BOWLING TOURNAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 319, 21 January 1902, Page 3

BOWLING TOURNAMENT.

GISBORNE HAS A BYE, A DEFEAT AND A VICTORY.

HUMPHREYS AND WITTY IN THE SEMI-FINALS.

[Special to Times. | Wellington, last night. The bowling tournament, which opened this morning, is a record gathering of the kind for tho colony. There are between two andthreo hundred representatives, and ’ about the same number of followers. The weather was overcast, and, as is usual in Wellington, exceedingly windy. The Vice-President, Mr D. Nathan, opened the tournament on the AVellington green with an appropriate speech, in the course of which he expressed regret that the President, Mr Matthewson, of Gisborne, was not present. He stated that the secretary had received a letter from Mr Matthewson, in which the latter conveyed every good wish for a successful gathering, and regretted that Government business pre-

vented him from attending. There was a good sprinkling of Gisbornites, including Mr W. Pettie (president), Mr J. 0. Price, Mr G. Humphreys, and Mr W. J. Witty, the latter pair being engaged in doubles. The opening ceremony having concluded, tho Gisborno men took themselves off to Victoria green, whero they were to play that day. They wore fortunate in drawing tho byo in the first round, but the spell did not do them much good, as in their first match against Feilding they came to grief, but they more than made up for it in the afternoon by “ downing ” , Newmarket by two to ono. Nowmarkot

aro the present holders of tho banner, and tho victory of the local men was well received. In tho match against Feilding, Wnllaco, Batham, Gaudin, and Coloman defeated their opponents by 24 to 22, but Ponsford wont down before Hoyorell’s team by more than a dozen points. The feature of the Gisborno men’s play was the display of Coleman and his number three, both tho ono and two being very much below their form. In this match Ponsford’s team were very patchy, and played with too little confidence. The match against Newmarket was looked upon as a certainty for the “ Dydditers,” but Gisborne rose bravely to the occasion, and Coleman’s team fairly buried Kilgour’s rink, being twenty and their opponents’ throe on tho tenth head, at which time Ponsford was only four to Newmarket’s seven. On the seventh head the grand stand made by Coleman’s men against tho champions had a good effeot on Ponsford and his associates, and the latter steadily drawing up, were alongside of their opponents on the eleventh hoad, and ultimately won by 19 to 12. Coleman’s team finished with 26, and their opponents 11, and tho latter part of the game was remarkable for the brilliant drawing and driving of tho Gisborne men, there being three dead heads in succession between the twentieth and twenty-first head. Both Wallace and Batham played a much better game against Newmarket than they did against Feilding, the victory of this rink in the lattor match being en-

tirely due to tho praiseworthy efforts of Gaudin and Coleman,

In the Pair Match, Humphreys and Witty have been very successful, and are one of the four pairs in the semi-finals. Humphreys played a sound and consistent game, and it is greatly to be regretted that he is not assisting his club in the banner contests. Witty also showed good form. .In the first match, they had a majority of seven, in the second six, and in the third two points. To-morrow, Gisborne play three matches—Victoria, Wellington, and Auckland, and some interesting play is expeoted. The members of tho team are all well, and having a most enjoyable time. McGowan is rather anxious with regard to the loan poll, and fears thathis absence will probably causo the poll to be lost. It is probable that at the conclusion of the inter-club contest there will be a reorganisation of the teams, and that Massey, Coleman, Gaudin, and Ponsford (skip) will play for the Huddart-Parker Cup and Warehousemen’s trophies. Should this come to pass, Gisborne should render a good account of itself.