EVENT OF YEAR IN BOWLING WORLD

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 230, 17 December 1927, Page 16

EVENT OF YEAR IN BOWLING WORLD

GREAT ENTRIES RECEIVED FOR CENTRE TOURNAMENT If the weather holds fair, without exceedingly heavy continuous showers to stiffen play on the bowling greens, it is a safe prediction that the centre’s annual Christmas tournament will be one of the most brilliant events that we have seen for many a long day. The exceptionally dry spell for this particular season of the year has made the greens faster than has been experienced for quite three years. Indeed, players have positively revelled in the existing conditions, which, if continued, will provide ideal tournament surfaces for the centre’s first big open tournament of the 1927-28 season. NOTABLE ARRAY OF PLAYERS Section A Section A includes the following entrants:—Clarkson, Ball, Coutts, Truscott (Carlton); Bates, Deare, Kilgour, H. C. Clarke (Carlton); Lamb, Gratton, Wilkinson, de Launay (Epsom); Hunt. Williams, Wakerley, Jury (Rocky Nook); Nairn, Barry, Vugler, H. Gill (Mount Eden); Villa, Cowell, Trevor George, A. A. Kenny (Onehunga); Richardson, Stevenson, Gifford, Benson (Dominion Road); Fanch, Harkins, Best, A. Parsons (Ponsonby; Blackledge, Bentley, Lyon, J. Potter (Waitemata), Mincham, Dick. Liversidge, Whittle (Grey Lynn). There are quite a number of frontrank teams in this section. Truscott’s team won this event in 1922, 1925 and 1926, and present formidable opposition to the other teams in this division. H. C. Clarke’s team is an exceptionally strong one. Jury, although an old Dominion veteran champion, who has not been in finals for some time, has a team which includes Wakerley, who won this tournament in 1916 and 1917, and is always a factor to be reckoned with, especially as a number three. This combination is very strong. H. Gill’s team is also worthy of note, while Kenny is a good player, with Trevor George, the runner-up for the champion of champions last year, as No. 3, makes a fine team. pc Launay’s team is tried and proved.

being the winners of the last Easter tour- I nament. Benson is a front-rank player, ! who should also do well. That remarkable player. Parsons, although obviously out of form for some time, may find his : old standard in this tournament, while ! Whittle’s team, who were the winners of many excellent games in the past, also adds to this brilliant array. The section will be a good one to win. Section B Wright, Gould, Stevens. F. M. Ritchie (Carlton), Corsie, Cross, Bird, C. Mountain (Carlton): Harrison, Wheelans, Greening, W. Taylor (Epsom); Stone, : Farley, Roylance, Keatley (Rocky Nook); J. Kissling, Young, Garrard. S. Kissling (Remuera); Campbell, G. J. Macky, Moir • P. J. Scantlebury (Auckland); C. Hardley, Needham, I. Clarke, W. Bremner (West End): Taylor, Sanderson, Somervell. J. Wansbone (Avondale); Melville, Sullivan, Morgan, Efvey (Devonport); Barclay, Watson. Thompson, J. Turton (Huntly). This section looks easier than Section A. but it includes Scantlebury’s team, which was runner-up in this event last year, an exceptionally strong combination in Bremner’s team, and a real positive ! factor in Keatley's team, irrespective of young promising players such as Ritchie and Mountain, and a good team in Elvey’s, besides an unknown quantity in the visitors from Huntly. Section C Rowe, Wrightson, Laurenson, G. Hosking (Carlton): Sawyer, Ramsay, Dillicar, Gordon (Carlton); Dowding, McCowan, Butland, Boyne (Epsom); Sidler, Buckle, Pearce. L. Randell (Rocky Nook): Bowles, Wyatt, Burcher, L. Russell (Remuera); Lyall, K. Mackay, Craig, G. B. Osmond (Auckland); Andrews, Horsley, R A. Scott (West End): Burgess, Croft, Beaton, F. Dyson (Avondale): Luke, Walker, Thompson, J. Turton (Mount Albert); Crawshaw, Koefoeld, White, H. Wright (St. Heliers). This section again is strong. Hosking’s combination is brilliant and includes Laurenson as No. 3. Osmond has a good team, especially with such a reliable player as Craig. H. Wright also makes a great fight always. Section D Millar, Elliott, Tonkin, C. Warren (Carlton); Lewis, Kendall, Jones, E. Richmond (Epsom); Burton, Morrison] Blakev, Gossling (Epsom): B. Smith, Bourke, Jas. Smith, J. Trayes (Mount Eden): Tudehope, Kinderdine, Norton, Rev. Ryan (Remuera); Hardie Kiel, ! Muston, M. Walker (Auckland); —. Wise, Maher. J. F. Hosking (West End): Campbell. Westbrook, Toy, T. Mac-klow (Elierslie): Crosby, Munro. Keith, Armstrong (Pukekohe); McCathie, Lundon, Pearce, L. Lewis (Cambridge). Of course the outstanding team is

i Walker’s. W'ith Muston as No. 3, there ! is added strength. Rev. Ryan is a player j in this section, too, to be reckoned with, | while Armstrong is always about when a | good game is contested in his section; j and again an unknown quantity in the Cambridge team. Section E Britain, Gladding, W. Coltman, S. E. Lamb (Carlton); Gladding, Braithwaite, Mingins, H. B. Jenkins (Epsom); Mayhill, Aughton, Chambers, H. Turner (Rocky Nook); —. Elliott, Hull, H. Surman (Mount Eden); McMaster, Allen, j Livingstone, E. J. Gatland (Onehunga) ; Yeoman, Fisher, Denison, A. E. Layland (Dominion Road); Oates, Carbines, 4 Buchan, J. Dick (Ponsonby): Joll, Flyger, Plunkett (Elierslie); Andrews, Bradshaw, Edwards, H. Horspool (Edendale); Ogilvie, Morton, Sykes, H. Everett (Otahuhu). This section is certainly not so heavy. Warren always puts up an excellent contest. Lamb is good and has strong front rankers. Jenkins is a good player with a good team. Lay land should make a showing, and Otahuhu be somewhere in the contest. Layland with Denison is good. Dick will give a good account of himself. Section F Barter, Cottrell, Arey, Mantell (Carlton); Westwood, Reid, Hetherington, O. Bridges (Epsom); Kent, Loram, ClifEe, T A. Finch (Rocky Nook); Gribble, Joll, Baker, J. Findlay (Mount Eden); Keni nedy, Green, Schnackenberg, E. B. Wright (Onehunga); Clarke, Hawken, Roberts, B. Ramsay (Dominion Road): Conway, Crowe, Mclnness, J. Torran • (Ponsonby): Browne, Williamson, Blackwell, J. McPhail (Waitemata); Coulthard. Collins, Bennett, G. T. Boulton (Takapuna): Ridings, Long, Graham, T. Proctor (Remuera). Wright has a good team that has done excellent work from time to time. Findlay is also a good player. Torrance is a very hard player, while Procter when he is on his game is a real power, and Boulton, of the marine club, is worthy of note. NOTES AND COMMENTS By far the strongest section is the A Section. B is the next in order of strength. C presents some good teams to find the victor, while D has equal promise. Both E and F are worthy sections, which will try the best elements of the game. The greens are well selected, and if the Centre Executive upholds its reputation in management, the tournament should prove thoroughly enjoyable to the participants and provide a brilliant series of bowling contests for those en-

thusiasts who wish to follow from the bank. The final games •>,. be more than of passing interest, centre is making a point of ms upon all bowls being stamped wlUi 1925 stamp or subsequent stamps-