NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 5, 7 January 1901, Page 3

NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL TOURNAMENT. The chief subject of conversation and interest in Gisborne this week will be the bowling tournament of the Northern Bowling Association, which opens on the Gisborne green at nine o’clock this morning The Northern competitors, arrived by the Waihora on Saturday afternoon, and the Southerners by the Zealandia yesterday, all bent on having a good week’s play. They were formally welcomed by the committee, consisting of Messrs Bright (President), Pettie (Vice-President), Hennessy, Ferris, J. W. Witty, McGowan, Matthewson (Vice-President of Association), and Dixon, local Secretary, and afterwards proceeded to various hotels and places of abode during their Btay in Gisborne. Mr Mentiplay, the Secretary of the Association, arrived from Wellington yesterday, and immediately got to work in arranging for the order in which the matches will be played. There does not appear outside of the bowling circle, to be that amount of interest on the part of the public in tho tournament that one would have expected to see. The reason of this is pel haps that the residents of Gisborne have not yet fully realised the compliment paid to tho district, in being selected as one of the towns in the North Island where the tournament shall be held, and they will no doubt awake to the importance of the gathering this morning. The committee have spared no pains to make tho grounds as attractive as possible, and every attention has also been paid to the two greens, which should be found in excellent order.

The following are the names of the players taking part in the tournament: — Auckland: King, Gilmore, Gorrie, Towsey skip. Newmarket: Laurie, Jlaselden, Brookes, Kiigour skip. Wellington: Cuff, Bell, Mentipiay, Ballinger skip. Mount Eden: Garland, Hudson, Hooper, Ross skip. Victoria (Wellington): Avery, McGowan, Gooder, Heaston skip. Ponsonby; Stewart, Stitchbury, Coutts, Brown skip. Mastcrton: Dupre, Harrison, Whitaker, Elliott.

Whataupoko: Sidobottom, Hookey, Simson, Ferris skip. Palmerston North: Cottle, Russell, Lissaman, Nash skip. Kaiti: Pettie, Bright, Dixon, Witty skip. Napier : Swan, Bristy, J. P. Smith, Evans, skip. Gisborne: McGowan, Humphreys, Coleman, Ponsford skip. Bluff Hill: Nowton, Carson, Kennedy, Crowley skip, Hastings: Maddern, Holt, Beatson, Boatson skip.

Tho drawing for to-day’s play resulted as follows:

first bound 9 a.m. Newmarket v. Auckland, rink 1 Wellington v. Mount Eden, rink 2 Victoria v. Ponsonby, rink 3 Mastcrton v. AVhataupoko, rink 4 Palmerston North v. Kaiti, rink 5 Napier v. Gisborno, rink 6 Bluff Hill v. Hastings, rink 7 SECOND BOUND 12.30 p.m. Mount Eden v. Auckland, rink 7 Newmarket v. Ponsonby, rink 6 Wellington v. Whataupoko, rink 5 Victoria v. Kaiti, rink 4 _ Masterton v. Gisborne, rink 3 Palmerston North v. Hastings, rink 2 Napier v. Bluff Hill, rink I

TIIIBD BOUND, 4 p.m. Ponsonby v. Auckland, rink 2 Mount Eden v. Whataupoko, rink 3 Newmarket v. Kaiti, rink 4 Wellington v. Gisborne, rink 1 Victoria v. Hastings, rink 6 Masterton v. Bluff Hill, rink 7 Palmerston North v. Napier, rink 5 A Committee meeting will be held at 8.30 this morning in tho pavilion. Play commences at 9 a.m., and all members are reminddd that punctuality will be observed.

[Notes by “Toucher.”] The order of play for the first three rounds was settled yesterday, and by strange chance two old rivals, Auckland and Newmarket, are pitted against each other. Last year(s champions are noted for the immense amount of dash that they infuse in their play, and this should bo a typical game. Newmarket are slightly favorites for this round. Wellington against Mount Edon should bo an easy victory for tho premier club of the Empire City, with the redoubtable Ballinger as its skip. With a somewhat similar coincidence of tho first game mentioned, Gisborne has to meet its old antagonist, Napier, and I anticipate a very close game, although the Napier team is hardly as strong as I should have expected them to send. Victoria (Wellington) is drawn against Ponsonby, with Heaston and Brown as the respective skips. I expect to see Ponsonby win.

Whataupoko, for a young club, will have to meet a formidable opponent in Masterton, and the same remark applies to Kaiti and Palmerston North. In eaoh case the visitors appear to havo slightly the best of the deal.

