BOWLS Skoglund Reaches Final Of National Singles

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30954, 10 January 1966, Page 7

BOWLS Skoglund Reaches Final Of National Singles

P. C. Skoglund (Palmerston North), who won the singles championship at Christchurch in 1958 when he was 21, won his way to the final of the 1966 singles championships when he beat G. H. Jolly (Leith) 21-12, before a gallery of almost 2000 at the Opawa green on Saturday.

The field in the fours championship of the national bowls tournament was reduced to 16. Some notable players, including the defending champions, the Otahuhu Railways side skipped by P. E. B. Jones, were eliminated.

The singles semi-final produced some superb play and there was constant applause from the spectators as both Jolly and Skoglund kept clustering their bowls around the kitty with delicate draw shots. Both players are relaxed on the green, but there is a considerable difference in style. Skoglund has a smooth, almost lazy delivery, and never moves quickly after the bowl. Once he has let the bowl go Jolly follows it with a few quick steps. Whatever their delivery style, both had pin-point accuracy. Skoglund gained an immediate lead when he went to 7-0 after two ends in which he placed the kitty well towards the back of the green. But when Jolly gained two shots on the third end, he threw a short kitty and evened the score when he drew three shots with perfect judgment of weight and green. Skoglund tried to burn the head, but his bowl thundered past without touching anything. Skoglund regained a point on the next end when Jolly was short of the kitty with his last bowl: even then it. was only a foot or so away, an indication of the delicate touch of both players. Some Strain The suave Jolly showed a slight amount of strain as Skoglund, now back to playing long ends, gained five points on the next thr< ends to take an 13-8 lead. The tense gallery sensed that the thirteenth end could be vital for Jolly as he had to score points to bring himself back into the game. He responded well. His beautiful curving draw shots nestled around the kitty and he forced Skoglund to drive. Again the bowl missed and the margain was narrowed to 11-13. Another perfect shot by Jolly, when his last bowl slid inside Skoglund’s shot bowl, brought him another precious point. Skoglund remained his usual imperturbable self, but now he was never without a cigarette in his mouth. On the next end he played safely to keep one shot and take a 14-12 lead.

Using all his skills Skoglund drew three superb shots;

his last one sliding past his third bowl to caress the kitty. Jolly drove. The bowl crashed into one of Skoglund’s bowls and the kitty cannoned off several bowls before careering into the ditch —but it remained alive.

The umpire was called to measure. He named three shots for Skoglund from the scattered head. That was almost the end of the match. Skoglund gained another point on the seventeenth, but lost two shots on the next head when Jolly burned the head. On the nineteenth end Jolly was down, 12-19, and two shots down on the head after three bowls when Skoglund, now playing with great finesse drew two shots. Then Jolly drove. It missed and the game was over. Although at one stage the scores were very close, Skoglund always seemed in command and on the long heads had just that much better judgment than Jolly. Fours Play The 15 teams which qualified for post-section play in the fours with eight wins arid had a bye on Friday did not fare well yesterday, perhaps proving the bowling adage that a champion team rarely comes from teams which have not lost a game. Only A. L: Rudduck (Meadowbank), W. Cousins (Taieri), and W. D. Scott (Cromwell) of those with eight wins are in the last 16 teams. Otahuhu Railway had a close match against C. W. J. Robb (Central, Wellington) in the morning round. There was never more than one or two points separating the teams, but Jones was on the right side of the swing of the pendulum. and won 18-17.

However, in his afternoon match, Jones finished on the wrong side against E. H. Ravenwood (Dunedin). On the last end Ravenwood held the shot, but Jones could not penetrate the cluster of bowls around the kitty and went down, 24-23.

The Dunedin four played well, as it has done throughout the tournament, and the Beels, father and son, were again in good form.

At the Woolston green, which many of the visiting teams found rather difficult because of its heaviness, A. Connew (Carlton) and J. N. S. Flett (Point Chevalier), who both qualified with eight wins, lost their morning matches against Christchurch teams.

Connew lost by one point to the cheerful former policeman, T. W. Round (Mona Vale), by one point. The game was very tight and usually the kitty was well surrounded by bowls. It was the steadier play of Round's team which gained it a win.

Round continued with his skilful play to beat R. Breazley (Waihopi), 22-16, in the afternoon.

K. G. Smith (Christchurch) always had a lead in his match against Flett, but the turning point of the match came on the twenty-third end when Smith was leading, 20-17.

