THE RINKS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20508, 9 January 1935, Page 14

THE RINKS.

South Island Strongly Represented. PLAY ON FRIDAY. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, January 8. By far the most satisfactory feature of the New Zealand bowling tourney is the presence of nineteen rinks (seventysix players) from the South Island, compared with only ten rinks when the tournament was last held in this city four years ago. By a coincidence this is also the exact number of rinks provided by the city's nearest neighbour, the South Auckland Centre. Wellington has sent eight rinks and other North Island centres thirty-one rinks, including one from as far north as Kaikohe, while the extreme southern visitors are a strong rink from Cromwell, in Central Otago. Rink play will begin on Friday on sixteen greens, and this enables each section to contain at least one rink from the South Island, at least one from South Auckland, and at least (wo from other North Island centres, thus making the assembly on each green thoroughly representative of the whole Dominion. Carswell’s Tine Form. The widespread interest in the rinks will attract attention to several matches played here last Saturday* Carswell, of Taieri, the present Dominion singles champion, had his Auckland rink intact. He became a member of an Auckland club to qualify for entry into the rinks, and met Walker’s rink with one substitute, the result suggesting that three score years and more than ten have not appreciably reduced the Taieri champion's skill. With one substitute on each side, Parker’s Auckland rink defeated a Dunedin rink, even though the substitute in the latter was George I'eare, formerly of Carlton, who won the rinks four years ago and was run-ner-up in the following year. R. T. Harrison (Sydney) skipped Parker’s rink in the Christmas tournament, and they will probably play in that order this week. Also a third Dunedin rink, that of G. G. Aden (St Kilda), who was runner-up in the rinks five years ago, were exactly as they will play on Friday, and they went down before G. B. Osmond’s rink, who will also he in action on Friday. With one substitute on each side, C. G. Maher’s Auckland rink defeated R. Thomas (Mount Albert) and J. R. M’Phail’s Auckland rink in Section P with Linwood's 1934 New Zealand champions, had a narrow victory. The Kaikohe rink accepted an invitation to play at Mount Eden, and they also won. A ProblemAll these results tend to deepen the problem as to who will win the rinks this year. Several sections have already been reviewed, but nobody can afford to overlook Section D, for it includes a strong Carlton rink, T. ,J. Buxton, P. Moir, H. C. Clarke and S. Jenkin. The lead is good enough to “ trot ” home in front of the best opponent, and the other three are all big winners. Then there is about the pick of St Heliers, H. L. Wat kin, R. P. Norris, P. C. White and H. Wright, and visitors include C. E. Hollard (Putaruru), who has won so often in South Auckland competitions, and who qualified in Wellington two years ago. and F. D. Whibley (Greymouth), who qualified in Dunedin last year. The Wellington rink is also bound to be well watched, for the skip is W. M. Parkhouse, who won the singles two years ago, and his third is C. R. Ingram, who won the same championship eighteen years ago. Section F have about the best rink they could get from West End, A. S. Falre, F. Needham. C. E. Hardley and W. Bremner, and the Carlton rink, J. C. Duncan, H. B. Jenkin, R. Higgott and C. 11. De Launay, will take some beating, even though they did not get enough wins to qualify at Christmas. / Strong Dunedin Rink. The Dunedin rink seems to he the strongest of the visitors, for the lead is J. C. Rigb>, the singles champion of 1922, and then come A. J. H. Gregory and 11. Gardiner, who played for G. A. Dear© when they won in Auckland four years ago. and again when they were runners-up the following year. The skip, “ Jack ” Hutchison, won his section in the pairs last year with Rigby as lead, but he is best known in Auckland as one of the skips in the big party who toured the world in 1928. Section K is notable for the presence of the only rink who got through without a loss four years ago (Casey, Bruce, Luscombe and Lobb), and then, instead of following the usual fashion and going out in the first two rounds of post section play, they survived until that memorable semi-final, when they virtually had the game won and Lobb missed a draw which he could almost have played with his eyes shut. Although there are some nice teams in the section, including those of Muston (Carlton), Walker (Mount Albert), P’ruish (Hamilton) and Mayo (Port Ahuriri), New Plymouth seem bound to qualify again! Three Dominion Championships. Those who are watching Section L will expect W. Foster (Caledonian) to qualify, for he has three Dominion championships to his credit, and his strong rink includes as third J. D. Best, who is a Dominion singles champion himself, besides having helped several rinks to reach the final. Their strongest opponents seem to he E. C. Delamore. L. .Toll, W. E. Vivian and D. C. Fraser (Mount Eden), and G. H. Armstrong (Pukekohe), who is supported bv the Roulston family of bard drivers. The present. Dominion champions, G. Dickson, F. Redpatli, FT. F. Gibson and FT. Wilson (Linwood), are in Section P, and from all appearances should have no difficulty in going forward for postsection play.