BOWLING CARNIVAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2980, 18 January 1917, Page 6

BOWLING CARNIVAL

LAST DAY'S PLAY

CHAMPION RINKS WON BY AUCKLAND CLUB

TURANGANUI WINS THE PAIRS

• Yesterday was the last day of what lias probably been, the finest bowling carnival ever held in the Dominion. Since last Monday week some hundreds of bowlers from all parts of New Zealand havo beon engaged in friendly rivalry on' tho 'smooth, swards of the Wellington greons, and are unanimous in saying that" the ; tournament has eclipsed all others, not only in point of tho record number of bowlers engaged, but in tho pleasure experienced. Rain only interfered with tho play on ono day; for the remainder of the period tho weather has been fine, though now and again a little blowy, and the greens hare been in pretty perfect order. The competitions conoluded yesterday on the Wellington Club's green with, the champion rinks and champion pairs, the former being won by the Auckland Club's representatives (skipped by Osmond) and tlio latter by Sawyer and Martin, of tho Turanganui (Gisborno) Club. In the case of tho Tinks (the blue ribbon of bowling) the game resolved itself into a- contest between the North and South Island, and, curiously enough, the colours of both clubs represented were red, white, and blue, which wa3 appropriate, in view of the fact, that the tournament was a patriotic one, and all money made'over and •above expenses is to be banded over to n patriotic fund—which one has yet to bo decided upon. \

FINAL RESULTS ' \ The following are the results of the final games played yesterday:— CHAMPION RINKS. THE SEMI-FINAL GAMES. 'Auckland v. Onehunga. Auckland—Ryrie, Coltman, Coltman, Osmond (s.), 24; Onehunga—Eanisay, i Court, Kenny, Schnauer (s.), 21. This was a battle royal. Both rinks had come through tho section play with e fine reputation. Osmond (Auckland) ;■ is a skilled tournament player of long ' standing, and is cool and accurate in a crisis, and had the. support of a good . solid rink. Schnauer's rink had won thirteen games on end, and his quality , was well established out of the mouths of those he had politely "outed." . He, personally was as deadly as ever on the draw and with, running 6hots, but his rink appeared to he stale, and did not come up to their section form. As the " result it was too often the case that , Schnauer had to draw the shot, and, 'being human, ho sometimes failed. The game was a hard plug throughout. The teams were 15 all at the sixteenth head, ''when Auckland got two ones, a four, arid a three, in succession, on the next ' three beads, thanks to Osmond's fine drawing, a run of luck—for Schnauer was thereabouts all the time-ended the game. Osmond's lead and number two • .played soundly, but his number three was not so accurate as usual. United v. New Plymouth. United—Woolf, Brown, Eraser, Spiller (s.), 22; New Plymouth—M'Leod, Fooker, Bary. Smart (s.), 10. This game was a runaway win for United, who played up' to their best form, whilst the New Plymouth men would have lost plenty of games had they played, so loosely. That remark does not apply, to Smart, whoso soundness and consistency,, as a bowler are just as steady virtues as his modesty and good-feeling. Spiller was in a winning vein, drew with easy confidence, and built his head shrewdly. The game was &-5 in favour of United on the v seventh head,\whea that team got-in a ' six two, and one on the next three head.l. This took the sap out of Smart's men, and the No. 3 had to miss the drives he was called upon to make now and again, to-dislodge United's good shots. The game finished 22—10.

AUCKLAND V. UNITED (FINAL). Auckland—Ryrie, Coltman, Coltman, Osmond (s.), 20; United—Woolf, Brown, Eraser, Spiller (s.), 18. ' This game was watched by about sou or GOO people, and the course of every howl was followed as though the fate of nations depended upon it. Osmond 'set the paco by getting five shots on the 6econd head, and repeating it on the fourth. This made the game * long, stern chase.for the United rink, hut they stuck, to their task like goqe howlers, and gradually wore down thenopponents' lead, and made a most exhiliarating and interesting finish. The play was of a high standard throughout. On the first head Spiller got two, after which Osmond clapped on twelve points by sheer good play, clever displacement, and good drawing. On the sixth anaseventh head Woolf, Fraser, and Spiller played good shots, and united cot a single and a three. Then, •with every nerve strained both teams put in every ounce, Spiller quite equalling the experienced Osmond in his com-, maud of the game. On the s.xteenth head Osmond was v l6 and Spiller only one less.' On the following head Osmond got a couple, hut the excellent draws of Fraser and Spiller on the eighteenth and nineteenth head gave Uniteds a' single and a two, which made the score 18 all. On the nineteenth head it was a measure between three bowls for shot when the skips went down. In trying to force one of his own bowls into the charmed circle on the forehand, Spiller chipped in an Auckland bowl, and took out one of his own howls, which gave Auckland "a pojit when the head was all played. When tho skips went down on the final head it was a measure between Fraser (United) and Coltraan's (Auckland) bowls for shot, both a yard and a half away. "With his first shot Osmond drew in about a yard from the kitty jack high. Spiller tried to improve, but went narrow. Osmond's second bowl finished two yards away behind. It nil rested now npon Spiller's last bowl. He played a good shot, biit ran on a little, leaving Osmond's .bowl, a counter and the frame. The finish' was the signal for cheers and applause, anil the_ camera men flocked on the green to snap tho champions before they left the green.

