BOWLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 January 1941, Page 9

BOWLING

NEW ZEALAND TOURNAMENT CLOSING STAGES. PAIRS & FOURS CHAMPIONSHIPS. ißy Telegraph—Press Association.’ CHRISTCHURCH. January 20. The New Zealand bowls tournament will conclude tomorrow, when the unbeaten Canterbury team led by P. Munn and New Brighton (Besley) will contest the final of the fours championship. Today New Brighton beat North End. Invercargill <Ure) and Canterbury beat Blenheim (Mitchell.’ which team earlier eliminated Hawera (Maslin). Blenheim wins third place and Hawera fourth.

in the pairs the finalists are canterbury (Williamson and Joseph) and Hawera (Maslin and Squire). The position in the fours is interesting in that L. W. Besley (New Brighton), a hitherto unknown skip, has by his own play hitherto taken his team into the finals. A member of a club where opportunity for hard competitive bawls is limited. Besley has shown himself capable not only of ranking anting the best players in New Zealand but also of being one of the best skips seen in action in these contests for a long time past. No matter how hopeless a shot may come up the green from one of his own men he never gets upset but plays each end as it lies. During those important pre-final games that have meant so much to his team he has remained steady all the way through, and in the critical stages has been able to give them the shot that counted.

Tomorrow. Besley and his team are facing heavy odds in meeting Munn, in that few cases are known in which a one-lifer has beaten a two-lifer twice. Munn's team has already had one close victory over the New Brighton four. Meeting Besley on Saturday afternoon. Munn had the advantage of skipping a young team against one in which the average age was nearer the 60 than the 50 mark. In the game on Saturday. Bosley's team admitted they were tired and did not expect to win. Saturday's rest restored them. They had one bye in the eighth round and will be completely rested when they take their places tomorrow morning. In today’s game with Mitchell (Blenheim’. Munn was lighting all the way against a skip who has won high honours during the tournament by his propensity for saving the situation with his last bowl. On the last end today Mitchell required two to win. but Munn's men outdrew the Blenheim players and gave Canterbury a 19-15 victory.

The result of the New BrightonNorth End was never in doubt, and play stopped at the nineteenth head with the Invercargill team in a hopeless position. Ure started badly, letting Besley stand 13-2 at the ninth head. The New Brighton men were playing good bowls, finding the jack and gelling length consistently, while their opponents were ragged and all over the place. North End took 5 on the thirteenth head, followed by a pair and a single, and the score then stood at 18-14 against them. Over the final three heads, however. Bosley countered with a pair and two 3’s to put the result beyond doubt. Blenheim eliminated Hawera. 22-15. Blenheim were 5 up on the final head and the concluding pair gave them a goid margin. Hawera made all the pace till half-way th,rough the game, the score standing at 10-2 against Blenheim early, and narrowing till the fours were level al the sixteenth end. After this. Blenheim never looked back and put on pairs and singles on every succeeding end. while Maslin's score stayed at 1:>. A three on the nineteenth and a pair on the twentieth ended the game. 22-15.

The limes of tomorrow’s game all depend on the result of the 9 am. game between Munn and llesley. If Munn wins, ho gets the championship and his win automatically releases Williamson and .Joseph to meet Maslin and Squire Hlaweral for the final of the pairs On the other hand if a second game is necessary between Munn and Bosley this will be commenced between. 1 and 2 o’clock and the final of the pairs canno, be played till libout 4 o clock ori a little later. The Canterbury pair will meet two players in Maslm and Squire who already hokl a W-w Zealand championship, thmr win being at Wellington m !!)33 Wins by .Munn in the fours anti Joseph in the pair:- would mean all three titles brmg wop by Chrisichurcl'. player'-, equalling the record established last year when Auckland men look nil three Today's results are as follow: — Fou rs. Eighth r->und Munn ’Cnnterburvi 19 Mitchell -Blenhrimt la. Bosley. <New Briphton, l , a bye Eourih prize Maslin tHawerai 2,'>, I’re <.North End. Invarcargil! 1 18, Squire 1 1 m w<-ra > 24. MeClytnimt > by ■ 9; Joseph (Canleibiiry, 2? C.ddet <Phm-mx. Oamaru’