THE BOWLING CARNIVAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1917, Page 8

THE BOWLING CARNIVAL.

TAKANAKI CENTRE J'OURNAMENT. THE CONCLUDING .DAY. The splendid weather which lias favored the tournament 011 the previous days was again in evidence yesterday, when the semi-finals and finals were ]■laved 011 the .New .Plymouth green in Mte presence of a large gathering of \ 'sitors. THE .SECTION TIE. SOLE DEFEATS WYLLIE. M'e.t End (Wood. Putt. ,T. T.obb, J I'. Pole, r..). ?!, v. Waitara (Foremrn Raltenburv, Kingman, AVyllie, s.). 111, M'aitara scored two at the first head, but Sole with Ihrce in the next, head took the lend .viih three ami maintained He lead throughout. At the twelfth head the scores ivere 17—li fli favor of Solo who increased his head to 24—10 at the nineteenth bend. Wvllie scored a two and a four iv the last' two beads

'. ill ST ROUND. FOY DEFEATS IT. SMART. Ifswcra (Pindkin. Hodge, Robertson. I'oy. s.), 24, t. New Plymouth ((.oldwater, Firth. Jackson, H. Smart, a.). 12. l'Vy started well lying five at the firsi head. The New Plymouth skip scored three in the next two heads. Foy however kept the lead and at (h'e twelfth head lay lo—(i. Smart evened up (he position somewhat and at the nineteenth head the board read Foy in. Smart 12. A iwo and a three to 11,. Hawera skip gave him the 1-v the substantial margin of 1:! poinU

SECOND ROUND. FOY DEFEATS BEAL. JTawera (Purlkin. Hods*. TV!..-; :.;n, Fc\ skip) 23, v. West End (01ivn| Johnson, ffiil, Beai skip) in. Jov opened by scoring three on the first two heads, Beat scoring a couple en the third head. On the sixth head ."Oy lay a to his opponent's 4. A 3 on the ninth head and 4 on the eleventh i i .'id were responsible for giving Boal -.10 lead on the- twelfth head by 12 0. Foy thc-n scored a 3, 4, and 3 in sue: cession, and again was in front lfi-12 n the fourteenth head. Beal then scored a s'ngle, a five and another single, and with four heads to go was in the lead 10-10. Foy, however, playing a fine f.in e, and being ablv backed"up by Ms 111.-11. scored at all of these heads,' and ■•an out ihe winner by 23 to 21, after a very interesting contest.

ABBOTT DEFEATS SOLE. fltzrov (Jurv. Dingle, Bennell, Abbott skip) M.' v. West End (Wood. r»tt, J. f.obb. J, D. .Sole, skip) 18. This game proved a most exciting contest, the issue being in doubt right up to the last ImM. Abbott scored a single cn the opening head, and tlven Sulci broke away with the lead, scoring !) on the next five heads Abbott scored at the nex't three beads, and at the ninl.li head the score lead Sole !l, Abbott 7. ji and a 2 alternately to each saw no alteration in t'ie positions at the thirteenth head, when the board read 14-1:!. Abbott seorecj at the next four heads ami obtained a lead of 3. which Sole reduced to 1 at the eighteenth head—--17-10 in favor of Abbott. Good play cn the nineteenth and twentieth heads save two singles to the. Fitzrov team. Sole was three in arrears when the final head commenced, and he made u brilliant attempt to even up the scores, only r.'.issing bv, the narrowest margin. Bis team was laying two, and with his last shot be drew ro as to lay against un opponent's ball for a third counter. His howl, however, turned over the wrong way and robbed him of the chance of a lie. Tha brilliant finish evoke,l re n.ds d ' " e.

