BOWLING.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1922, Page 3

BOWLING.

CONCLUSION OF TOURNAMENT. NEW PLYMOUTH WINS FINAL. The semi-final of the Taranaki open tournament, which was uncompleted last month, took place on the Fitzroy green on Saturday morning between Ma,son (Plhama) and Tilley (Wanganui) , the former winning at the 20th head by 26 to 17. The green was in perfect condition and the weather ideal. The standard of play was good, improving considerably as the game progressed, the last six heads especially being well worthy of best tournament form. The rinks were : Pihama: Pohl, Nielsen, Julian, Mason (s.). Wanganui: Heddltch, Crawford, London, Tilley (s.). Lambie, who played during tournament week, was unable to take part in Saturday’s games, owing to an accident met with several weeks ago. His place as second was taken by Nielsen. Tilley had the lead in the early stages, being 6—o at the fourth head, but at the next two heads Mason put on four and three respectively. Tilley again took the lead at the seventh head. Then Mason equalised and passed Tilley at the ninth head with the score 11—10, but the latter put on five At the tenth head, and at the thirteenth head Jbe score was 16—13 in favor of Tilley. The playeis by this time had got the strength of the green, and showed improved form, Pohl, the Pihama lead, being especially consistent and accurate. Mason's rink scored five at head 14, thus once more taking the lead, whilst the umpire had to be called in to adjudicate at the next, his decision being a draw. Another three was added by Mason at the seventeenth. Tilley, who had not scored for six heads, obtained a single at the eighteenth. The nineteenth head was virtually the decisive one, as Mason added three, and only exceptionally c ne play by Tilley could give him the lead. However, Mason got a single at the twentieth head, and put the issue beyond doubt, and play ceased with the score: Mason, 26; Tilley, IT. THE FINAL. WON BY NEW PLYMOUTH. Considerable interest was evinced in the final contest between Pihama and New Plymouth. As the latter had two lives an early start was made in the afternoon in case a second game had to be played, but this proved to be unnecessary, as the team skipped by A. K. Smart, after keenly-fought-out play at each head, secured a well-earned victory. It was thought that the good form displayed by the Pihama team in the. morning, when they defeated Wanganui, together with the advantage of having obtained the strength of the green, might probably give them the best of the first game at least in the afternoon. As frequently happens, however, in such cases, forecasts were not reliable, and the shield went to New Plymouth. The keenness of the contest is demonstrated by the smallness of the scoring. Pihama obtained three twos and one three, while New Plymouth notched but one couple, the rest cf the heads producing singles. At the eighth head the board showed six all, the twelfth nine all, and the sixteenth eleven all. New Plymouth scored at fourteen heads and Pihama at just half that number, so it may fairly be claimed that the better of the two sides won by merit. There was one burnt head and one dead head, the game throughout being almost wholly confined to drawing, the excellence of which on several occasions evoked great applause.

Pihama was represented by the same team as that which played Wanganui in the morning—Pohl Tito, Nielsen, Julian, Mason (s). The New Plymouth team was: McLeod, Cresswell, Griffen, A. K. Smart (s.).

Pohi won the toss, and gave the lead to McLeod, whose first delivery (on a very keen green, which had beeh rolled during the luncheon adjournment) was overstrong. Pohl’s first touched kitty, but McLeod displaced, the rest of the play failing to alter matters, though Mason nearly succeeded. Smart, therefore, drew first blood with a single. In the next head Smart drew a beauty and got another single, most of the other wood, except Mason’s, being short. The third head went to Mason as a result of Julian’s good play, the leads having done well. Smart’s drive just failed. In the fourth head McLeod drew the shot with a beauty, Julian having hard luck In failing to displace. Both the skips played well, Smart just falling to increase the sqore. At the next head Nielsen drew well and Pihama scored another couple. Smart just failing to displace. This was followed by another couple, each skip moving up Pihama wood to score. This brought Plhama’s Score to six, which was equalised by New Plymouth obtaining a single at the two following heads, and regaining the lead at the next head by one point. At the tenth head the leads fell off in their play. Julian drew the shot, Griffen knocked in another and Julian again scored. Smart drove with both bowls, and managed to cut out one, but Mason drew one of the best shots of the match and got three up, giving him a lead of two. The next head was closely contested, McLeod leading well, and Smart managing by shaking up a bunch of wood to score a singi?, and getting level on the subsequent head, when the score was nine all. On the thirteenth head the leading was very indifferent, Smart securing a single with his second delivery. From then to the finish pi ay was taken very seriously. Mason scoring a single at the 14th. 15th and 17th heads, the last-named being the most sensational of the day. McLeod scored with both bowls, but Julian drew a beauty, which Smart displaced with his first and scored. Mason then drew the shot and Smart took it out, Mason, amid immense applause, securing the head with a perfect shot that

