BOWLING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 107, 13 January 1912, Page 8

BOWLING.

NORTHERN ASSOCIATION'S TOURMENT. NEWTOWN WINS CHAMPIONSHIP, By Telegraph —Press Association. Wellington, Last ight. The Northern Bowling Association's tournament was continued to-day in fine weather. The greens were in good order, and fast play resulted. A 'large number of spectators attended the Wellington Club's green, where the semi final and final of the championship were played. In the former the following two teams met: —

Wellington.—Neilsen, Simm, Allen, and Still (skip). Ponsonby.—Casey, Gardner, Sneddon, and Walker (skip). A well contested game resulted in a win for Wellington by 18 to 17. The final took place in the afternoon, the banks round the green being thronged with spectators. Wylie's Newtown team, -which had been lucky enough to draw a bye in the semi-final, was opposed toy Still's Wellington four. Newtown men, lost the first head, but then got 1, 3 and 2, being 6 —l on the fourth head, where Still failed to get two out of Wylie's. At the fifth head, Wylie was lying a shot, but Still nearly ran it off with his Hast : bowl and annexed a useful three. At the next end Wylie failed. Still was lyj ing a, fine four, and everyone expected such a fine drive as the Newtown skip jto smash the head. Instead he 1 tried an I exceeding fine draw, but was too wide. Still netted four out of it, and went to I the front amidst cheering, the card reading B—6.8 —6. At the next head the Newtown team were lying four, when Still, with his last bowl, had a run at the

jack, and burnt the head. Then Wylie, with two against him, got a beauty dead on the shot howl, and secured a single. He got another in the following head, Still narrowly missing in his attempt to run it off. The ninth head was a disastrous one for the Wellington men. Wylie had a bowl on the: jack and the two were almost touching. Allen failed in his attempt to slip them, Pollock getting his behind. Still sent up a fast one to clear off the three lying shot, but instead took the jack and running his only back bowl and his own off the green. As a result, Wylie notched six, and the hopes of the Wellington supporters sank. Newtown got another on the eleventh head, 'but alter that Still put forth a gallant effort to make up lost ground. At the twelfth head all were very wide indeed, and it was the worst head of the match, but Still scored two out of it. At the next end Wylie had two fine shots lying, but a runner by 1 his opponent flicked the jack 'on to his. third bowl. Wylie made a fine try to lift it off, but failed. On the fourteenth head, Wylie's No. 2 had a good one on the jack, but Allen rested it out. Pollock came up and shifted the jack to Sitnm's bowl, and Wylie was unable to. improve matters. The next head Wylie was lying two, when Still drove, 'but took his third out, and three points went to Newtown's score. On the. seventeenth head the veteran Simms put up two splendid bowls, amid cries of "Well done, Willie," hut Pollock got in with a beauty. Still just failed 1 to run it off, but was close enough to rock the bowl. At the eighteenth head neither drew | dead to the jack, and no one could shift it, Wylie playing for .position, and Still; (unsuccessfully endeavoring to trail the ; jack for five. With the score at 21—15 ! against him, Still was now in a difficult position, but was playing a great game. The nineteenth was easily the best head of the game, all the bowls being grouped round the jack, Still drawing to within an inch of the 1 jack with his last. On the twentieth, he bagged two in a very wide head and wanted three to tie on the final head. Neilsen drew two good ones, but Warwick beat him with one dead on the jack. Simm was too strong with both, and Duff drew the second. Pollock then drew to the lack dead, but Allen ran the bowl out. Wylie played for position, and Still's one hope wis a burnt head. He struck a short one with his first and took out the lying shot with his second. Wylie was left with the shot, and throwing his last bowl scored a point and won the match by four. CONSOLATION MATCHES.

Four rounds of the consolation prize were played. In the semi-final, Prince (Newtown) 13 beat Mason (Pihama) 11 McGregor (Carlton) 13 beat Webb (Wellington) 10. The final will be played to-morrow between Prince and McGregor. The final will also be played between Walker s Ponsonby rink—Cagey, Gardner, Sneddon, and Walker (s) —and the winners of the Hemingway (Victoria) and Gordon (St. Johns) match in g Last Try competition.