THE FINAf. FOY WINS r , UK CU.x I'l". THE SHIELD GOES TO HAWEIV,. ABBOTT (FITZROY) PUNNfT.-uP. By the time the final ronte.it of the '•.ournarnent '.ommenced there \.\is a very lrrge attendance of spectators at tlss New Plymouth green, and it was ™.-i----di-nt the cro'\fd took the keenest Interest ii: the play, every delivery being closclv v. niched and Mi good pky applauded The competing teams were: — Hawera—ttudkin, Hod-.', W. IVj.'.tsoii, and Foy (s.'j. Fitzroy—tTury, Ren:: "11, r.ud Abbott (s). The competitors were evenly matched and the game provided plenty of excitement for the onlookers. Abbott, as Uiiial. was slow to get to v.'ork on the scoring board, the game being !)-2 in Fov's favor 011 the seventh head; hut tliL Fitzroy team then steadily crept up until at the e'eventh head the hoarn shewed fl all, and tlie thirteenth 'icad 11 all. Then Abbott forged ahead and kept in front till the 18th head, when he put in a disastrous drive which gave Foy a welcome five points, making the score 18-15 in Hawera's favor, an advantage winch was increased by a gain #f two on the r.c\l head. The position hi pan to look favorable "a- Foy, hut Aubott secured two 011 the twentieth luud, leaving ii'.in four to get for a win Nothing less than four was any good, so two heads were burned by Abbott in splendid stvß Then came the final head, and when Abbott went down Hawera was laying the shot, and only a successful drive u;uKl secure victory. Abbott nuulc that drive and lay 5 up.

Excitement was now :ntense, the issue of the contest depending entirely on the last bowl of the hut head. 'Amid a hush of tenso concentration Foy senl down his final delivery, which was wel' jmlgc'd both as to direction and hut had just suflicient strength to ,-i i through unless it touched one of !,! o ; bowls. Foy had the luck, for his bou\ made the touch, turned over, scored, I Milr won the match, the shield, ind, fie l-'iiii'ii.nnent by the luckiest =hot of the. ] day, the score being:

Fov -1, Abbott 17, l^otli teams were warmly cougratub,tCo on their excellent play', the runnersi:p being complimented oil (heir snlen<!i.l fight for the victory which almnst seemed in their grasp. The individual play of the members of both teams was well up to tournament form, and special commendation is i-uc to Abbott's lead (Jury!, whose cons stent pood play was remsrkanle, con sidering that this is his first year as a bowler. Rnniiell rendered yeoman ser ivce for the Fitzrov team, his deliveries as a rule being faultless. Robertson also played a great game for his side saving the situation several times. -hero was Ktle difl'orenee between Tfcdge ami Dingle, though the latter at times put in tome brilliant work. The : !;ips were w'll-matclied, but luck favored Hawera more than Fikroy, and l.( wlers take all the luck they can get. lie,Hi Foy and Abbott played well fl.ioughout the tournament, and in the fir.nl they ga''e a masterly t.'.if.bii.ioi) skill and judgmint. At the close of the tournament 'lie president of (he Taranaki Centre (Mr. W. A. Parkinson), after congratulating the winners and eulogising the good play of the rnnners-up, called on the Mayoress (Mrs. C IT. Burgess) to present the medals to the winners of both teams, and this was done anjid cheers for winners an:l lo:crs. The shield writ, then presented to Mr. Parkinson 011 behalf of the Hawera Club.

In returning I hanks, Air. Foy said lie lad not expected to enter a rhik for tin* tournament, but as an extra one v.'as needed ho got it together and v.-as tinted at his victory. Mr. Abbott said iie v.'oll Id have liked to have won, but Mould still k?ep going until he did. Three cheers v ere given for "Mr. Koei.iiek and his team for defeating f hp winners of the tournament, to which the recipient replied by stating (hat lie had played the game of his life. 7he closing ret of the fathering was singing the National Anthem and bv that time darkness was setting in. The tournament will be a pieplant memory to the bowlers of Taranaki who have had a mo;t enjoyable outing, and ;';e Central Executive is deserving of groat praise for tin, completeness of the ■in iiiigemcnts, while the secretary, Mr. 0 X. Firth, was unsurpassable in carryin;; out his arduous duties.

TESTING BOWL 3, Prior to t-he commencement) of the Parkinson announced that" Mr. A. K. Smart had been appointed as the official tester of bowls, and 'lie advised players to take advantage of the opportunity to have their bowls tested, as ft was necessary that this should be done,