BOWLS & BOWLERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1707, 26 March 1913, Page 4

BOWLS & BOWLERS.

♦ — i CARNIVAL PAIRS. " THE END OF THE SEMI-FINALS. The Carnival I'airs Tournanicnt was continued in bright breezy weather at the Wellington Club's green yesterday morning. The previous evening had seen tho completion of the section play, and one game of the first round of the senn-iinals. •i'lio whole of the players were accomnio(lulcd oil the lower green, which was playiii" verv well—a nice medium-paced green with just a shade drawing difference between the hands.

INTER-SECTION PLAY. I'lIiST HOUND. The results of the semi-final games were as follow:— Newtown— Brackenridgo (2) beat Karon —Uregg and Crawford, 21—1G.lohnsonville—I'etrie and Sloane beat Ivelbitrne—Jlanley and Gray, 20—21. Hataitai—Jones and Laurensou beat Karori—Sunley. and il'Lennun, 23—18. Victoria—lJemiiigway and 11-uy beat Wellington—Grenfell and Thompson, 22— ISNewtown—Duff and Sexton beat Ilutt —Yates and Trcvethiek,- 21—18. Kolburne—Marquis and Horner Ijeat To Hiwi—Colien and Slmllcrass, 20—18. Wellington—Miller and ICelly beat Kolbuiiie—Meadowcroft and Williamson, 21- 7. , ■ Wellington—Ballantyne, a bye.

One of the surprises of this round was the defeat of Gray (who skipped the Kelburnu champion of champions rink the other day) by Sloane, .of Johnsonville. The game was oven up to tho twelfth head, when Sloane had tho lt|ek to get in k Ave, which pulled him four points ahead of his opponent. Gray was never permitted to get his nose in front again, and Sloane won just by those Sjioints, tho score being 2G—2l. . Sleady and consistently accurate drawing gave Miller and Kelly (Wellington) their win over-Meadowcroft and Williamton. Miller led reliably right through. • Shallcraes (To Hiwi) led in liis gaino against Horner up till tho tenth head, after which there was a 1 great old battle right to the last. On the twentieth head Shallcr.iss required three to tio, and got them after an exciting head. In the playolT, Horner scored a couplo of shots and lay the game. Another most exciting game ivns that between Thompson (Wellington) and Bary (Victoria). The scoro was 18 all on tho eighteenth -head, but'-in the next three heads fortune favoured Bury, who scored one on tho nineteenth, two on the twentieth, and a single on tho last head. Steadiness characterised the play of Duff and Sexton (Newtown) against Yates and Trerethick, and a good ■!, on tho fiighteenth head, made tho game fairly safe. Trevethick played reliably throughout. .

SECOND HOUND. ' ■ Victoria— Hemingway and Bury beat Ivelburne—Marquis anil Horner,' 26—25. Newtown—lirackenridge (2) beat Wellington— Geddis anil Ballantyne, 25—12. Johnsonvillc—Petrie and Sloano boat Newtown—Duff and Sexton, 29—8. " Hataitai—.Tones and Laurenson beat Wellington—Miller and ICclly, 21—18.

In this round Sloano (Jolinsonvill?) inaiio.no raco of it with Sexton (Newtown). The Hitter feot in two singles on the first two heads, Which Sloane followed' up with a six and a four on the third anil fourth rounds. On the fifth head Sexton scored two, and then for six heads Sloano scored, no fewer than 11 points, nialcingi tJio ganii! on the tenth head 21—1. From 1/liat out Sexton could only get in another four points, whilst Sloano piled up another eight. Another runaway win was scored by the Brackehridge brothers bvor Gedilis and Ballantyne. A •! on tlio seventh head started the Brackenridges, and from that out they , never looked back. Ballantyne was "off colour," and did not show'nearly the form which had characterised his excellent' play during the section play. Tho great game of the day was between 'Hemingway, and Bary (Victoria) and Martinis and Horner (Kelbtirne). ■ It was a ding-dong game right up till' tllo last bowl. Horner got away with the lead,' ami kept well ahead until the .sixteenth head, when Bary secured'seven shots, which put him three ahead. The next head yielded three sliots to lloryer, which brought the score level—23 all. Bary managed to get a single on the eighteenth, and Horner one each on tho nineteenth, and : twentieth heads. This left Bary to get 2 to win. When tho skips went down Horner was lying two, but Bary with his first bowl carried .the jack back to his partner's •bowls,'and lay 4 shots. With Ills second shot Horner drew a little wide/and Bary

got .well behind; With liis last Horner drew second shot, and Bary had to draw another shot to win. lie took the tack hand, and taking a beautiful green drew the winning shit, amidst applause. : SEMI-FINAL. ' ; Hataitai.—Jones and Laurenson beat Jolmsonville—l'etrio and Sloane, 30—11. Victoria.—Bary and Hemingway beat Newtown—the Brackenridgcs; 21—3.

Sloane (Jolmsonville) who played remarkably well, earlier in tho afternoon, went completely off in his game with Laurenson, who boiled from tho. outset, and by the tenth head had scored 20 to Sloaue's 3. Tho NJohiisonvillo pair only scored on three of tho remaining heads, whilst Laurenson, playing with a lot cf confidence, got all round tho jack on tho others, olio score being a 5. Sloane V reversal of form was a surprise, many having lipped him for a plneo in tho final. The Victoriu-Newlown game was certainly, tho finest tusslo of tho day. It did not look as if thero was going to be a closo finish, as on the sixth head Hemingway (who skipped) had scored 13 to Brakenridgo's 1. Then the Newtown boys began to scoro consistently, and by the fifteenth head had got within two of their opponents—2o—lß —notwithstanding a 4 scored by Victoria on the fourteenth head. Then began a struggle that was exciting to a degree. Hemmingway scored 2 each on the sevententh and eighteenth heads, and Brackenridgo a 3 and 4 on the nineteenth and twentieth heads, which gave Newtown a lead of one. 23—22. On the last head James Brackenridge (lead) drew three beautiful shots in a line with tho jack behind the third, whilst Hemingway's nearest bowl lay nearly 2ft. away behind the jack. Hemingway, first attempted to break up the head, but failing in this drew, whilst his opponent placed bowls well behind and in front in case of accidents. All seemed over when Hemingway was left with ono bowl to play, but wit.ji it he drew on to tho shot bowl, which kicked the jack over, to one of Bary's, which lay the shot. On the extra head Bary was successful in getting in two shots, which remained when the skip* weal: down. Brackenridge scattered a lot of liis own wood with his first howl; leaving Hemingway with ono. The Intler drew too wide, and Brackenridge. with liis second, came down and rested Bary out and lay tho shot. The position was not 'altered by tho next two shots, but with his Inst, bowl, Hemingway just managed to trail tho jack a little towards on© of Bary's bowls, and gained (he winning shot by about a -uarter of an inch amidst nreat excitement. It was a fine shot.- and Hemingway, who played a magnificent game, deserved all the congratulations that were showered on him, having pulled the game out of the fire on the two final heads by sheer accuracy in strength and judgment. THE FINAL. The final game between Jones and Laurenson. of Hataitai, and Barv and Hemingway will bo decided on the AVellington Club's green at 2.45 p.m. to-day.