BOWLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 298, 24 December 1901, Page 2

BOWLING.

(Notes Bv “ Toucher.”) The teams to represent the Gisborne Giub at the Northern Bowling Association tournament, which opens in Wellington on January 20th, have been selected by Messrs Pmstord and Coleman, skips, and are as follows : Massey, McGowan, Ferris, and I’onsford (skip), and Batham, Wallace, Gaudin, and Coleman (skip). Whilst the combinations are not perhaps the strongest that the Club can furnish, it must be admitted that fivo or even six of the players are fully entitled to representative honors, and would be selected if the tournament were being played in Gisborne instead of in Wellington. The practice matches have gone against the representatives, but when the piayors settle down in their respective positions a different tale should be told. On Saturday Coleman’s team, with Jackson as a substitute instead of Wallace, met a representative Kaiti team, consisting of Witty, Willock, Dixon, and Bright (skip), t The suburban men were in excellent form, and got away with a long lead, having at one stage of the game 24 to their opponents’ 8. The reps, then rallied, and on the last head were within 4 of their opponents, the scores being 37 to 33. The absence of Wallace was a severe loss to Coleman's team, his drawing powers being much required. Bright played a great game, and fully deserved his victory. Ponsford’s team, which played a Whataupoko quartette on the adjoining rink, fared very badly, being beaten in a thirty head game by 38 to 18. The team that opposed Gisborne’s champion skip comprised Martin, Johnston, Ilookey, and Simson (skip). On paper the latter team does not look a strong quartette, and probably Ponsford held them a little too cheap. The score is hardly a fair criterion of the game, for on the twenty-first head, there was only seven points difference in the scores. Up to that point it was a ding-dong game, but after that the 11 reps ” had all the worst of it.

Sidebottom has been showing good form lately, and as a single player, takes a power of beating. He is at present on a trip to the Coastal townships. Hennessy is to be congratulated upon his success in the singles, and his victory over Hookey in the final was due to steady and consistent play. Albert Adair and Massey, as I anticipated, pulled off the junior pairs competition. In the two last matches they played, this pair had to concede eleven points to their opponents, but they proved equal to the occasion, and in the concluding game had a substantial margin of thirteen points. They have since challenged the winners of the senior pairs, Messrs Sidebottom and Ferris, and when the contest comes off it should prove an interesting match. A challenge match for a pair of bowls is to be played during the holidays between Hennessy, Dixon, Ilookev, and Simson (skipj, and Massey, Humphreys, Wallace, and Gaudin iskip). This also should prove an interesting match. Sidebottom and Ferris (skip) were the winners of the senior pairs, and proved an excellent combination. Ponsford has had very bad luck and his representative team haj-feen in, three practice garngg j n EUC . cession. The team that brougb t a p, out jjj 3 d °? vn£a| l. yesterday ~ comprised Martin, Witty, Dixon, and Simson.

During the holidays play will Do held on the new green, which is in fairly good order, and is sure to improve after it has been played on for a little time. It is proposed to hold a tournament on Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, and the day following. Three rounds are to be played each day, commencing at 10 a.tn., 1.45, and 4.10. The teams will be selected by the secretary and two members of the Committee, and after each game new rinks, will be selected, but the same combination must not play a second time together. The player having most wins at the conclusion of the tournament will be declared the winner. In order that the matches may be commenced punctual to time, members are requested to assemble at 9 o’clock, as tbe entries close at 9.30,