BOWLING CONTESTS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1935, Page 2

BOWLING CONTESTS

CENTRAL SINGLES EVENT

CLARK AND DICKINSON LEFT. FINAL TO BE PLAYED TO-DAY. After being beaten by A. Dickinson (Avon) in the first round, W. Clarke (Stratford) won his next two games and with one life beat Dickinson, two lives, in the fifth round of the central division bowling singles championship on the Stratford green yesterday. By that time it was not advisable to play the final which will take place to-day. Dickinson was down by 20-13 on the 22nd. head and made a strong attempt to recover with Clark wanting only one point, and he scored four before Clark ran out.

The competitors were: A. Dickinson (Avon), W. Blair (Tariki), G. S. G. McLaggan (Inglewood), W. Clark (Stratford) and R. E. Thomas (Eltham). Games were played to 21 points on the two-life system.

The green was fast but a little difficult owing to the alternating patches of green and dry grass, and a strong breeze that whistled over the hedges and on to the green in puffs disconcerted the players with light bowls. The advantage of the heavier type was demonstrated in Dickinson’s match with McLaggan in the second round. While McLaggan’s bowls, running true over the first part of their run, were often held out by a wind puff, Dickinson’s came up true to the run. Details are:— First Round. Dickinson 21 beat ■ Clari: 16. Blair 21 beat McLaggan 16. Thomas a bye. Strangely enough, in both games the score was the same, but whereas Dickinson and Clark took only 18 heads, the game of the other pair went to 22 heads. Dickinson started off with a rush and had scored 15 to Clark’s two after 10 heads had been played. Clark then staged a splendid recovery and scored a three, a one, two. fours and a two in the next seven heads, while Dickinson only won a couple of singles (17—16 in favour of Dickinson). The next head proved to be the last, for Dickinson with a wonderful bowl, when lying two, trailed the jack to make four, thus giving ing him the required 21 points. McLaggan maintained a consistent lead of two or three points on Blair up to the 19th. head, when the Tariki champion drew counters with all but four bowls. The score then stood 17—15 in favour of Blair. A pair to Blair in the next head made him 19, and he drew two touchers in the next, the 22nd. head, which McLaggan was unable to disturb. Blair’s score was thus 21, the required number of points. Second Round. Dickinson 21 v. McLaggan 15. Blair 21 v. Thomas 12. Clark a bye. McLaggan was eliminated. McLaggan scored four and two off the first two heads but by the eighth head Dickinson had caught him at 8-all and it was level pegging then till the 15th., where Dickinson had a 19-12 lead. McLaggan took three off the 20th. but Dickinson scored two singles and finished the match oh the 22nd. head at 21—15. Four singles off the first four heads gave Blair a lead that he never lost. Thomas evened on the 13th. head at 8-all, but three from the 14th. put Blair’s nose in front again and from then on he steadily drew away till he made 21 at the 20th. head, while Thomas had not passed 12. Third Round. Dickinson 21 v. Blair 10. Clark 22 v. Thomas 10. Thomas eliminated. At the second head Blair led Dickinson 3—l, but it was the last time the Tariki player had the advantage, for Dickinson scored three off the third and the rest of the game was an uphill fight for Blair against an opponent who steadily scored points till he ran out on the 18th. at 21—10. Thomas had a similar experience with Clark. After taking two off the first head the Eltham man lost four on the second and could not catch the Stratford player, who forged rapidly ahead. He was seven points up at the 10th. and, though Thomas increased his score to 10, he could not improve it further, and Clark gained a three on the 16th. that gave him 22 points. Fourth Round. Clark 21 v. Blair 17. Dickinson a bye. Blair was eliminated. From seven points down at the eighth head Blair exploited the long head as much as possible and during the next four heads he picked up the difference except for two that Clark took from the 10th. Clark was lying two on the 13th. but his last bowl carried kitty back and left him only one, the scores being 14—11 for Clark. He scored one and two in succession but Blair did the same over the next two heads and held his deficiency down to 14—17. Two more on the 17th. to Blair left the score at only 17—16 in Clark’s favour. One and then two to Clark made him 20, and though Blair blocked him with one on the 20th., Clark recorded one on the 21st. and won the closest game of the competition. Fifth Round. Clark 21 v. Dickinson 17. With scores at 3-all on the fourth head Clark (one life) stepped out for a four on the fifth and went ahead with one off each of the next three heads, giving him a lead of 10—3 over Dickinson (two lives) on the eighth. Dickinson's three off the next head reduced Clark’s margin to four. A single to Dickinson on the next four heads made the score 10-all at the 13th. Clark went ahead again on the 16th. and by the 21st. led 17—13. Both had been playing excellent bowls and gave the best drawing exhibition of the day, but Clark was right on form and on the 22nd. took three to lead 20—13. He was lying one up on the 23rd. with a toucher, but Dickinson took it out for a point and on the 24th. drove the jack into the ditch, afterwards drawing the shot and making the score 20—14. He also made two off the 25th. but Clark’s toucher on the next head gave him game after Dickinson had made a great effort to retrieve his position. The score was 21 —17.

The umpires were Messrs. C. Thompson and T. Lawson.