GOOD PROGRESS MADE

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 January 1948, Page 6

GOOD PROGRESS MADE

25 STILL IN THE PAIRS AND 36 IN THE SINGLES (P.A.) Dunedin, Jan. 16. Both the singles and pairs competitions in the championshipt ournament of the New Zealand Bowling Association reached a well advanced stage today, the fifth day of play. Some of the fancied players and pairs in both contests were eliminated, but the survivors included many who have been prominent in tournament play over a period of years, and the games in which some of them were engaged attracted large galleries, especially on the St. Kilda green, where a crowd of several hundred followed with great interest the play of the remaining two-lifers in the singles and the better-known onelifers. At the end of the day’s play eight rounds had been completed in the pairs, in which there remained three two-llfers and 22 players with one life. The singles competition was a little more involved, and while some players had completed their ninth games others who were still engaged in the pairs had still to play their games in the eighth round. At this stage there are six two-lifers and 30 one-lifers remaining in the singles. A light drizzle commenced during the night and was sufficient to delay the start of play. The tournament committee decided to reduce the time limit from 21 hours to 2 hours. SPEARMAN'S SENSATIONAL FINISH In his eighth round match with M. J. Christie (Kaituna) in the singles. C. G. Spearman, the 1937 and 1941 titleholder, provided another of the sensational finishing efforts for which he is famed. Christie went away to a 13-3 lead after nine ends had been played. Spearman then began his late run and scored steadily on the next six ends, being only one down after the 16th had been played. The score was 15-all on the 18th end, but Spearman finished with three twos and won 21-15. C. J. Rawlinson (Dunedin), formerly a well-known tennis player, who survived the first two days' play in the singles competition with one life, scored a good win against a Seatoun two-lifer, T. A. Barrow, in the eighth round at St. Kilda. N. E. Jolly, a St. Clair player, won • his way into the fifth round of the pairs when he was eliminated. W. G. Spencer (Invercargill R.S.A.) who was given a chance of taking one or other championships, had the misfortune to be affected by a chill in his back, and there was no doubt that this contributed to his downfall in both the pairs and the singles. Yesterday Spencer entered the eighth round of the singles, still holding one life, but he met a very steady player in M. Marsick (Ponsonby), whose drawing on full length heads was a feature. Marsick won comfortably, 20-11, and Spencer was eliminated. EXCITING PAIRS GAME Last year's champion pair, W. R. Hawkins and E. P. Exelby (Frankton Junction), figured in one of the most exciting games in the pairs competition when they met G. Littlejohn and A. J. Webster (Lower Hutt) In the fifth round. The teams tied on the last end, but an extra end was played and when Exelby still had his last bowl to play no one could determine which of the two bowls side by side near the “jack” was shot, and in an attempt to push his own bowl up on his opponent's bowl, with an up shot on the forehand, Exelby pushed his opponent’s bowl in for shot and the game, the titleholders being elimin- ' BATTLE ROYAL A match whith produced a battle royal was the meeting of two Southland pairs, G. Hope and H. Donald (Te Rangi, Invercargill) and A. Steel and N. W. McGorlick (Bluff), both of whom had survived the first day’s play with two lives. Scoring was close throughout and the game finished in favour of Donald’s pair by 19-18. E. Pavlic and W. Bremner (Epsom) and A. K. Hamilton and J. Middlemass (Alexandra) both entered the eighth round holding two lives. Both pairs won their first three games today by

handy margins and in the seventh round the Alexandra men scored a good win against M. Marinovich and S. J. Garelja (Oratia) by 23-12. Bremner's pair met the Alexandra team in the last game of the day, Bremner dropping one life after an exciting game which Middlemass won by 2120. E. Radd and T. F. Mitchell (Blenheim) had three handy winn in the pairs, and, drawing the bye in the eighth round, finished the day with two lives still intact. One of the best wins was scored against the strong Te Aroha pair, M. R. Buchan and A. N. Callaghan. STILLIN ’HIE PAIRS The two-lifers remaining in the pairs competition are: Middlemass (Alexandra), Ravenwood (North East Valley), Webster (Lower Hutt) and Mitchell (Blenheim). heim) had three handy wins in the pairs competition are: Edwards (Balclutha), Hughes (North East Valley), Fletcher (Mornington), Robertson (Phoenix), Hannan (Invercargill), Garelja (Oratia), Samms (Woolston), Fox (Christchurch), McGorlick (Bluff), Morris (Frankton), Hutchison (Caledonian), Quirk (United, Christchurch). Goldfinch (Wellington), Milne (Kia Toa, Timaru), Coulter (North East Valley), Robertson (Onehunga), Webster (Lower Hutt), Hart (Balmoral), and Crossan (Caversham). STILL IN THE PAIRS Two-lifers remaining in the singles championship are: Benson (Balmoral), Mingins (Onehunga), Buchan (Te Aroha), Tyrrell (Mornington), Ball (R.S.A., Christchurch), Symons (Otaki Railway). One-lifers in the singles competition are: Rawlinson (Dunedin), Barrow (Seatoun), H M. Mackay Veitch (Dunedin), Lynnebery (Khandallah), Callaghan (Te Aroha), Spearman (Christchurch R.S.A.), Marsick (Ponsonby), Crossan (Roxburgh), R. Henry (Sydenham), Pivac (Pukekohe), Littlejohn (Lower Hutt), McGorlick (Bluff), Chapman (Christchurch R.S.A.), Smith (Christchurch), Kinzett (Maitai), Stevens (Ashbury), McNish (Canterbury), Hadwin (Lower Hutt), Crisp (Temuka), Wearne (Te Aroha), McNab (Roslyn), Marriott (Opawa), Middlemass (Alexandra), Chadwick (Hawera), Dillicar (Khandallah), Fraser (Beckenham), Edward (Balclutha), Folly (St. Clair), H. M. McKay (Caledonian), Hunt (Helensville).