BOWLS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 7

BOWLS.

THE NEW ZEALAND TOURNAMENT. EXTRAORDINARY STATE OF THINGS,' : PLAYING BY CANDLELIGHT. ...CBT'TZ-LEaEArH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Chrlstchurch, January 22. • The bowling tournament was carried on last night oh the United Green on the North Park under conditions which, if not unique, were at least most unusual.' The evening was warm and very cloudy, and by eight o'clock it. was hardly possible to see a bowl five yards, away. Several; important semi-final games in the rinks and doubles tournaments were in'progress, but'the laws of the bowling ' tournament were inexorable, and the. players had to compete their games. In one game of the doubles tho players agreed' to; discontinue,/, and , finish - when tho day broke; but, before; they had left the green, the hand of authority descended upon them, and; the players wont sadly back to their' gamp."..':..."..- -.'.'■' In the rinks semi-final an exciting game was drawing to 3 close at the sixteenth head, says the ."Times." Handkerchiefs were' re- . quisitioned' and hold behind the' bowls to mark,their.positions. Then the players only asked, "Whero is tho jack?" but, as; the. game progressed, the darkness increased, and: even the handkerchiefs W-ere. useless. One: skip, placed his handkerchief behind a bowl, aud said, "Can you seo that?" ■ Out of, the gloom camo the reply, "No, I can't see you." Candles were brought on to the', green, and "the skips held the lights over the bowls, and tried to. give their men directions.: ; Then'a wind, sprang up, and the candles ; spluttered ' more. One player lit three'.matches to find his bowl. At the twentieth head a brilliant,mind suggested the use of a bicycle lamp. ' The game was an-exciting "one, but, played' in semi-dark-ness, it was['ludicrous. .When the players went to the mat they were invisible to the skips at the jack,- where lights were being -held; : It:, was: impossible -to. see 'the men play, but they, warned tho skips by calling out; "It's 'gone." : - ;'•■-■'.'-•■'"-; It Was quite novel: and interesting. Out of the blackness a voice would call,: "There it goes.". Eye3.would strain in the direction of ; the' player, and voices would, ask', "Where is it?" The, bicycle-lamp holders would scamperup the .green,, and, with .the faint' light, pick out the advancing bowl.: With the suddenness almost of the- entrance' of a demon king in a pantomime; the black ball would' revolve into view. V iFrom thelmat the game was even more peculiar.' Against a-black- background, lights flickered indistinctly,; arid then'a howl showed ..up.;.'The game was - one in which good fortune; played .the principal, role; .Every player; attempted to, play scientifically, but. the .scores were' .generally., the; result of good luck. -It, was quite a new experience, and even; old bowlers admitted that for once luck had entered into: bowling.; But \ though it was all entirely new, .novel;-'•■ and' interesting, none -of ! the v coin-; petitors expressed,. any - desire to' finish; an-, other semi-final, in' darkness.. -\ ..':-' ■■■■;.

