BOWLING TROPHIES CHANGE HANDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 141, 5 September 1927, Page 13

BOWLING TROPHIES CHANGE HANDS

EDWIN STARS CONTEST EPSOM’S FIRST WIN The necessary provision for a reasonable test of the game -of bowls is a fast, true green. These conditions, with one or two isolated exceptions, have been denied the Auckland trundlers during the whole of the winter season. However, Saturday proved an exception to this rule. The day brought ideal bowling weather, and the Carlton green played fast and true, making ideal conditions for that fine test in bowling—the Edwin Stars competition.

The challengers on this occasion were from Epsom, and included C. Blakey, O. Blakey, T. R. George, A. Blanchard. C. Blakey, as lead, gave a very fine exhibition. "While the opposing lead played well, often drawing his shot within a few inches, C. Blakey could be relied upon to draw one closer

and it was a matter for admiration that he maintained this high standard throughout the game. On the 22 heads played, including one dead head, he scored successfully on no fewer than fourteen.

O. Blakey was equally reliable, easily beating his opponent, G. Deare, who has been prominent for his excellent play ever since Carlton annexed the Edwin Stars. T. R. George, as number three was a tower of strength to his team. His success in drawing to inches, when required, was a prominent feature of the match.

As his team supported him so well, A. Blanchard, as skip, had not a great deal to do. However, this player's skill in the running shot and the open draw is well known. The several times he was called upon to “come to light” met with an ever ready response. For the benefit of THE SUN readers the method of reading the progress of the Epsom team is, the pluses on the following card are read as minuses and the minuses as pluses.

No. No. Lead. 2. 3. Skip. Totals. *1 *1 —1 —2 0 2 *1 *3 —1 *1 .1 3 —1 —| —3 *1 2 3 Fookes burned this head —1 _i —l —1 2 -1 —1 —1 —1 —1 2 5 —1 —1 —1 *1 3 5 —1 *1 —1 —1 3 6 *1 *1 *3 —l. 3 7 —1 *1 *3 *1 4 7 —1 —1 —l—l 4 8 *1 *1 *2 *3 7 8 *1 *1 *3 —1 7 9 —1 *1 *2 —1 7 10 —1 —1 *1 *1 S 10 *1 *2 —2 —4 8 14 —1 —1 .—2 —2 8 16 —2 *1 *1 —1 0 1G *1 *1 *1 —3 0 10 *1 —1 —1 —3 0 22 —1 —1 —1 *1 10 22 * Indicates plus. The Carlton team —W. Bates, G. Deare, J. Kilgour, E. Fookes —did not play up to the usual standard that was evidenced in the eight previous games. Bates, although he played well, did not on the day display his usual ability. Deare, who was a great strength previously, had obviously a day off. Kilgour displayed his usual reliability. Fookes had some difficult positions to reconstruct, while was kept continually on the defensive by the opposing team. NOTES AND COMMENTS “The fifth man” was certainly with the Epsom team. On several occasions scores went in favour of the challengers that might easily have gone to the holders. This was particularly noticeable on the thirteenth head, when Carlton was lying a snug four, only to be robbed of them by Blanchard raking the kitty through the head and lying one up to Epsom, about thirteen inches from the ditch.

But even this element could not account for the big discrepancy between the final scores, 10-22. It must be frankly admitted that the Epsom team clearly outstripped the play of Carlton and that they justly earned on play their handsome victory.

Fookes, on third head, had no less than four second shots. In endeavouring to cut out the shot bowl he cleaned out the kitty and left his opponents one up. Toward the latter part of the game the Carlton team endeavoured to burn the heads to obtain opportunities to equal the score. In this they hopelessly failed. A TACTICAL ERROR Opinion might be expressed that Fookes’s defensive tactics were weak. With Blanchard’s ability in the running shot it would have been wiser to block the heads instead of playing position shots to save. Frequently Blanchard scored by simply playing right into the heads. If this opportunity was prevented Carlton might have been saved such a big deficit on the scoring board. Prominence is given to the fact that Mr. T. R. George, president of the Epsom Club, has the honour of being a member of the team that lias annexed the Edwin Stars for his club

The Carlton Club is to be congratulated on the splendid performance of eight successive wins that its team — Bates, Deare, Kilgour, Fookes—has maintained. The next contest in this competition will be against Irvine Clarke, of West End. If the West End team evidences the standard of play shown in the Denison Pins competition, the game should prove more than of passing interest. PRESS V. PRINTERS

The annual match between the Press and Printers will be played on Edsoih green next Saturday afternoon. If the weather is fine the match, which has been so much enjoyed in the past, should prove of equal interest. Those players who have not their names in yet are advised to communicate with Mr. Frank Burbush at the earliest possible date, and so avoid disappointment.