BOWLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 724, 21 January 1904, Page 12

BOWLING.

The bowling tournament at the St. Louis World’s Fair promises to be a very big affair. The dates have been fixed for August 15, 16, and 17 next, and the rules to be observed are those of the Scottish Bowling Association, which are almost identical with the code governing the game in the colonies generally. A handsome trophy will be presented to the club whose team wins the rink champion■hip, whilst gold, silver, and bronze medals are to be given respectively to the first, second, and third in both the ■ingle-handed and rink tourneys. The entrance fee for the single-handed championship will be 50 cents., and for each team in the rink championship 2dol. As entries can be received up to July 15 there will thus be ample time for the New Zealand or Australian bowlers to make arrangements for any visit they might contemplate to the first of the world’s great Olympian games, in which the old pastime has found inclusion.

Bowlers were in luck’s way to get such a week of brilliant sunshine for the Northern Bowling Association Tournament. Throughout the whole of the time hardb a cloud showed above the horizon, and this with an absence of wind made it bowlers’ weather indeed.

The dry spell and the large amount of play on it made the Grafton green exceptionally keen. Many visiting bowlers •tated that they had never seen anything to equal it in this respect. To rest the jack under such circumstances was a next to impossible feat.

The final tussle between Wellington and Ponsonby proved wonderfully exciting. Both rinks fought out every head with the utmost determination ,and there was nothing to choose between the teams. On one rink Becroft, Buchanan, Watson and Ballantyne (skip) won from Ponsonby by 19 points to 14 put up by the Wellington four Reich, Hill, Ballingrt and McLean (skip). This defeat for the Southern club was more than equalised on the other rink by Drummond, Hamilton, Bell and Lockie (skip), who got 20 to the 14 achieved by Quinn, Newell, Veale and Kirker (skip).

In the final match between Wellington and Ponsonby Kirker, who was skipping for one of the latter teams, played much under his usual form, and this lost the match and championship for his club. On the second head, with Ponsonby lying two and a very easy draw open, Kirker came narrow and firm, in fact playing the exact shot his opponent should have tried. It cost Ponsonby three points'. Later on with his side again lying two the Ponsonby skip again came narrow and gave his opponents four instead ; a difference of six in the score. Afterwards Kirker played up very well, but the damage had been done. The game was watched throughout by a very large crowd, the excitement becoming intense as the result wasi seen to be so close.

Lockie’s last shot, which won the match and Championship for Wellington, was a magnificent effort under conditions which would have tried a less seasoned bowler. There was a great outburst of cheering from friends and foes alike when, with his opponents lying two and the game apparently lost, Lockie’s bowl just came up and rested the shot bowl. It was a fitting termination to a keenly fought game.

C. B. Osmond, of the Ponsonby Club, won the Singles), beating T. Ballinger, of Wellington, in the final by 17 to 15, after a very keen struggle.

The Carlton Club rather easily annexed the prizes for the highest aggregate score compiled at the tournament, their total being 595. Ponsonby followed with 570, and then came Palmerston North 569, Wellington 541, Auckland 538, Dimedin 525, Mount Eden 518, Victoria 514, the others being less than 500.

The “ smoker ” at the Federal Club Rooms was a very enjoyable function. All sorts of nice things were said about the way the tournament had been managed and the play showm. The championship banner was handed over to the Wellington Club amid enthusiastic cheering. There was a good attendance of bowlersi, who one and all seemed to rnjoy the concert.

The “ At Home ” given by Mr and Mrs Kirker on Saturday at “ Tara,” their pretty Ponsonby residence, was attended by a perfect host of bowlers, the grounds being simply crowded. Auckland won the bowling match (four rinks), beating the visitors by 104 to 86.

The semi-finals for the Citizens’ trophies were both very interesting, but most attention centred in the match between Wellington and Mt. Eden. The former steadily went away, and at the tenth head they led by 15 points to 3. Thanks chiefly to some magnificent play by H. W. Brookes, the Mt. Eden skip, the local club drew up, and with one head to go, wanted three to save the game. When lying two, the third man was short with one bowl, and played the other with the wrong bias, the result being that Wellington won the match by two points.