CENTRE CHRISTMAS FOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 13

CENTRE CHRISTMAS FOURS

Up to Friday last, wher the finals were played, the competing rinks in the local centre's Christmas tourney had experienced a varied assortment of weather, with some' sunshine. On Friday, however, the tourney ended in glorious sunshine and.a calm atmosphere, and the large assembly of enthusiasts at the Wellington lower green watching the finals played spent a.very pleasant morning in the best summer weather Wellington has had this season and saw two interesting games. The final match between T. T. Skoglund (Wellington) and L. Goldfinch, of the same club, marked by varied play, was keenly contested in a very friendly spirit. The result was a personal triumph for T. T. Skoglund, who, by his accurate .driving, and drawing, retrieved the position, at critical times. He made a difference himself of more than fifteen shots in the gamfe, and won by 20-16. PhilSkoglurid's fast play -in the last end, when he put the kitty into the ditch-and lay in first place about a yard away, and then drew another counter on the green, was most timely, as it made success certain for his side, the positibhriot being altered by further play/ The runner-up skip had better general support; from his men, and they well deserved the praise which he.gave thern^when replying to the congratulatory remarks byMr. M. J. Casey, centre president.^ JJ. Smith; who led for. Skoglundf made a very creditable* entry into big bowls and stood the -continued strain■ >very well, particularly as this is:only his second season in the game. The experience he gained should stand him in good stead when playing for the same skip in the Dominion' tournament m : Auckland. D. Elias, the opposing lead, also a second-year player, was ; described by his skip as having: been^a tower .of strength. J. J. O'Gorman gave especially good help in. the game. Both O'Donnell and Goldfinch played very well. A combina-, tion mad« up at the last moment, they .acknowledged they., were agreeably surprised at getting into the finaf game. The. respective rinks were:--r I. Smith, -E..-E. Stqnebanks, Phil. Skoglund, T. T. Skoglund (s).;- D; Elias, J. J O'Gorman. J. H. O'Donnell, L. Goldfinch (s). The last occasions when the club won the competition were in 1922,. whenE. H. Fountain, was _ the rink skip, and in 1923, when J. Fairway's n'ink was successful. . The final game claimed most atten: tion- but the competition for. third, and fourth places was well worth^atching The Thorndon rink (L. M. Nayt lor) gained third position by beating W. Fielding (Hataitai) by 22-13. Naylor, who is probably the .best all-, round tournament skip in the Wellington Centre, was runner-up >ast year with the same combination (A. Brace, G. Springhalt, A. Cullen). As on thts occasion the rink had lost only one game out of the ten played, it looked as if Naylor would be again steering his men into'the final test, but they could not get going against Skoglund s rink in the semi-final. . Remarkably enough, the winning and runner-up rinks and W. Fielding's Hataitai rink,1 which got into fourth place, all came from B section, which was recognised as containing several strong combinations. J. R. Smith ,(Kelburn) and P. McWhannell (Hataitai), who reached the second post-sectional round, were also in B section. Fielding,- who played well, was the winning skip in 1924. His club has won the event nine times sirice its inauguration thirty years ago, viz., in 1924, 1926 to 1931 inclusive, and 1936-37 and 1937-38 seasons. H. L. Brighting was the winning skip four times. v

Of the sixteen players who were in the final games, six have entered for the Dominion tourney commencing next week, viz.. F. Smith and P. and T. T. Skoglund (Wellington) and C. Pinock, A. E. Wells. and,L. M. Naylor (Hataitai). , :

Mr. M. J. Casey, Centre President, wound up a very well conducted tournament, beset as it has been 'with/uncertain weather conditions, by thanking the clubs for providing the greens, the umpires for their unselfish service, the Press for valuable aid, and Mr. A. F. Spiller, Centre Secretary, for the excellent way in which he had carried out all the arrangements. The average bowler has little conception of' the amount of detail work which a centre or Dominion tourney calls for from the secretary.