Champion Inter=Club Matches.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 83, 1 February 1902, Page 14

Champion Inter=Club Matches.

excitement. The local team won by 42 to 40, and, of course, the issue hung m doubt till the very last bowl was played. McKcirow secured 3 in the last head, and finished up with 19 to Coleman's 20, of which. 20, five were obtained in the last head but one. Ponsford struck home for 6 on the 11th head and thereupon took the load from Longton, and held it up till the 19th head. Longton, however, captured the last three heads, and got in with. 23 to 20 — a very creditable performance. Palmerston beat Napier with 43 to 39. Mowlem made it warm work for Evans with 28 to 16, pulling up strong with 7 out of the la.st three heads. * * * In the eighth round Wellington beat Carterton by 53 to 35. It was all owing to McLean's rink, which paralysed Ramsay's to the extent of 38 to 13, scoring 5 and 4 on the last two heads. Ballinger's rink went down before Fisher's by 15 to 22. Wanganui polished off Mount Eden by 44 to 30. Nothing remarkable about the game, except a 6 got by Rodwell on the eighth head. Victoria did not find Ponsonby such soft stuff as they imagined. They won by 46 to 42, but Newell 's rink proved too good for Gooder's by 25 to 21, largely due to the 6 which they scored on the 19th head. Palmerston gave Auckland rather a sulhv time of it — 49 to 26. Mowlem v, as pretty lenient to Culpan — 25 to 18, but Drew played a quick and lively march for Tow&ey — 24 to 8. New Plymouth scored a win over Remuera by 47 to 35, Paul's link getting all the mai'or points. Wavorloy beat. Gisboine hi both rinks —41 to 27. Masterton gave Thorndon the soundest thrashing it received in the whole tournament— s4 to 20. Whittaker scored 13 before Longton made a start, and finished up with 30 to 8. The Thorndon representatives only scored in 4 heads. McKerrow made the decent total of 18 to Elliott's 24 by securing a divvy of 5 on the last head but one. New town took a back seat to Newmarket—3o to 37. Bary lost 4 points to Brookes, and Underwood lost the other 3 to Kilgour. Hastings, finished ahead of Bluff Hill in both miles — 53 to 33. It v> as Dr. Johnston who made such a close finish of the Napier-Feilding match. He got son the last head aoam^t Yates, and Napier won by only 41 to 39. * * * In tlie ninth round Thoindon found quit© enough excitement in the contest with Waverley just winning by 40 to 38. Longton ' beat McGarrery by 22 to 15. and McKerrow lost to Muir by 18 to 23. Victona's win against Mount Eden was due to Biackemidge, who scored 4 on the last head, making 18 to 16 Gooder put up 19 to Ross's 18.

Palmerston put through Nowtown for 47 to 34. Fred. JMowlem's total was 27 against Untlei wood's 19, and he rang the curtain down with 5 on the last head. Drew boat Bary by 5. Ponsonby beat Petone by 46 to 31, winning in both rinks New Plymouth beat Hastings by 42 to 38, Feildmg beat Bluff Hill by 53 to 33, Newmarket beat Masterton by 56 to 28 Gisborne beat Napier b- 47 to 28, Colemian gettin"" all the major points against Evans (30 to 11) , Wanganui smashed up Carterton bv 57 to 22, and Remuera beat Auckland bv 44 to 42. Towsey got 6 on the last head. * *■ * In the tenth lound Victoria sustained a defeat at the hands of Newton n—-50n — -50 to 36. Underwood put up 26 against Gooder's 19, and Price (who had 14 to Brackenridge's 5 in the. first 11 heads) got home 24 to 17. In Wellington's match against Palmerston (49 to 29), Mowlem beat Sample by 21 to 20, while Drew struck a regular snag in McLean — 8 to 29. Thorndon just squeezed through in the match against Bluff Hill— 34 to 33. McKerrow stood 17 to Crowley's 18, and Rose beat Kennedy by 17 to 15. Petone made a capital fight of it against Gisborne, only losing: by 35 to 39. Fraser tied •with Coleman, aftei the latter got son the 20th head. Austin was 4 behind Ponsford.