Bluff Hill always give' a good account of themselves, and I expect to see them make the pace pretty hot for Hastings, but with a careful and reliable skip like Beatson they must not take any liberties. So much for the first round, which should be terminated by noon. In the second round Mount Eden meets Auckland, and a keen gamo should bo furnished. Ross, who is skipping the Mount Eden team, is a young player, and one who has come quickly to the front. He may catch the Aucklanders napping and gain a victory. Newmarket and Ponsonby are also two Auckland teams, and their chances of suecoss are fairly even, the balance, if any, being in favor of Newmarket. Brown no doubt will be on his mettle in this matoh, and will make the game a tough one. Wellington should make small mincemeat of Whataupoko, and the result is probably a question of points.

In the contest Victoria against Kaiti our local team should have a better chance, and if Witty succeeds in keeping his men well together they should win. Masterton and Gisborne come next, and here I think too our local team has a chance of scoring a win.

Palmerston North and Hastings follow, and my tip is in favor of the former, though the city of the; plains will probably make a big fight for it.

Napier meets Bluff Hill, and this should provide a very interesting game. Bluff Hill, with Crowley for it skip, is not to be despised, and I expect to see a ding-dong game with a olose finish. The seoond [round should conclude about three o’clock.

Boss, who skips Mount Eden team, will appear, as far as I know, in such a position for the first time. He has his spurs to win, but still if reports speak truly he should be found very troublesome. Hooper is a consistent all-round player, and Hudson and Garland have also proved themselves. Of the Victorian players I know very little, the club being a comparatively new one, and I do not like to hazard anything very definite about them, and shall wait to see them play.

Ponsonby is reported to be a fairly strong quartette, Brown skipping with Coutts,Stitchbury, and Stewart. They are all good average players,” and should not be very low down on the list at the conclusion of the tournament.

Reference has previously been made to the the local players, but in the Gisborne team one or two changes have been made. The exigencies of private business have deprived the club of several of its best members and materially affected Ponsford’s chance of coming out the winner, but even as it is I shall be much surprised if he is lower on the list than fourth or fifth.

Masterton is represented by Elliott as skip, an'd he is'said to be a first-class man, and his companions are also good, steady players.

Palmerston North is skipped by Nash, who

has an excellent record. He will get good work out of his men.

In the third series Ponsonby is pitted against Auckland, and as'by this time the men should be expected to have settled down to their work, the play should improve. I expect a dashing game, betting being slightly in favor of Ponsonby.

Whataupoko against Mount Eden should furnish our local team with a good opportunity of showing what they are made of. Wellington v. Gisborne should be one of the games of the day, for Ponsford has long expressed a keep desire to meet Ballinger. An accident deprived him of this pleasure last year, but Fates have favored him,'and there is now a chance for him to satiate his thirst. Great interest will no doubt be concentrated on this game, and the result watched for with eagerness. It is quite possible that the result of the championship may be practically decided on this game, unless Newmarket again comes to the front. Victoria v. Hastings should give another close game, and the same remark applies to Masterton and Bluff Hill and Palmerston North v. Napier. Ballinger, who skipped the Wellington team, is a strong skip from a strong club. He is a good tactician, and very sure on fast shots. He has three good men with him in Mentiplay (the popular secretary of the Association), Bell, and Cuff. Bell plays a steady and reliable game, and his play in Auckland last year was much admired. Kiigour, the Newmarket skip, is a dashing player and a keen enthusiast in the grand •game of bowls. Brookes, his number three, is well fitted for tho position, and will lose no points or opportunities. Haselden and Laurie are first-class bowlers in their respective positions. In fact, the team as a whole is a well-balanced one.

The Auckland team this year includes Gorrie, an enthusiastic bowler and one who has done more to forward the game perhaps, anyone in that city. The strong feature of play is his accurate drawing and his excellent generalship. Towsey, his number three, who, 1 understand, is to act as skip, comes with an excellent reputation, and is good in all departments of the game. He should make things pretty warm for last year’s champions in the match this morning. Gilmore is a steady player, and should render knightly service. King should make an excellent leader, and will lend vivacity to the game, which he always plays in the best spirit. He is, comparatively speaking, a young player, but he has compelled many an older one to take off his hat to him.

Evans, of Napier, is undoubtedly one of the skips of the tournament, and his play is always greatly admired. He draws well, is an excellent driver, and has a good knowledge of the game. He is associated with Smith and Bristy, two veterans, and Swan, a very promising player, and son of the many times elected Mayor of Napier. Swan is very versatile, can sing a good song, make a'good speech, is no mean player at billiards, and is bidding fair to crown all by being one of the champion four at this or some early meeting of the Bowling Association. Bluff Hill have always been respected since they sprang a surprise on the whole bowling community a few years ago by wresting the laurels of the tournament from many older clubs than their own. They are all good players, and there is a great deal to admire in the gentlemanly manner in which they play the game, and it is no slight compliment to say that on whatever green tho Bluff Hill team were playing in Auckland last year there were the ladies gathered together. The Hastings team is skipped by Beatson, who has upon many times proved his worth. Ho is associated with three strong players, and the team should beat more than beat them.