BOWLING.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16415, 8 January 1919, Page 9

BOWLING.

(NOTES BY "SKIP.") Of lyte years progressive pairs tour- I namentsliave become very popular, and ihis was emphasised more than ever on January 2nd on the Canterbury green, when no fewer than sixty players took part in such a tournament. Nearly every club in the city was represented, no fewer rhan ten players coming from the Edgeware Club. The day Mas fine, and the only thing that disturbed the bowlers at all was a slight brreze. Both greens played well, being very fast. Honours, went to Finnegan (skip). Canterbury, and Minty (.lead'. St. Albans. Mr Robert Tait, the genial secretary of the club, was most assiduous in liis attention to visiting players, and a greatt deal qf the success of the tournament was due to him. The Canterbury Club has new reached the final stages of the champion rink games, and there is every possibilitv that final will be played on Saturday. The two competing rinks aro skipped respectively by Kirker and Benzie, and a real good tussle is expected. Each rink has lost one game—in fact, the first game they «phtyed. 'Ihe Beckenham C-lub has just completed its Champion Rink competition, and tho winner has turned up m wit, who put down a good and. tried player in T. McGallan. Bott. who is one of the young and coming players, deserves his win, and no doubt a good deal we will'be heard of him in the future. Like his opponent, ho is an old Sydenham player—in fact, he learned his bowls on the* Sydenham green. Two well-known Dunedin bowlers >' • Wyatt and E. Harraway passed through Christcliurch on* Saturday evening on their way to Auckland to take part in the tournament there. Harnvway has been most successful in tournament play, and his partner, wyatt, who is leading for him in the pairs, is recognised as one of the strongest members of the Dunedin Club. iSome discussion occurred on a local green the other day as to whether iu was possible or not to get four toucheis in succession. This actually happened in a pairs game recently, when Borland, of Canterbury, leading against Healey, of \» aimate, got all his bowls marked-. Three bowls were clustered on the jack, whilo the fourth was only aoout, eighteen inches away. Unfortunately, thev did not remain very long in. this position, as Chapman had a drive and scattered the lot. However, it shows that it is possible to get four touchers. Some unusual things so far a> bowling is concerned, happened at the tourmiment recently held in Masterton. In one game tho maximum number of points (eight) was scored twice. In another game, a rink only managed to notch two points, a second four, while scores over thirty were frequently registered. 'Hie Champion Itinks on the Linwood •green have created a great deal of interest, and last Saturday a very fine game was witnessed.when M. Kershaw" and Marriott played in the semi-final. On the twenty-first head the game 'was even, and in t!\c play-off Kershaw managed to 2 r 't the winning point. The final'has to be played between the winner and Healey, and the successful rink wijl represent tho club in tho Champion of Champions games. The "Watson Challenge Shield games, which were so popular last season, will be recommenced early next week. The last game of the season was won by Ashburton, and through a misunderstanding of the rules they retained the badges. Tho actual winners were Gagliardi's rink from Edgeware, who will now have to play the first challenging rink on the list. !No less than four rinks have gone from this city to take part at the Dominion tournament, which commences to-day at 'Auckland Christehurch Clul> will be represented by Sandston, United by "Woolf, Canterbury by Barlow,' and Lyttelton by Henderson." Besides these rink representatives, there are one or two pairs from other clubs. A new departure has taken place this year in the arrangement of play in the Dominion tournament. In former years tho tournament usually started'off with tho pairs or rinks, but this year the singles are to be the first consideration, then the pairs, and finally the rinks. Personally, I think the idea an excellent one, and hope to see it carried out at future tournaments. ' In glancing over the names of entrants there are many well-known players taking part in this year's tournament. Nearly every previous winner will be present, but it is hard' to say who will be the successful one this year. There are some very strong rinks, but it is not always the strongest and best that wins. Luck plays a big part in" nearly all games. Last Saturday an Ashburton rink visited Sumner green, and engaged a rink there. A most enjoyable and interesting game ensued, the seaside men being beaten by two points on the last hoad. , An inter-club game between Syden- j ham and Now Brighton took place on the New Brighton green on Saturday, when five rinks a-side were engaged. Somo very nice and interesting play took place, and the visitors were quite delighted with the reception they received at,the hands of their seaside friends. Discussing a projected new system of pennant play, an Australian writer makes some pertinent remarks upon a weakness he has discovered amongst bowlora. He says: Nothing that can bo altered endures in bowls. Footballers and cricketers remain satisfied for years with methods of competition, suggested by themselves, but no sooner do more experienced l and mellowed men, ' an bowlers are, build up than they want to drag their structures down again. Ran against a pair of philosophers at the pairs tournament (says "Measurer" in Dunedin "Star"). They did not win a solitary game, and wlieh a friend sympathised with them the answer was: "No, wo did not win a game, but we had as much fun as those who did.-and that was what we entered for." "Wliich no doubt was perfectly true. There is a story going round about a burglary to which, possibly, attaches a sinister purpose. It is said that one of Dunddin's "prominent players, after taking part in the recent pairs tournament, deposited his bowls, shoes, etc., in his home ready to take away on Monday morning to Invercargiil, where, doubtless, fresh honours awaited him. But on the Monday morning they were missing; somebody had got away with them, and taken nothing else. Could it have been n base Southlander. fearful | of the Dunedin player's prowess, who committed this outrage? Or could it have been some envious rival—but there, what is the use of speculating? SUMXER rtXB. The following club championship tjaraes bave b«n slaved durinsr the past, week:— Sitiglos—F. Barlow defeated J. Jllineworth ; W". .T. Kanvpton defeated J. S. XevillA; H. B.irlow d~fe»t<?d J. Illingwortb: F. Coobe.r defeated F. S. Marrie; F. Cooper defeated T. B. Boulton. ' Doubles- -J- S. Seville- and T. B. Boulton defeated F. CooDer and "V\. J. Hamnton : S. 1 Ea=t and T. Chambers defeated R. Pierry • n-d G. W. C. Smithson: Dr. Go. se t and R. Wallace F. Coorer and "W. .J. Hamilton- S. Ea«* and T. Chambers defeated F. Cooner and W. J. Hampton: H. Barlow and V. Barlow defeated T>. Bates and J. Illintj; ■rrorth : S. Efei and T. Chambers defeated Dr. ' Gosset and K. Wallace.