Auckland beat Hastings by 43 to 31, Napier beat New Plymouth by 39 to 31, Mount Eden beat Remuera by 44 to 40, Waverley beat Ponsonby by 42 to 34, Nowmarket beat Feilding by 44 to 31, Masterton beat Wanganui by 33 to 31, KUiott's rink being too good for Rodwell's by 6 points. * * ♦ In the 11th lound Thorndon registered a win against Mount Eden by 38 to 29. Rose, who scored 8 in the last four heads, put up 21 to Ross's 11, and McKerrow was one under Hooper. Victoria won the match against Newmarket in tiie last few heads. Gooder, with 5 on the last head, produced 26 to Brookes's 18, and Brackenridge, after scoring 4-2-2-1 on the last four heads, lust tied with Kilgour — 44 to 36. Wellington dressed down Newtown by 52 to 45. It was warm and willing work from start to finish. Sample beat Price by 27 to 26. Heavy scores on both sides Sample, two fives and a four , Price, one five and two fours. McLean secured 25 to Underwood's 19. Napier beat Bluff Hill by 44 to 38, Hastings beat Remuera by 38 to 28, Palmerston North routed Gisborne by 55 to 26 (Mowlem 29 to Ponsford's 8), Masterton beat Ponsonby by 42 to 34, Carte rton beat Waverley by 37 to 30, Wanganui beat Petone by 37 to 27, and New Plymouth unmercifully thrashed Auckland by 66 to 17. Hall banged Tow sev about for 39 to 6.

Brackenndge on. the last head, and Gooder got the winning point against Evans on the last head. Victoria thus won by 37 to 36. Wanganm beat Remueraby 39 to 38, Auckland beat Carterton 42 to 38, Newmarket beat Waverley 53 to 24, Mount Eden beat Gisborne 38 to 34, Palmerston beat Ponsonby 43 to 31, Hastings beat Masterton 62 to 21, Beatson and Haszard scoring 31 each. * * * In the 14th round Wellington won with both rinks against New Plvmouth — 45 to 33. BaJImger, with a six on the 10th head, and 3-5-2-3 from tho 15th to the 18th heads, scored 2b to Hall's 16, while McLean seemed 19 to Paul's 17. Newmarket proved victorious over Thorndon by 44 to 39. Rose, with a fine spurt of 5-2-2 on the last three heads, tied with Brookes at 20, while Kile;our, with 4 and 1 on the last two heads, beat Longton by 5 and iust pulled the matoh out of the fire. ( Gisborne beat Newtown by 45 to 40. C'oleman ran away from Underwood after getting; 5 on the 7th head, and came home 29 to 16 Price beat Ponsford bv 8. Victoria found no difficulty in putting Bluff Hi_ll down a peg. The score was 48 to 27, and the honours were evenly divided between the two rinks. Mount Eden beat by 37 to 20, WangaiHu beat Ponsonbv 44 to 39. Petone beat Remuera 32 to 23 (only 14 heads plaved) Napier beat Waverlev 51 to 31 Palmorston bent Carterton 45 to 30, Feildmor beat Hastings 38 to 36. (Continual d>) mine 17 )

In tlio 15th lound Thoindon smoto Auckland toi 42 to 37 C'ulpan tied with Longton at 18, alter scaling the Las>t 3 heads and Rose after securing the si\ heads horn the loth to '20th mclusne, came tlnough with 24 to 19 against Tow sen Wellington met then old acheisanes ot Newmaiket, and made, -to to Si. Sample beat Brookes b\ 8, and Me Lean tied with Kilgoui New town got lid oi Ponsonbv for 40 to 30. StJchbuiv beat Undeiwood bv 2 and Pi ice nicked 7 off New ell Palmeiston beat Fei.dmg (both links) 49 to 29, Mount Eden ga\ e Petone w hat ior in 1"> heads bv4(> to 17\\a\oilev beat Bluft Hill 27 to 23 New Ph mouth beat Gisboine 32 to 28, Carterton belt Mastcrton 12 to 3o Tn the 16th round New town met foemen woi thv of then .tool in the New Plymouth men, and lust snatched victoiy bv 41 to 38. Price scored 20 against Sam Rundle. and Waul bv scnims 7in the last tour lieads tied with Undeiwood. Wellington's match against Thoindon atti acted gieat attention After a Miinted struggle, Wellington won bv 41 to 31. Rose tied with Sample; at 1/ . and Mr-Lean obtained 24 against McKeriow 's 17 Victoria had to do then darndest m ouloi to beat Masttrton, and just did it — 3"> to 33 Elliott disposed of Goocler foi K) to 12, but Biackcmictee saved the match with 23 to Wluttahei's 17 Feilding beat Auckland by 52 to 29, Remuera beat Carterton o() to 30, Hastings beat'Petone .» to -„ Palmei^ton be i* Mount Eden ol to 31 Napier beat Xcwmarke^ 40 to 29 Gisboine beat Ponsonbv bv 48 to 13 Ponsfoid and Coleman making 24 each Wanganui beat Wa\ eilo-^ oo to 2(). ♦ * Tn the 17th lound Victoria's match against Thomdon secured the lion's shaic of popular interest It vas fairly even for the fiist halt, but after that Victona drew nehtanay. and won easih by M) to 24. Brackonndge scored from the loth head 4-3-4, a-.rl the after 1 to McKei row 6-1-1 makine his total 30 to 13. Goodei led London from the jump, and won by dU to if. Bluff Hill played a giea,t game against Pclmerston, only just losin- bv 41 to 42. Buntinp- won the match in the last three or four heads, -atting 22 to Crowley's 16, although Crow ley was drivine in first-cla^s stvle. Kennedy beat Mowlem by 2o to 20. He scored lo in the five heads from the Bth to the 12th inclusive. Wanganui beat New town bv 42 to 39. Price lost by 6 to Ross, and Undeiwood beat Moult 'by 3. Wellington won from Hastings — 39 to

