CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 346, 29 January 1937, Page 2

CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLS

TARANAKI TOURNAMENT. Stratford Still Has Chance In Rinks Section. (By “Jack".) In perfect weather this week, good progress has been made with the Taranaki Bowling Centre tournament at New Plymouth and the many keen contests have kept interest thoroughly alive. Some of the rinks that won very few games gave unbeaten combinations stern tussles that were still in doubt when the last head was played. Stratford Hope. Stratford’s only hope for the rinks championship honour is Dickinson, who has proved time and again the downfall of the best, and may do so again. He is not in a good position, having lost tho first game of the post-section rounds, but bis experience of tournament play and his will to win, combined with a great knowledge of the game, may yet prevail. On the second day, against Adam, he early ran into a head that was too much for his opponent to reduce by more than one, although he fought tenaciously over the later stages. It was essential for him to win on that and on the following occasions to make the grade, but undeterred by the importance of the results, he well proved his right to be among the chosen nine.

Williams Unlucky. Williams (Stratford) ran close to qualifying after several ups and downs, clean-cut wins being broken by losses and close margins. In the second to last round, with both games to be won, he was eliminated by the West End stalwart, Douglass, by the narrow margin of 21 —19. In the seventh round Williams produced a brilliant run of 19 from the 7th to the 16th heads, and made the grade too stiff for Sinclair. After this enocuraging victory he quickly ran into the lead against Douglass until on the ninth head he had scored 14 to his opponents', 3. Fortune Changes. It was then that Douglass began to fight back strongly, starting with a 5 and evening with a 3 at the 16th head, on which the tally was 16 all. Williams added a single, only to allow Douglas to answer with a 3 and a single, that made the position difficult for the Stratford man. On the 20th head Williams added two, but in vain, for on the last head Douglass was 1 ug, leaving the final shore 21— 19 and eliminating Williams’ chances. Harris was unfortunate that on the final day he should meet both Lobb and Boulton at their best. Lobb was far too strong, but Boulton by no means had a runaway victory. Weston was unlucky in not having a win, especially in the 7th round, when he played Julian. Catholic Tennis. (By “Forehand”). On Sunday the third round match of the 'lnter-Catholic club tennis (competition, between Stratford and Hawera was played, Hawera winning easily by 19 sets to five. • • • While Hawera were always superior it was apparent that the Stratford » players were suffering more from lack of practice than inability to reach the standard set by their opponents. In many of the singles matches Stratford players were interm7ttently superior to the opponents but, with one or two exceptions. they lacked the consistency which tells in lawn tennis. Coordination was lacking in the Stratford doubles teams, especially in the women’s matches.

Of all the players Cahill seems to show most promise of being able to train into a regular match winning vein. D. Mowatt, an exception to the general rule of inconsistency, lacks only sting and devil in his play. His ambidkbetrouness enabling him to use two forehands proved very disconcerting to his opponent and enabled him to win fairly easily. Father Cavanagh, the only other man to win his single, was well up to his previous form. In both singles and doubles Stratford women displayed marked inability to control the ball on the backhand and little inclination to leave the base-line for the net. Most of them would play 50 per cent, better tennis if they could learn that even more than the forehand the backhand demands a sideways stance. Particularly such players as Miss Sheehan would become Tfifinitely more dangerous if they would give more attention to acquiring more correct methods of stroke production. • • • Stratford A team go to Manaia on the seventh and it is understood that a B match, Stratford v. Hawera will be played on the same day.