IN AT THE DEATH KNOCK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2360, 16 January 1915, Page 9

IN AT THE DEATH KNOCK

(By "Jack.")

E. J. HILL AND J. NASHi

The whole of the attention of the' bowling world of the' Dominion will be focussed on Auckland ■ this afternoon, when the rinks skipped by the popular E. J. Hill (To Hiwi-Wellington) and J. Nash (Palmerston North), will..play.the final game in the Dominion Bowling Assocation's second annual tournament. It is interesting to note that 'both of. the rinks left in the filial belong to the ■Wellington district, that both are well known and genial companions of . the green, who have played many a hardfought game before, both here and at Palmerston. It is also with a sigh that one repeats the ancient phrase "You never know at bowls,". when one contemplates- the, poor made by tast year's champion; rink,- of- .which • Wellington—-and particularly the Wellington Club—expected so much. You never can tell at bowls,' but it was anticipated that Grenfellj Erskine, Thompson, and Porteous (skip) would have notched a win or two more than they if.it was only to justify the halo ■heir 'club-mates had given them since (heir big win at Dunedin last, year, and the fine play.each man in the team had been- able to show since. Keen observers state that Porteous,: though, still playing a fine gamo, is scarcely so brilliant as he was last season, and that Udlle. Luck is a fickle damelet at the lest of times. The , non-success of Porteous has- been just as general a topic of conversation in local circles as the ascension of E., J. Hill to final honours. Wisacres tipped the final to be played between Maxwell -Walker (Ponsonby) and Porteous (Wellington), but no one mentioned -Hill, and never a word was heard of Nash..

"Teddy" Hill is always-. optimistio. There is no keener bowler in Wellington, and perhaps there are occasions when he allows his feelings to run away with him in his anxiety for his men to play well, and win the game, but' that is all temperament, and indeed is much to be preferred to the stolid indifference of some skips. He was optimistic when he left for Auckland. I met him when he was bustling round lookine for an office to insure himself against accident whilst away from "Wellington, and he said he had got the .best team ho had ever had .in a tournament, and hoped and expected to do well. . His rink consists of Baskiville (an assistant master of the Terrace School) as lead, Fowler, of; Pet-one, who played such a sound, steady game as No. 3 for Beyno n (Petone) in the Centre Tournament, and H. W. Frost, the dentist,-of tho Wellington" Club, as No. 3. All are pretty reliable players, and if Hill dees not. get over-excited, he has an excellent'chance of .winning the banner for Te Hiwi—the'little semi-private club •established by the Hill family in connection witlj the cosy green belonging to the veteran bowler' Mr. Chas. Hill, senr. - : . ■ ■ Nash, of Palmorston North, is a steady-nerved, reliable player, vhicli perhaps is of more value than brilr lianco in a final game, -and he and tis fink may be relied on to throw away no chances. In any case the Champion Banner (held for the past year by tho .Wellington Club) will return to tlio district.