BOWLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 3

BOWLS.

THE JOHN DUTHIE CUP. WON Br THE WELLINGTON C'lXB. There wore prions doubts entertained at iniil-il;\y yesterday if the linul games for the Dul.hiu Cup would ho played ye-terday. The sky became <|iiUe overcast and big dr;>ps of rain promised a eonlinuaiion of the previous evening's weather conditions. Alter luncheon Hie sky cleared, and at '.Mill p.m. the Wellington and Wanganui villus commenced the play-elf, not under the most pleasant; auspice.-, as the green Has very dull uiviii<i to the previom. evening'-; d<i\vnirur and the northerly gale tore and corkscrewed across tin- Riven with such vehemence at limes that the fate of a bowl did not altogether depend on the player. The result was a win for Wellington by the narrow margin <f 1 points. The rinks were, a* follow:— Wanganui: Atkinson. Keesing, Dixon, Itoss (s.), i'S; Wellington: Wvlie, Yeitch, Bush. Ballinger (s.), 17. Wellington: J'riee, .Hamilton, Porlcnus. Moult (s.). 23; Waugnnui: Hogguril, Colling*, London. Uodwell (<.), \X In the K.-s-Baliingor gome, Wanganui went to the front from the outset, thanks to a great extent to the drawing powers of Dixon, whose buwls were alwavs valuably placed. On the thirteenth head Wanganui had notched 10 to Wellington's 7. After the afternoon tea adjournment, .Ballinger's men took heart of grace, ami with an occasional .-ingle and a three on the nineteenth and a four mi the twentieth head reduced Wanganui's lead to oil?. IS —17. On the final head Ballingor's rial: went to piece.-, onlv one of their bowls getting within a yard of the jack, whilst TCoesing and Dixon drew into fairly safe though an open enough position. When the skips went down Wangnnui was lying three or four. Ballinger failed to get among the counters with his first .shot, and l?oss'went just behind. With his last shot Ballinger was tio wide and .strong, and Itoss drew another shot, thus getting live out of the head. This made matters very exciting, for while Wanganui was six up in the one game, Wellington was seven un in the other en the eighteenth head. With one up on the aggregate the "bank'' then concentrated their interest in (he Moult- | l'odv.ell game, which had been going against the visitors. Moult played a tree, sporting game, and was iis-i-tod by an excellent rink. On the niuetrsnth head Moult gathered another two into the fold, lost one on the twentieth, and scored another brace on the final head, lciving Wollinglon tlio winners by t points on the aggregate. At the conclusion of the games thn rinlcs adjourned to the pavilion where the health of the Wanganui le:ims was proposed hv the president of the Wellington Club (Sir. A. Wylie). who said that though tlic-y had won it was only by a narrow majority, and very likely the Wellington winds had been helpful to II r. Moult, who had learned his bowls in Wanganui. The toast having been drunk with miisicil honours. .Mr. Keesing Toplied saying that the best team had uudcubtedly won. They had come to do their best, and had dono as much as they expected. When they played at Wansanui next year they vroiild give them a good game and a good time, and perhaps then they would retain the Cup. (Applause.) ILVTAITAI CLUB. The following will represent Hataitai in a four-rink friendly match to-morrow, Salimhy, 9th instint:— At .lohasonvil'.e—Williems, Xicol, Kinniburgh, Griffiths (s'.); lioberts, Smith, l'cnney. Horner 's.). At Hataitai—.Tones, Galrin, Graiir, Pryor (s.); Ballinger, Cooper, Mitchell, Laurenson (s.). » A match is to be lilayed to-dav at 2 p.m. on the Wellington Bowling' Club green between the two visiting Duthio Cup teams from Wanganui, and two teams of Wellington bowlers, ex residents of Waii'.'anui. The latter will bo retiresonted by Me:-:sr«. Georgetti. Salek. Harrison, Armstrong, Miller, Bush, Brown, and Moult. Wairarapa Match.—The Wairarapa v. Wellington match, which was postponed from December to March, has been abandoned a- only one club (Hull) lias sent in an entry. Senior Pennants.—The.tio for A section between Hut' and Te Hiwi will be played oft on Saturday.