BOWLING SPASMS.

Observer, Volume XXIII, Issue 28, 28 March 1903, Page 14

BOWLING SPASMS.

By the Ditcher.

SATURDAY was an ideal bowling day. Several inter-club contests took place, and most of the wins were exciting, in that the games were in the balance till the last head. The closest finish was between Newmarket and Rocky Nook— a matter of three points in favour of Newmarket. Certainly that club put in medium skips, but it was cunning enough to have them supported by the best men on its green. The Rocky Nook men were never better pleased with themselves than they were in the Newtoarket go. They led up to the last head. Hodgson was seen to advantage. He took out Cottle's little lot in the final head and then lay two. He was fairly on the job. The winning skips for Newmarket were— MacMurray, / 21-19 ; Wrathall, 16-15. Cottle and Hodgson made a tie of it. Mt. Eden had a fine game with Mt. Albert. The Albertonians were in great nick, but the blue and gold men won by five points. This is how it ought to be — not Ponsonby-Onc-hunga fashion. The winning Mt. Eden skip was Ashton— 26-22. Parry and Robins made 18 each. Coyle played a nice game for Ashton ; and Wheeler and Knight did very well for Parry. The winning skip for Mt. Eden was Garland, who beat Priestley—23---14. The game was good. The score gives no idea of the play. A meeting of the Rotorua cornmil lee was held a few days ago to discuss the protest of Mt. Eden against Auckland's claim upon the win during Carnival week. The club decided that Ledingham was in error in insisting upon the ninth head oeing declared a dead head ; that the ninth head must be considered a head played, although no score to either side could be allowed, as the bowls were not measured ; that owing to the erroneous omission of the ninth head from the scoring card, that shown as the 20th head was in reality the Cist and final of the game. Accordingly, the game is awarded to Auckland, as the scores at this sta^c were Auckland 15, Mt. Eden 14. Ledingham wants an apology from Mt. Eden over that Rotorua affair. He will get it —if he waits long enough. Cambridge has its Haig and Ilaig matches almost finished. J. L. Lea is considered a cert for the Ilaig and Haig singles. He will play on Good Friday against the pick of Auckland. Crosher's trophy has been productive of good bowling at Cambridge. There was a great fight in the final, when F. O'Toole beat the demon Roberts for the event by the small majority of two points. The excitement ran high. Alf. Bartlett's team was in the best of form when it met • Veale's in the final stage of the Ponsonby Club's fours match. After a game struggle Veale went under, the scores being 23-13. A big beating, this, for the champion skip, who had a good team in Keals, Pascoe and Noton. Bartlett was assisted by Brownlee, Hanna and Jones. The Cambridge Pennant teams to visit Auckland at Easser consist of — (1) J. Davys, J. Young, M. Wells and F. O'Toole ; (2) W. T. Crosher, Roberts, R. J. Carr and J. Richards. They have been practising together, and intend to make things lively for all and sundry. Dingwall put D. E. Clerk's J-ght clean out a.*, the Remuera green on Saturday. This is the rejected Pennant team, consisting of Holden, Hcgman and Ruddock. They pipped ihe Pennant reps, by six points. It was generally expected that they wculd Dingwall skipped another icam against -his owa for a trial go iind won. He is in good form this year. Walter Jones is playing a good game at Ponsonby this year. So also is Swales, who, I hear, is to be included in the Pennant team instead of Arey. At Auckland green, Dingle got a surprise last week. W. Elliot beat him in a match for the Equitable Assurance Society's prize— by 22 to 8. Dingle is in exceptional form this season, but the best go down at bowls. He reversed things in a George Main trophy game, beating Buttle by 22 to 5,

Lambert had a romp over in a fours game with Thompson at Auckland green on Saturhay— 3o to 13. Plummer, Green and Oilmour were on the winning side, and they played the game of their lives. The losers were McMaster, Lesser and Mitford. Dutton might have finished up better before going Home, on Saturday. He lost the semi-final fours at Rocky Nook by 10-24. Haselden was the skip against him. Cooper, Kayes and Rathbone helped the Association secretary to win. Those whiskers are in the road, Dutton. At Devonport, Crane managed to annex the first year bowls from Lou Lewis on Saturday. The game was at Crane's mercy all through. His win was a popular one. Harrison will, unfortunately, be unable to. play in the Pennant team for Devonport at Easter, on account of business engagements. A Rocky Nook team, skipped by Bouskill, went down badly before Mercer at Mt. Eden on St. Patrick's Day. George Tutt looked very sad on it. Martin, for Mt. Eden, was very deadly.