Banner presented. The tournament boing concluded, the president of the Dominion Bowling Association (Colonel Collins) took his stand upon the green. He said that before the curtain was rung down, on the tournament of 1917 ho wished to say a few words. It had been an unqualified success. Rink play, ho thought, should ho encouraged. Rink ploy was favoured in the north—the Bouth favouring pairs. (Voices: "Question!" "No!") It was so; lie know better. In' his opinion he thought it would Tie better to devote the first week to rinks and a subsequent week, to the pairs. Rink play had the advantage socially, and it ,mado for keener play, as a man with only two bowls play Icnew he had to get them jn if he wished to win. ("Hear,hear") The Association was much indebted to their able secretary, Mr. J. J. Roberts, who had carried out the programme without ' a hitch. (Applause.) They were also indebted to the ladies of the different clubs who had so cheerfully given their services; to the green umpires, the Press, the Wellington Centre, which ha<i formed the tournament committee mid had been 60 helpful to the council. Finally ho had'great pleasure in congratulating the Auckland rink'skipped by Mr. Osmond on their fine victory. (Applause.) He noticed that the colours of both rinks were red, white, and blue, .which was very appropriate, as the tournament was a. patriotic one. It had been a good game to witness. On behalf of the association he had. pleasure in banding to Mr. Osmond the banner of the association. ~ii Cheers were given for tho Auckland rink and the nimnors-up. Mr. Russell-Smith, vice-president of the association, also spoko. In connection with a bowling tournament there were two sides—tho playing and social sides.

He had found here that the game was somewhat of a gamble. (A voice: "Question!") Somo of the games had been played on. mountainous greens, whereall the breezes blow, and' where a rink won more by luck than good management. Mr. Osmond said that he appreciated the honour done him, and the efforts of the members of his team, who had so ably helped him to win the banner for tho Auckland Club—the oldest bowling club in Australasia. Their colours were the red, white, and blue; They had been victorious that day; he hoped they would be so this year in the great world's campaign. (Applause.) Mr. Spiller/on behalf of the United Club, heartily congratulated the winners, and also extended his congratulations to the management of the tournament and the ladies who had been so good to them on the various greens. ' Tho funotion concluded with cheers for the president. And again tho cameras clicked. '

CHAMPION PAIRS. Tho following were the concluding games in the champion pairs:— Stephens v. Wooller. Mayer and Stephens (Kelbiron) beat M'Cailum and Wooller (Keinucra), 17—

Stephens 'bolted from the jump, and did not allow Komuera to draw blood until he had scored 13 points (in eight heads). It all appeared to be ove*, when Wooller 'got in a two, one, four, three, and a one in succession, and brought the, scores up to 15—11. Stephens, however, got in two sweet shots on tho fifteenth head, and Wooller two on the last. Tnranganuii v. Kelburn (Semi-Final). Sawyer and Martin (Turanganui) beat Mayer and Stephens (Kelburn), 18—1 G. This match was pulled out of tho fireby Martin in great stylo. The game lay 13 all on the thirteenth head. Stephens got a two and a single on the next two heads, which left Martin three to tie or four to win on tho last head. The leads fell a bit short. Turanganui iaid one, and Stephens tipped another enemy bowl into the court. Then Martin cut out' Kelburn's third 6hot, and lay three, which Stephens failed to aiter. With his last bowl Martin drew behind the jackjust outside the court and the game. With tho scores even, another head had to be played. Kelburn lay a comfortable two when the skips went down. With his second bowl Martin smacked the jack into the ditch, and lay two shots with the toucher and a back bowl. Stephens then tried to carry his lead's toucher into the ditch, instead of drawing the shot, and, failing to do so, lost the game by two points. Many good players were of the opinion that Stephens should liave drawn, as there was a yard to do it in, and there was no telling where tho toucher would -have landed had ho hit it. Martin v. Ferguson (Final). Sawyer and Martin (Turanganui) beat Fairley and Ferguson (Te iliwi), 18—14. This game was won by the bc&t pair. Ferguson, wbo is a sterling player, was handicapped by an inexperienced lead, whose nerves were not strung up to championship play. Ho played with "compo." bowls, which call for delicate handling. Fairley, who is a youngplayer, ' occasionally got there, but as a rule he was outplayed by Sawyer, one of the veiy best of leads and an old hand at tournaments. Sawyer gave Martin a great deal of help, and "Joe" himself was "drawing like a plaster." The rinks were seven all on the ninth bead, but from halfway tho issue was never seriously in doubt, and ended 1 fill in favour of Martin, who scored on twelve out of the 21" heads. What consistently good doubles players Sawyer and Martin are can be judged from tho faot that they won tho cliampionship pairs at the Northern Bowling Association's tourney in 1911.