NOTES ON THE PLAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 7

NOTES ON THE PLAY.

As showing the remarkable difference in the score? on the- Wellington Club's green yesterday afUrnoou, when the green became as slippery os glass, a tiote was taken of fivu scores at 2.50 p.m. They read as follow:—2s— », 18—5, 17-11, 33-6, and li—7. Some of tho players attributed the bi? gaps in tho totals to having com-e- off greens which played a deal heuvicr. Others said it waa hard luck, and one even admitted that the score represented the quality of the play. Playing against Hollings (Mnsterton), Dall (Wellington) scored an eight on the sixth head. Nearly all Mnstertons bowls wore lying nrouiid or in front of the jack, and all Dall's were behind. So with th(! neatest shot in the world tho veteran skip trailed the jack back about three feet, and lay the possible. Wylie (Petonc) had a tough'battle with Beatfon (Hasting), only winning by one point on the last head. Webb, thn imin who was pleased but not proud to win the Wellington Centre's tournament, and who is one Of the Welliligton Club's moat consistently good skips, received a rough handling by Craig, of Gisborne, in tho first round yesterday morning. The Gisborno tour

played n rattling good game, nnd should bo heard of towards the finish. <'rnijr also levelled out J'ryor in tlio tecund round. Another Wellington skip of repute who wem cowii wltli a tlimi in Round I wus Miinro, of Thorndon, who had to lower his colours lo Gilshinu o( I'iit«a, au experienced tournament player. Walker, of Ponsonby, has a strong combination, and it would not bo .surprising to see him at tho top of his section. The warm weather and glassy green seemed to suit tho Aucklundcrs, and they managed lo score .some big wins. Pihama—always a. popular rink at tournaments —scored a good win owr Hemingway (Victoria) in the first round yesterday morning. There are. few shrewder skips in Wellington than llaSiOn. Powell, of Newtowu, was given his : gruel by Saywell, of Feilding, in tho second roun.l yesterday afternoon, lho Feilding team scored U to Powell's i>. Thero were -no bog pardons about that beating. King and Topp fought out a good finish in their game on Wellington green yesterday afternoon. They tied with 19 all : on the last head, but in tho play-off King's men got very intimate with the jack and finished up lying four, so that even ho who is Topp must bow before a King. Charlie Adair, of Gisborne, played No. 2 for Newton, of Bluff Hill, yesterday in place of Smith. Parkinson is skipping tho Hawera rink in place of Foy, who was unable to get to Wellington, One team competing in the tournament consists of a father and his Ihrco sons'— i tho Brackonridge family. They are all ' excellent players, and have some skill as tournament players. Yesterday afetrnoon, however, they met their Waterloo in • Land, of Hastings, who defeated the family by 22 to 11. So impossible was it to effect a win that the Brackenridge boys refused to play out the last head. The Wellington Club was particularly fortunate in yesterday's games. Among the skips of the parent club who went ■. through without a loss were Bnllinger, Bell, JJall, Churchward, Still, and Sievwright. Of the Newtown Club's skips engaged, Prince and Wylie secured three wins, and Lock and Parata, of the Te Hiwi contingent, secured major honours. .The acting-moteorologisfs "low pressure" and "blast from tho north" were much appreciated by the bowling fraternity yesterday. Under the influence of his prophecy, a few of the bowlers scanned the brilliant summer sky from time to time, inwardly dreading a recurrence of tho aqueous conditions which prevailed ; at Christmas-tide, because they had been assured in ii forecast of a very emphatic character that rain should fall l.eavily in the vicinity of Cook Strait. As it was, the weather was perfect. There were a few complaints about the heat at midday, but tho deffing of highly-coloured coate and fancy vests generally met those complaints. It was one of Wellington's prized days, .