BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2406, 11 March 1915, Page 3

BOWLS

CHAMPION RINK CONTEST

RAIN INTERFERES WITH PLAY

Interest in bowls was maintained yesterday by itlie annual inter-club chain/pion nnk conteyt. In some cases the clubs had found their champion rinks by competition; in others, the teams were merely set up .by the match committees as the club's representatives. Tho weather was fine, but dull in the morning, and the lower green at the Wellington Club's grounds was in its usual faultless order. The first round was played without hitch in the morning, but the 6econd round game (which commenced at 1 p.m.), was interfered with by soft but persistent rain, which went a long way towards taking interest out of tho play. The rain commenced shortly before 3 p.m., and play was suspended . for an hour in the "hope that the rain would cease, but as it then showed no signs of clearing up, it was decided to finish the almost completed games, and with the aid of overcoats and umbrellas this wa3 done.

The Clubs' Representatives,

The rinks (15) taking part in tho contest were as follow:—

Wellington—Frost, Thompson, Magnus, Porleous (s.). ,

Thomdon—Staff, Johnson, Collin, Parata (s.). •

Newtown—Davis, Duff, Prince, Brackenridgo (s.).

Victoria—Martin, Jackson, Redstone, Hemingway (s.). Lyal Bay—Critcley, Morrah, Ashton, Fairway (s.).

Eastbourne—Pilcher, Thompson, Morris, H. W. Shortt (s.).

Hutt—Jones, Simpson, Hollard, Hendry (s.). Seatoun—Alexander, Bradley, M'Girr, Claston (s.).

Johnsouville—Morgan, Petri*, Tumor, Sloane (s.).

Karori—Fulton, Dryden, Burns, Eoberta (s.) Kelburn—Manley, M'Coll, Eoutley, Dall (s.>. Khandallah—Mansfield, Bourke, frollan, J. A, Plimmer (s,). Petone—M'Ewan, Coles, Bcynon, Ste-. phens (s.). Hataitai—Bailey, Mitchell, Barnes, Laurenson (s.). Te Hiwi—Baskirille, Wiggins, Cohan, E. J. Hill (s.). FIRST BOUND. : -To Hiwi beat Hutt, 29—9. Kolburn beat Eastbourne, 17—9. . Johnsonville beat Karori, 32—10. Thomdon beat Seatoun, 24—12. Lyali Bay beat Khandallah, 17— U. Hataiitai beat Wellington, 22—13. I Petone beat Newtown, 1 24—22 I, :.Victoria, a bye. SECOND HOUND. Hataitai beat Lyall Bay, 33—12. Kelburn beat Victoria, 22—13. Te Hiwi beat Thomdon, 22—12. Petone beat Johnsonville, 24—21. . Hataitai beat Lyall Bay, 33—12. DRAW FOR SEMI-FINAL. The semi-final game will be played ait the Wellington Club's green at 1.30 p.m. to-day. Hataitai v. Kelburn; Te Hiwi v. Petone. NOTES ON THE PLAY. Play commenced promptly at 9.30 in fine weather, and on a perfect green, and nothing to make excuses about. The two surprises of the first round were the defeat of Wellington's team of skips by Hataitai, skipped by Flem, Laurenson, and Johnsonville's victory over Karori. Wellington, made the/error of constituting a team of players who invariably skip, and are quite unused to playing anywhere..cither than No. 3 and skip, and the result was disastrous. Laureneon's play is always forcible, and ho was "on his game." The game was fairly even up to the fifteenth head, when the score stood 13—11 in favour of the suburbs rink. Now for five heads Wellington failed to score, whilst Hataitai scored nine" points.

Peton® and Newtown had a ding-dong go, as is quite the acoepted thing vrith these two clubs. On the twentieth hea<l Petone was 23 and Newtoivn one behind,, but despite Braekenridge's subtlety, Stephen* managed to measure one shot at the finish.

Johnsonville positively frisked the victory over a- strong riuk from Karori. They scored seven points before Karori showed colour, and then, because the latter managed Ito score a single, Sloane retaliated with a five, and so it went on throughout the game, Johnsonville winning by 20 points clear. Thomdon .had an easy win over Seatoun, but Khandallah's remissness in failing to score on the penultimate six heads gave Lyall Bay a three-point win. Kelburn's superiority . over Eastbourne was never in doubt after the first few heads.

In the second'round Dal (Kelburn) and a very well-disciplined rink made merry with Victoria. On the eighth head the score was 16—3 in favour, of Kelburn, who won by nine points. The well-soaked green was excuse enough for any one's defeat.

The contest between Sloane (Johnsonvile) and Stephens (Petone) was. a very interesting one. The result was m doubt until ■the last bowl was played. * The aggressive Laurenson (skipping for Hataitai) brought' off another big win against Lyall Bay. The result was 33— 12. Te Hiwi won fairly easily from Thomdon.

The following have been selected to play for Seatoun in a friendly match against-Johnsonville on Saturday—Away: M'Farlane, Webb, Beeston, Hill (s.); Fuller, Alexander, Wright, Bradley (s.). Home: Heath, Kircher, Magill, Green (s.); Bowie. Richards. Paul, M'Girr (s.).