well deserved the appreciation it evoked. It was, however, his last time of scoring. New Plymouth getting a single at each of the remaining heads, though Mason more than once only just missed scoring by the smallest fraction. The game ended: New Plymouth, 16; Pihmaa, 12. At the conclusion of the contest Mr. J. B. Sole (president of the Taranaki Centre, in presenting the shlld to Mr. Smart, to be handed to the New Plymouth Club, congratulated both the winners and the runners-up on the very fine display given, and said that the winners had to secure fourteen games out of fifteen, and all would agree that New Plymouth had a meritorious victory. He ex- * pressed the regret that was felt at Pihama being deprived of Mr. Lambie’s services owing to injuries received in an accident, and complimented the team on having put up such a good fight. He also expressed appreciation of the sportsmanlike conduct of Mr. Tilley and the Wanganui team in coming up to play the semi-final. After handing over the shield and the trophies for Mason’s and Smart’s ; teams, hearty cheers were given for the three ! contestants and the ladies. In acknowledging Mr. Sole’s remarks, Mr. j Smart said he first met Mr. Mason in a com- ' petition in 1906, and they had been playing against one another ever since. He was glad to have won against such excellent sports. Messrs. Mason and Tilley also returned thanks. The proceedings terminated with an expression of appreciation by Mr. J. D. Sole of the efforts of the Fitzroy Club in preparing such an excellent green and thereby giving enjoyment to the visiting bowlers. PREVIOUS WINNERS. Since the tournament was made an open fixture the shield has been won three times by Hawera (1915-17-20), twice by Fitzroy (1918-21), twice by Pihama (1914-16), once by West End (1919), and twice by New Plymouth (1913-22). NORTH v. SOUTH TARANAKI. Nominations for this contest close thia evenSATURDAY’S MATCHES. FITZROY v. WEST END “A”. Fitzroy defeated West End "A” on the West End green by 144 to 82. In the details Fitzroy players are mentioned first: Gillespie, Munro, Buckle, Smith (s) 28 v. Dailey, Honeyfield, Douglass, Humphries (s) 11. White, Granger, Callaghan, Higgs (s) 26 v. Walsh, Casey, McAllum, Townsley (s) 16. Hair, Vickers, Williams, Bartlett (s) 25 V. Bennett, McAllum, Petty, Oliver (s) 23. Sole, Walker, Blundell, McNeill (s) 36 v. White, Sims, Morey, Johnson (s) 13. Edgeworth, Best, Irvine, Dingle (s.) 29 v. Reston, Dingle, H. Hill, Whillians (s) 19. Totals: Fitzroy, 144; West End “A", 82. NEW PLYMOUTH “A” v. FITZROY “B”. On a perfect green and under ideal weather conditions the above teams met at Fitzroy, the visitors being defeated by twenty-six points. Details of scores are as follow. New Plymouth being mentioned first at each rink: J. Avery, Mcllroy, Doull, Hill (s) 17 v. I Haughton, Bridgman, Okey, Jackson (s) 22. Binnie, Roebuck, C. Rundle, Luscombe v») 16 v. Pote, Cook, Avery, Bennett (s) 23. Carter, Jackson, Ward, S. Rundle (s) 28 v. Spiers, Klvell, Healy, Allan (s) 20. Cleaver, Arden, Drake, Fookes (s) 16 v. Harrison, Corney, Brooker, Price (s) 42. Hooker, Looney, F. Bellringer, H. Smart (s) 22 v. Goldsmith, West, Hammond, Jury (s) 21. Hoby, Abram, Jackson, Johnson (s) 25 v. Cannell, Schultz, Beadle, Rennell (s) 22. Total: New Plymouth, 124; Fitzroy, 160. VOGELTOWN v. WEST END “B”. The match between Vogeltown and West “B” teams was played on the Vogeltown green. The final scores were in favor of Vogeltown by the small margin of three points.