BOWLING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8832, 19 January 1907, Page 5

BOWLING.

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. EXHIBITION TOURNAMENT. For the sixth day of the New Zealand Bowling Association's Exhibition tournament the weather was the worst experienced since the beginning cf play on Monday. The strong south-west-wind continued throughout the night, bringing with it heavy showers of hail and rain, and the atmosphere was cold enough for winter. Under such conditions bowling lost much of its interest, and when play 'began for the daythe greens were very heavy. However, the Association's executive decided that a postponement was hardly warranted, and bowlers had to play their matches. For a couple of hours they played a sort of hide-and-seek game, having at intervals to shelter in the pavilions while showers passed over. They went on bravely and made the beet of tho unfavourable conditions, advancing the competitions in a satisfactory manner. The Canterbury, Christchurch, St Albans, United and Sydenham greens were in use, -singles and doubles being played on all of them, and on the Canterbury green there was *a little play in the rinks tournament. *"" In the afternoon there was a large attendance of bowlers . at the Canterbury green, the programme of play including some of the deciding games in the three sections of the rinks championship. The meet important of these and the games which attracted most attention were the semi-finals of Grade A, the championship division of the rinks. The game which was most closely watched was that between Taieri (Carswell) and St Albans (Johnston), and the game was well worthy of attention, for it was the most sensational of the tournament. Carswell's rink had shown splendid form in the earlier games and was confidently expected to win the championship outright, but though they did win, it was only by the narrowest margin that they escaped from an almost certain defeat. Johnston and his men, all comparatively young players, made a remarkable effort against their well-tried opponents, Johnston himself playing one of the finest games that has ever been seen in Christchurch. Time after time Johnston got his men out of trouble With a brilliant shot, but at the last, head he received no assistance, and Carswell was able to get in no fewer than six points, winning the match by a point. ••in the game* between Kaituna (Payne) and Dunedin (M'Laren), the former started well, and soon held a substantial lead. M'Laren, however, with his usual determination, gradually overhauled his opponent, and scoring in six successive heads drew level at the fifteenth head. From this out the contest, was particularly keen, but Payne slowly forged ahead, and started the last head with a lead of two. Payne lay the shot when M'Laren played his last bowl, but though he rested the winner with a beautifully played shot a close measure for second resulted in Payne's favour by a narrow margin, and left Kaituna winners by a single point. • / Victoria (Brackenridge) and Christchurch (White-Parsons) met in the final of Grade B. After the great fights the Victoria captain had put up in his preceding games it was confidently expected that he would 'make, a bold bid foi* a win in his section, and m this game he justified his great reputation. Once he had equalised the scores (and this occurred at the tenth head) he sailed away, and although the Christchurch team struggled on. it was not till the twentieth head had been reached that White-Parsons added anything to his score. The game resulted in an easy win for Victoria by twenty points. The following are the results : —