couple with his first bowl, and after carefully examining the head played a firm draw, ran the shot bowl out and split the two to lay shot. London was just a fraction too heavy to wrest the shot and Buchan

got in front for the first time since the second head. The thirteenth head saw some brilliant drawing. Margison gave the Te Aroha skip one counter and Powell added another. Simmond moved kitty but failed to affect the head. Buchan blocked the backhand with his first and drew a great third with his next. London was just too narrow with each bowl, his second also promoting one for Buchan to score four and lead 12—7 on the thirteenth head. The Wanganui lead was short, but his second gave him the shot with a front bowl. The third added another but Buchan’s first drew second shot. London with an almost perfect draw regained the lost ground. Stone drew to within a foot of the jack on the fifteenth, a long head. London narrowly missed turning the scale considerably in his favour, and the score read 12 —10 in Buchan’s favour. The sixteenth head gave Buchan considerable concern but after lengthy deliberation he drove, hitting the object bowl and leaving himself three up, 15 —10 in his favour with five heads to go. London had a chance to wrest a bowl for three, but played a running shot and just missed. London’s second in the eighteenth pushed his opponent’s short bowl into shot bowl, an unfortunate happening at such a critical stage. Buchan was content not to interfere with the head, the score being 17—11 with three heads Jo play. Clothier drew to within six inches of the jack. Rain then drove everyone to shelter for a while. There was no alteration in the scoring value of the head when the skips went down, save that Simmond had pushed the counter a little closer to the jack and with his second he went through a narrow port. London .opened up the bead with a firm shot, leaving Buchan three up. After

viewing the head Buchan put one well back so as to be prepared for the jack being sprung. London was preparing to drive when he lost his grip of the wet bowl and it was wasted, the game thus ending in Buchan’s favour 20—11 on the twentieth head.