BOWLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2422, 10 February 1909, Page 2

BOWLING.

ON THE GREENS.

(By “Toucher.”)

The attendance oil . the local greens was considerably affected during the 'past week by the race meeting, and as a consequence few matches wore played. The Gisborne Club are very much beliind-hand with their games, while on the Turanganui green the matches are being steadily persevered with.

The chief match played on the Turanganui green last week was the first of the finals in the Handicap Pairs, when Somervell and Sawyer and Douglas and Martin, the winners of Sections A and B respectively, met. At the commencement tho game appeared to be in Martin’s favor, for Somervell was playing simply horribly. However, after the first few heads he livened up, and his skip had little cause of complaint throughout the remainder of the game. Douglas played well, 'and was a good No. 1 for Martin. There was very little difference between the skips, for both drew well throughout. Luck did not appear to ■favor Martin, for in the first head lie ‘knocked his opponent into shot, and later in the seventh head, •when Sawyer was lying two, Martin drove and 1 hit the jack, ’which rebounded to the side and Sawyer scored five. Thus did ill-fortune visit Martin. The last head of the game was a good one. Sawyer lay two, and Martin with his last bowl knocked one of liis own into shot, but liis own failed to follow up to receive the necessary two to tie. In the Bennett Cup competition of the Turanganui Club only two games have been played during the past veek, that between Hird and Hall am ■and Williams and Martin. The former game rwas a good one, Hird playing well. Hallam played a fair game, but did not draw so deadly as I have seen him do in some of his other matches. The result.puts Hird with a commanding lead for the Cup, with only one game to play. Sawyer is next in position, but must win all his remaining games to tie with Hircl. Martin’s chances I favor strongly. He h is seven wins and only one loss, while the two leaders have three losses each. He has still a good number of games t:> play, and with careful play lie should place to his credit. His g une against Williams was a splendid one, for the scores were even on the ]Qth head —19 all. Martin, however, in securing, three on the 20th head, put the game in his pocket. The position of the players at present stands as follows: — e Wins Losses B. Hird Id 3 A. Sawyer. 12 3 J. Stormont 9 3 J. J. Martin 7 1 M. G. Nasmith, junr. ... 7 7 M. G. Nasmith, senr. ... 5 1 M. A. Neill 5 5 W. J. I\ Gaud in 1 1 J. Somervell 1 1 W. Rated ilie 4 4 C. J. Bennett • d o \\ IELa *= • • • • •■ "d “ P. Hallam 3 3 ■J. Colley ••• 3 4 W. H. Douglas 3 12 J. P. Williams 2 3 A. Zachariah 2 3 C. F. Lewis 1 1 . The Colts’ Singles of the Turanganui Cub are exciting keen interest among the “vouthful” bo-wlers. S. Skillicurn, a “colt” with the silvered hair of old age. ventured to pit his skill against W. Bruce, a popular Scotsman over whose head fully fifty summers have passed. One would hear our ■wool-sorting friend of the silver hair exclaim. “Too wide,” Too strong” as l:is howls went astray, while our Scottish sheepfa tuner would he heard exclaiming, “He’s no’ up.” 'Ho-wcver, a pleasant game resulted 'in the genial wool-sorter showing his. wool-growing friend the way to win a game Ol bowls. The final match of the first round was that in which J. Somervell met J. B. Leydon. Here was an instance of Spring meeting Autumn, vonth meeting age, with the victory »n favor of vouth, represented by Somervell. “As few as are the hairs in “.J.B.’s” head, so few in number were’ the points “J. 8.” scored. The erstwhile footballer simply ran over 1 his billiard-playing friend, for while Somervell obtained tries, Leydongcoulcl not “pot the. white.” Thus did the house-builder defeat the carriage-build-er. The second round was commenced ■when Hay met Somervell, ‘and as an-ticipated-a ding-dong go ensued. It .was a game of painter versus carpenter, the foot rule- versus the brush, and though chalk was used instead. of paint the foot-rule had often to decide the game. The fortunes of the game were” now with one player .and then with the other, but the final head saw Somervell’s game safe, Hay being a little behind in his work. Great “goes” are. expected when the other pairs meet. , . Pihama four, winners of the^'Citizens’ match at Napier, was composed of Pihama and Opunake players, and wa? skipped by Billy Lambie, the exTaranaki footballer, and ia brother of the late' Jim -Lambie, perhaps even better known to football fame. A few seasons ago Pihama could send out on its own a rink that took ia power of beating. The Rotorua tournament will be held on loth, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19tli February. The principal events are the rink and pair matches. In each instance the prizes consist of gold medals. . „ Christchurch “Press” thus refers in fanciful .way to the visit of outside bowlers to the flat city for the New Zealand Bowling Association’s tournament :—“For some days past serious-

minded gentlemen, armetll with mysterious packages, containing, it would seem, either cannot balls or pumpkins,' have been arriving in large numbers' from all parts of the Dominion. These were pilgrims: assembling -at the shrine of championship bowling.” Tho outlook for the opening of tlio tourney was dead black. As here: —“Up to the eleventh hour the weather conditions wore execrable, and those enthusiasts who slept at all last night must surely have d Foamed fitful dreams of burning submarine beads, with torpedoes as missiles, with a mermaid posing as ‘Kitty,’ and diving suits for cool and comforting apparel.” Matters have not of late been quite :-.o busy as usual on the Gisborne green but there is. scarcely an. afternoon, when a game is not in progress on the Haiti side. The dry weather is (.’.using the green at present in use t > become worn and patchy and play- ( \s will be glad when a change is trade to the one adjacent. Tournament matches, have hung (Ire somewhat owing to the races, blit it is expected that some progress will now be made with the different events. A match for the Martin medals was played on Thursday, when Witty’s team met Hookey’s. On paper it looked as though tho- former was sure to -win, but the uncertainty of the game was again illustrated, for Hookey had a very easy win. For the winner, Woo ton, as lead, played a good, 'steady game; IT. Miller was always close to the jack, and W. Lottie, substitute for Frank Pettie, gave a particularly fine exhibition. Hookey himself played an average game and made some good shots just when’ they were wanted. For the losers T. Clarkson led consistently and well throughout, Seymour ns substitute for Zacbariali was in first-class form, but fell away somewhat towards the finish. Both Brady and Witty, however, were completely off color, and the failure of this pair naturally spelt disaster. Witty has been playing particularly well of late,_and it was unfortunate for him that both himself and his number three should have been “off” on the same day. The fours for Hemiessy’s trophy are still undecided, as some of the teams were away ai the races last week. It is understood that in order to get this watch fixed up the Match Committee have instituted a time limit for the playing of the semi-final, which is between Simson’s and Corson’s teams.

A matter which could fittingly engage the attention of the Gisborne Club’s committee is the question of afternoons for ladies. To ray mind it is only reasonable that the fair sex should be invited to the green at least once a month, or, say, every six weeks, and I hope the matter will be definitely taken up by the officers of the club.