BOWLING TOURNEY

Chronicle (Levin), 21 January 1949, Page 7

BOWLING TOURNEY

Fress Association)

Ninety-four Rinks Qualify In jChampionship

(Per

t , ti •• t a u vivjuain 1J} j.an. 4-u. • Njnety-f,our teains qiialifled- for postsection play in .the. rinks champibnship of the New Zealand Bowling Association 's atmual tournament after eight rounds of section play were completed today. .A total of. 412 teams competed. Po.st-section games s-tar.t tomorrow on the sudden death principle 011 the Carlton, Remuera and Balmoral greens. Two games of' 25 ends each will be plaved each day ajid the flnal should be reaclied' next Thes'day." A feature of tlie day was the nonqualifieation of tlie 'favoured skips S. Vella (Onehunga) and. A. R Hadwin (Hutt). Eacli had (ive wins and each was put out in vital games by the narrowest of margins. Hadwin was beateu ih the last game by 19 to 22 by A. F. Budd (Rotorua) and Vella was put out by W. Bremner whose Carlton team is considered tlie most powerful. in the tournament. Bremner started ivell against Vella and after tlie flrst few ends seemed certain to win by a big score. However, Vella railied his men and the game developed in a close and interesting fight which lasted until the flnal head. Bremner was decidedly lucky with tlie last bowl which wicked off a bowl very wide of the head and took out two of Vella 's bowls and leftBremner two sliots neither of which was loser than IS inclies to the jack. It j>vas a most unfortunate ending for N'ella and his team all of wliom had .played well enough to merit success. J. F. Benson, the only remaining twolifer in the pairs event, avus fortunate to gain a last round win over Fxelby's Frankton Junction four to scrape into the pOst-section play with the minimum requirement ot six wins. Benson 's pairs lead, Ganderton, who is playing uumber tliree in the riuks team, ivas not playing at all well and the skip himsplf WIS j also out of touch. Fxelby's front men more than held tlie opposition and oniy streaks of luck with vital shots gave Benson liis all important win.

C. L. A. Spearnian (Christchurch) qualifled in the flrst round today with his sixtli win and appeared almost unconcern'ed in tlie afternoon game, being beaten 18 — 36 by C. A. Hawortli (Wanganui Fast). Haworth was fortunate to flnd fcipearman so disinterested as he needed a win this afternoon to euable him to qualify. The defending cliampions, the OneIiunga four skipped by J. H. Mingins, suflered their secoud loss tliis morning at the haiuls of B. Lambess (Wham garei) but looked winners all the way against Moore (St. Heliers) in the afternoon game. One of the teams considered to have a good-ehahce of taking the fours title is that skipped by W. R. Fleming (Newtpwn) whicli.. is one of the ten teains which played through • section play unbeaten. J. A. Engebretsen (Heretaunga) and E. Burndred (Mangere) second round conqueror of Mingins, both came through 'section 20 unbeaten bnt of the two Engebretsen is more widely favoured because' of hi9 proven capacity to bring off d'aring shots at vital stages of games. The Mt. Eden team which won the recent Christmas fours tournament in buckland, skipped by H, Nuttall. had

bad luck in failing to qualify after being unbeaten at the end of the second

day. They lost botli Wednesday matches by 23 points to 24 and todav weje beaten 20 to 19 and 19 to 17. The only two-lifer remaining in the singles event, J. Pirret, junior, of Tuakau, finished well down the "list with: only four wins. The ehampion pair of last year's tournament, S. Garelja and M. A. Marinovich, of Oratia, were the strength of the four which ' qualiiied [ with seven uins after sliaping well from the beginning of the tournament. The three Crowley brothers, of Tolaga Bay, with V. Hurlstone playing number three, qualifled with six wins and have a t'hauce of regaining the championship they won in 1947. " Conditions today were perfect for play. There was brilliant sunshine with most of the greens hjard and fast but some, notably Mt. Eden, are ba- " ginning to show signs of hard use. The Carlton greens which have been spelled during tlie fours section play, are in perfect order for the beginning of postseetiou play tomorrow.