':;:. CHAMPIONSHIP EINES; FINAL; . ; i-pi :•/; ■•a\ splendid ''g^;'..-.^^-^.'- '.:' : >'V.",';'(BY rELEGßAPH—rßESS.association.) ;,'"" A;i:(v '■':■■'■ '''-. .'•;;■ Christchurch, January 22. :':ln. the''championship rinks final Caledonian ; (Foley/Bastings, 'Scott, and 22, beat Victoria "'(Hatch,. Guisei':; Redstone,; Baiy, s.), 21. ; The quality of :the play :in,the : event amrjly justified,:'/expectations.'. :. c The chances ot: Victoria securing the blub.ribband of the tournament were perhaps; more, fancied,' but, .on, the; other: hand,; the Caledonian, "supporters, - '.who had seen: Keast's play-'on the previous dayj pinned their faith IxKhim with confidence. ; At tho" elevearJi' head: the. score .was 16 to 7 in favour-of Caledonian, the play beinjg characterised by Eeast's magnificent/ drawing.- Entering'the twentieth .head,,, Bary was' .five/downy :'.a"nd /a;.-great contest :ensued/ .: In: the last. head ,Bary, had to score threo. to, draw-orifour, to Jwin.;'Both leads sent up.good bowls, and the -second man. for: Victoria left two shots. : Tho third men, Redstone "and Scott, .did 1 not.al-; ier) the head,"and. '; the: final /-shots: .by'.■'■the skips were awaited'with ; breathless interest by. tho"crowd-'of~s"pectators/; Bary tried to draw another-shot;' but his length was short.. Koast foUoired" and tried to get in his shot with'a'jfirm .draw. ;; bowl -missed by a fraction-of j an-'incn-and,;went to.the"back ; with' everything'depending on his. last shot; i'.ary ..tried aholjher..,draw.' Tho. bcwl came ,dj>wn -in-line style, -and, .in; the eyes of/'.the' 'spectators looked-Mike a scorer:"• A. gasp of '. relief from the Caledonians and a: sigh' of .disappointment'from..thoVictorians,went up 'as. u .the':'b'owl ; 'sailed;but:.of the danger zone.' ■.The /Caledonian/skip/', and his team received, ■the. heartiest.-; congratulations ; of the bo>id:.ers; while Bary-was. deservedly, complimentc-l ''onvthp/splbndid.fihal- which .his rink had ' v - ; '<: '•

Pliying.-joff- for third place, Clinton (Nolson, Hay/Rennie, arid Sheddon, skip), 26, beat Christchureh (Scmener, Seager, Dickson, M'Dougall, skip), 18. DOUBLES AND SINGLES SECTION' - ~ WINNERS. Salo and Bontly (Duncdin), 23, beat Mayor and Webb (Wellington), 6, Hamilton i>nd Porteous ("Wellington), 26, beat Maynard and M. S. Brown (Canterbury), 11. Final. Salo and Bentlj (Dunodm), 25, beat Hamilton and Portcous (Wellington), '6; Mayer and Webb (Wellington), 20, bolt Majnard and M. S. Brown (Canterbury), .7, for third place The following are the section dinners in tho singles —No I—J. Scott 17, Waddell T; No. 2—M'Lsren 25, Wales 18, No 3—M«Dougall 20, Crowley 17; No. 4—Fraser '.'M, Johnston 17; No. s—Bontly 19, Lowry 11; No. 6—H. Brown 16, Simpson 14, No. .— Hickey 19, J. Wilson 14, No. B—Goldstona 17, D. Smith 16, No. 9—Varcoo 20, Pollock 14Seoond round of section winners \ arcoo 19 beat Hickey 17, M'Larcn 19' beat 11. Brown 13.

'/BLINDFOLD CHAMPIONSHIP." ":'■"■?" \»x TEUsaaiFir—Pißss; asjoci/tios.) ■J^\'■'. :';!.;''• ■■?! Christchureh, January 22. ;! ;-A! couple of southern bowlers' amused themselves'.and. a' crowd 1 of spectators on: the Canterbury Green this morning by playing a Hblindfold championship." Each bowler was blindfolded, put in position on the mat, "arid "-invited .to .draw" the shots. .Some, of th'eir attempts ' wero ludicrous-in the -ex-, 'treriie!''"One" player found the. side ditch fairly'consistently -in the" first head,; while the other's bowls- roamed at largo over the green. In the second head both men _ put up .really good performances,; getting within 'quite a respectable scoring: distance .of' tho "elusive kitty. • The "championship'' went to Payne, with two points. -Campbell, whose last bowl had a leg too many,: filled second plttCO.".'.' '■' . ROSE MEMORIAL BADGES.. The Post and Telegraph challenge, for the Rose Memorial Badges was played out on the-'Thbrndon Green yesterday. Williamson and Dall' (W°"i n S* ;on won the first two games against Norton (Pahiatua). and Ramsay (Carterton). 'Tho, scores .were:— ;: -; First game.—Williamson and Dall v. Norton'; and Ramsay, 27 to. 13. ; ':!. Second game. —Williamson and -'. Dall v* Norton andßamsay,; 29 to 19.