BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 9

BOWLS

BELGIAN PAIRS TOURNEY

FINAL WON BY HEMINGWAY

The Easter "Belgian" Pairs Tournament of the Wellington Bowling Centre came to a conclusion on the Wellington Club's green yesterday. The green was in periect order, running keen and true, but at times the gusts of wind that swept fitfully across the playing aroa affected the course of a bowl. The semi-final games were commenced at about 9.45 a.m., and resulted in Cheeseman (substitute for Pilkington) and Barnes (Hataitai) defeating Dodds and Gray (Jielburn) by a very comfortable margin, whilst Tucker and Hemingway (Victoria) defeated Cohen and Benzie ('ie Hiwi) after a very well-contested game. Indeed, it could be said of this game that the issue was in doubt up till the time the last bowl was played.

HEMINGWAY V. BENZIE. Tucker and Hemingway (Victoria) defeated Cohen and Ifenzie (To Hiwi). 22—19. This game showed in a rather striking manner that the rink which scores sensationally at the opening of a game just as of tea as not fails later on. In this case Benzie had scored lo up till the eighth head to his opponent's two, and the wiseacres on tbo bank were predicting a runnaway win for the To Hiwi man, but those who know HemingWay are aware that ho is never, beaten until tho twenty-one 'heads are played. On the twelfth head Benzie had scored 17, but there lie stuck for five heads, during which time -Hemingway picked up eight points, tho last singlo giving him a lead of one. From that out tho game was a finely-fought one. On the eighteenth and nineteenth heads Benzie picked up singles, but on the twentieth Hemingway secured a tlireo, making tho score: Hemingway, 21; Benzie, 19. On the final head Tucker, who had been' leading splendidly for tho Victorian skip, was strong with all four bowls, whilst Cohen placed bis four handily round the jack, the nearest a yard way. Heming-.vay, who was playing with grim steadiness, drow the shot inside the Cohen ring with his first bowl; Benzie, with his first rested on one of Cohen's back ones without scoring. Then Hemingway drew another shot. Benzie drove with his next and took another of his partner's bowls out without altering the position. Hemingway put in a short-block with his third, and Benzie with his just touched the shot .bowl and trickled out of harm's way;—a fine shot. Hemingway drew in ligain with his last bowl, and almost succeeded in getting another counter, and Benzie went wido and ran through, leaving Hemingway still in possession of the shot and the game. . The play was of a high standard throughout and all four players did good work. BARNES V. GRAY; Cheeseman and Barnes (Hataitai) beat Dodds and Gray (Kelburn), 26—11. . This game did not arouse a great deal of interest after the first'half. The going was in favour of Barnes from tho qutset, and whilst Gray played many good shots ho was not so sure'in getting what he wanted as the Hataitai skip, with whom the luck also ran. On the ninth head Barnes had notched 14 to Gray's 3. Then the Kelbum pair looked like evening up the score. They got in a four on the tenth head, a three on the twelfth, and a single on the eleventh, when the 6core stood 15—11 iu favour of Barnes. For the next heads Gray failed to score, and Barnes ran out an easy winner by 15 points. Dodds led remarkably well for Gray until the last few heads, when his touch became less eutb, whilst Choeseman, lead for Barnes, was never far away.. Barnes himself was in admirable form, driving and drawing with confidence,and .accuracy. Gray is not the brilliant player he was two J'ears ago, but he plays without "nerves," and is always pre- J pared to take a chance.

HEMINGWAY WINS. The final game between tlie Victoria mm Hacauai Club's representatives was witnessed by between iiUO and 300 bowlors' yesterdiiy afternoon, who were rewarded with a most exciting finish to a rattling j-uod game. Victory eventually lay with Tucker and Hemingway (s.), of the Victoria Club, by one point cnly. Barrios (wlio plars bowls with the same zest and skill as he does chess) maintained a slight lead up till the eleventh head, when the score was eleven all. On that mark tlie Hataitai pair stood for six heads, until tho sixteenth head, which was a crisis in the game. Hemingway lay six siiots round the jack when Barnes had his last bowl to play. With that bowl he. managed to slip in between two of the enemy's counters and lie the shot—Hemingway, 17; Barnes, 12. On the next head Barnes got a couple; on the eighteenth, Hemingway notched a single, and Barnes measured in one on the nineteenth head. On the twentieth the "lie" was all against Barnes, but lie managed to draw two beautiful shots, which were undisturbed. AVich only one to tie and two to win, Barnes . with the "lie" against him went up on the last head. With his first bowl he drew the shot. Hemingway just failed to get up with three of liis bowls, and was strong with the other. This made the game a tie. On the play-off Tucker was lying one ill front when the skips went down, Chccseman having placed three of his bowls well at the back. Again Barnes drew applause by drawing the shot with Iris first bowl. Hemingway's first went a yard behind in a good position. Barnes's second bowl fell short in the forehand draw. Hemingway drove with his next and cut out Barnes's shot bowl and lay two; Barnes tried to draw the shot, but was • thin, and Hemingway, who was drawing with deadly accuracy, slipped in another counter on .the back hand, and lay. three. It looked all over, but Barnes drove with his last bowl, struck Tucker's front shot, which kicked the jack out of the rink —dead head.

.11l the final head Tucker, who played a steady drawing gamo throughout, was again lying tho shot when the skips wont down. With his first bowl Barnes lifted the shot off tho jack with a hard drive, and lay the shot.' Hemingway tried the same medicine with his first bowl, and missed everything. Barnes with his second bowl drew another shot a foot behind tho jack. That foot of space was Fatal, as with his next howl Hemingway dead drew into it and lay the shot. Barnes drove in desperation and took out his own second shot. Hemingway drew again and lay -handy. Barnes drove again and missed everything, leaving Hemingway the shot and game. The final scorn was: Tucker and Hemingway, 19; Clieeseman and Barnes, lis. At the conclusion of the tournament, Mr. E. J. Hill, chairman of t.he centre, congratulated tho winners and runnersup, and called for clioorn for them, which were heartily given. CANTERBURY RINK TOURNAMENT. (By Telegraph.—Pi'i'ss Association.) Chrfstchurch, April G. In the Canterbury Centre's Rink Tournament, Opawa. (Coldstone, a.), boat Sydenham (Chcgwin, s.), by 22 to 21. Tho game was very cxciting. for Sydenham obtained a load of 9—o and Opawa were, behind all the wav till they drew lovel on the last head but one and secured the verdict bv one point, in the last bead. Other finals will be decided on Saturday.