30 Beatson scoied ( J beioie Sample stain d, and beat him b\ 23 11)1") _ McLean on the otliei hand «-cnied 1"> befoie Ilas/aid staited, and beat him b\ '24 to 7 Ponsonbv beat Caiteiton 35 to 22 toi ]"3 licads, Masterton beat Napiei 47 to 13 Ntuinaiket beat Petone 54 to 30, Biookes giving Johnston his quietus b\ 2(> to 7 , Feildmg beat Mount VAcn 42 to 37, New Plymouth beat Wa\erle\ 31 to 24. In the 18th and last, lound "Wellington beat Wanganui h\ 41 to 3,3 In 1() heads McLean compiled 20 1o Moult's 10 the 13th head piorlucing 7 alone. In 18 licads Balhnpei scoied 21 to Ross's 1(5, of which I<> Ross nobbled (j in the fifth head Thoindon beat New Pl\ mouth b\ 19 to 18 in an eleven-head match McKorio\v tied with Ward at 8, and Longton put- up 11 to Sam Rundlc's 10 Gisborne beat Masterton bv ~>7 to 31, Ponsfoicl winding up with () his scoie of 28 against Elliott's 20 Hount Kden beat "Hastings bv 31 to 18, Feildm- beat Ponsonbv bv 20 to 13 in a ten-head match, Caitorton beat Newmarket by 2d to lo in an eleven-head match. Brookes, strange to sa- only scoring 1 asamst Downard's 17. It was a case of dow n haid" all light. It was, however, the match between Victoria and Palmers ton which monopolised the popular interest in this lound. Both clubs had a lecoid of 13 wins and 3 losses, and this was the tug-of-wai between them. The same staitcd just about 0 o'clock, the gieen being hemmed m with spectatois both fitting and standing Bunting, in the absence of Drew, skipped the Palmeiston link which was, opposed to Goodei's and Fred. Mow lem faced Biackemidgc Palmeiston started piospeiously, Bunting scoiing o and Mowiem 2 in tlie hist head. But Viccona was soon after them Up till the end ot the Kith hfad Bunting had onlv got two moie points (singles) against Goodei's 10, while Brackenndge, beginning with a 2 and a '), had got abie<ist of Mow lem- — 12 all. After this, \ ictoiia lather more than held its advantage and when the deepening gloom made it expedient to adjourn at 8 o'clock, it was leading bv 11 points. Goodei, with onh two heads to go, had 22 to Bunting's 12, while Brackenndge, with four heads to go, had 17 to Mow lem's 16 The match was lcsumed on Monday evening, when Bunting scored 3 and 1 in the last tw o heads, winding up with lo to Gooder's22 In the other rink, Brackenndge drew blood for 3, and Palmerston iosponded with 4. Brackenndge scoied a <=m"-le each m the la^t two heads, making his total 22 to Mow lem's 20. Victoria thus won the match and the championship bv 44 to 3G. At o p.m. on Tue-sday, Wellington and PVmerst^n beo-an to play off for second place. The rain set in an houi later

hut 13 illingei ciiulDiew played on till the Inttei tud tin foimcr '-coring, '22 to Diew'sll 3Lc Lean and Moslem with tin s 010 at 22 toi tho foimei, and onh 8 mi tlio lattci, cried quits at the 11th head, and Wellington "thus took the second pi izo The aye;iegale losults (excluding the e-'vTi.i ma f ch to decide the tie) theiefoie v, ei( Victona, 14- wins and 3 losses Wellington and Palmerston, 13 wins and I la^se- Napici, Thoindon, and Newti)\\n 11 wins" and () losses, Feildmg, Gi^bjnie. Newmaiket, New Ph mouth, .i-ul Wanganui 10 wins and 7 Ic-ses 3list 1 1 ton 9 « in' and 8 losses Mount Kden. 8 wins and 9 losses, Auckland and Waveile\, 7 wins and 10 losses Hastings. 0 urns and 11 losses, Bluff Hill, Caiteiton, and Remuera, 5 wins ,\nc\ 12 lo&se*. Ponsonby, 4 wins and 13 lo^(s Petone. 1 win and lo losses.