Flett, down two shots, decided to burn the head. He took out the jack and the kitty, but then it was found he played

s!out of turn and the head had to be replaced. ■' Flett was so embarrassed by 11 this that he missed his next 5 two shots and was down. 23-17. r He lost, 26-18. Both Flett and Smith are nominees for the * world bowling championships. Hard Work W. P. O’Neill (Carlton) had ) to work hard to beat the Fen- > dalton four, skipped by R. Bai- ' linger. O’Neill always had a - lead, but Ballinger’s driving upset some promising heads. Howf ever, O’Neill gained many points , with his well-judged draw shots 1 and won, 27-18. In the afternoon. O’Neill’s ! team at last found its form to . beat K. G. Murray, 32-16. Mur- ’ ray was leading after 12 ends, but O’Neill’s team kept Opawa j scoreless for another eight ends while it went to 28 with some J precision bowling. r On the same green the doughty Cromwell team had a j big win over Pankhurst (Fen- ' dalton). 31-14. The skip, W. D. 1 Scott, who won the pairs in } 1964, will again be a redoubtable opponent. The experienced Christchurch > team led by the astute R. Lui- - ham. continued soundly to move _ quietly but expertly into the final 16. This well-balanced 5 team, with M. K. Boon as its * lead, will be one of the hardest of the fours to beat today. The Naenae team of W. L. Hampton, which has played together for 15 years, had a hard [ struggle to beat G. Young (Shir- ; ley), 21-18. There was some ex- ■ cellent bowling in this match i and on head and shot bowl . changed seven times. i R. J. Andrew (Onehunga) had ; a tough opponent in A. Rolfe (Levin) and needed all his ag- . gressive play to win, 24-21. H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino), who is playing with an injured knee, won both matches easily. At Opawa E. P. Exelby, getting an even deeper tan now. continued his good form to gain two easy wins. A. L. Rudduck kept his name nrominent by winning through to the last 16. He, too. was drawing beautifully, aided by his competent number three, R. Keen. Results: SINGLES Semi-final.—P. C. Skoglund (Palmerston North) 21, G. H. Jolly (Leith) 12. FOURS St. Martins Green Second Round.—Rolfe (Levin) 25, Mills (Wakatipu) 20: Andrew (Onehunga) 28, Trenwith (Milton) 16: Robson (Mangakino) 25, Smith (Kia Toa) 11; Ferrall (Helensville) 27, Walls (Leith) 14; Howatson (Spreydon) 25, Govorko (Te Puke) 19:*Hogg (St. Clair) 25. Milne (Lyell Bay) 21. Third Round. Andrew 24, Rolfe 21: Hogg 30, Howatson 15; Robson 24, Ferrall 15. Linwood Green Second Round.—Moore (Carl-1 ton) 24, Smith (Springlands) 23: Barnett (Christchurch W.M.C.) 27, Mclntosh (Kew) 18; Jones (Otahuhu Railway) 19. Robb (Central) 18: Ravenwood (Dunedin) 24, Wadsworth (Stoke) 21: Simon (Hutt) 23, Chegwidden (Palmerston North) 13; Bowman (New Brighton) 30, Miller (Mornington) 14. Tihd Round.—Moore 22, Barnett 11; Ravenwood 25, Jones 24; Simon 35, Bowman 18. Woolston Green Second Round. Breavley (Waihopai) 25, Taylor (Phoenix) 11; Round (Mona Vale) 18, Connew (Carlton) 17; Nottingham (Christchurch R.S.A.) 21, Valantine (Kaituna) 20; Cousins (Taieri) 21, Claridge (Wellington) 19; Smith (Christchurch) 26. Flett (Point Chevalier) 18; McKenzie (Milton) 21, Horsfall (Shirley) 16. Third Round. Round 22, Breayley 16; Cousins 25, Not♦’ngham 16; McKenzie 29, Smith 20. Opawa Green Second round.—Wall (Elmwood) 27. Bills (Christchurch W.M.C.) 22; Exelby (Frankton Junction) 33, Evans (Port Ahuriri) 11; Corbet (Invercargill R.S.A.) 24, Buchan (Tui Park) 23; Rudduck (Meadowbank) 25, McDonald (Taieri) 20; Young (Shirley) 29, Morris (North Devonport) 13; Hampton (Naenae) 23, Sansom (Karoro) 19; Ditchfield (Cosmopolitan) 27, Roberts (Cashmere) 20; Manchester (Waimate) 31, Roberts (Taieri) 19. Third round. —Exelby 29, Wall 13; Rudduck 29, Corbet 18; Hampton 21, Young 18; Manchester 31, Ditchfield 9. Edgeware Green Second round.—Murray (Opawa) 20, Lawson (Burwood) 19; O’Nei'll (Carlton) 27, Ballinger (Fendalton) 18; Pankhurst (Fendalton) 27, Peart (West End, Auck.) 19; Scott (Cromwell) 21, Purdie (Vogelmorn) 19; Madsen (Opawa) 21, Dale (Burwood) 17: Lulham (Christchurch) 29, MeKinnell (Roxburgh) 20.

Third round.—O’Neill 32. Murray 16; Scott 31, Pankhurst 14; Lulham 26, Madsen 17.

The draw for the third day of post-section play (all games at Opawa beginning at 9 a.m.) is.—Exelby v. Rudduck; Hampton v. Manchester; Andrew v. Robson: Hogg v. Round: Cousins v. McKenzie: O’Neill v. Scott; Lulham v. Moore; Ravenwood v. Simon.