SKOGLUND AGAIN WINS SINGLES

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30955, 11 January 1966, Page 13

SKOGLUND AGAIN WINS SINGLES

Fours Semi-finalists Decided

The 29-year-old Palmerston North bowler, P. C. Skoglund, repeated his 1958 success in Christchurch when he won the 1966 singles title from D. McKenzie (Milton), 21-15, at the Opawa green yesterday and became the tenth player to have won two singles titles since the national tournament began in 1914. At the end of the day the fours championship was reduced to four teams, three of them from the North Island. These semifinalists are W. P. O’Neill (Carlton), H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino), C. Simon (Hutt), and A. L. Rudduck (Meadowbank).

The fours produced some excellent bowling, and there were many tense finishes.

Because rain had made the green heavy, play in the fours was begun an hour late, and a blustery, cold southerly did not make for good bowling conditions. Even so, the singles final in no way compared with Saturday’s semi-final between Skoglund and G. H. Jolly, in which superb bowling was seen.

For McKenzie it must have 'ieen a disappointing moment vhen he had to concede on the last end to Skoglund. In 1964 he was a finalist in the singles, losing to M. R. Buchan. It was the third r 'eting between Skoglund and McKenzie in the singles, McKenzie winning only the first. In many ways the final was a battle to see what length the head should be. Knowing that McKenzie prefers a long end, Skoglund kept throwing the kitty short, and invariably

he scored quite heavily on the short ends. Skoglund took an early lead of 6-1, McKenzie misjudging the weight of the green and often being short. But McKenzie drew up to lead 7-6 after six ends. Perhaps the game was in the balance then, but Skoglund, judging the green well, rattled on seven points to lead, 13-8, after 10 ends. Probably the crucial end was the fourteenth. McKenzie had just pulled up from 8-16 to 11-16, but in trying to gain a long head he threw the kitty into the ditch. Skoglund then had his turn, and from the resulting short head he gained two points and from the next another two points to give him a virtually unassailable lead. But McKenzie is a doughty fighter. He picked up points on the next few ends to bring the score to 14-21, but : t was still felt that Skoglund had the game under control. Knowing that all 'he had to do was to restrict McKenzie’s scoring he concentrated on keeping his bowls near the kitty, and on the twentieth end he summarily killed the kitty when McKenzie had drawn two perfect shots on a very long end. McKenzie then had to score a four or a three to keep the game alive. He held two shots but Skoglund played a toucher to save one shot, and McKenzie’s last bowl was a mere formality. See-saw Battle In the semi-final, McKenzie had a see-saw battle with R. Dunne (Otago). Dunne took an early 9-5 lead but McKenzie’s steadiness brought him back into the lead, and at the sixteenth end there was only one point between them. McKenzie drew away again to lead 17-13, but a finelydrawn three by Dunne brought the score to 17-16. Dunne was then short with all his bowls and dropped two points so that he had to score a three on the last end to tie and force another end. McKenzie’s first two bowls were woefully short. His third also was astray. It was a chance for Dunne, but in trying to draw the third shot he just touched a short bowl of McKenzie’s and restricted his score to two. Jolly (Leith) played well to beat Dunne, 21-15, for third place. The bowling in this game was of a higher standard than that in the final and certainly earned more applause from the spectators, 1500 of whom watched the final. Close Fours The fours produced some very tight finishes. A. L. Rudduck was taken to the last end by E. P. Exelby, 25-24. Exelby had scored two on that end, but his last bowl was blocked as he tried for the one point to tie the game. But that was mild excitement compared with Rudduck's next match, against N. C. Manchester (Waimate), a cousin of a former AH Black captain, J. E. Manchester. Manchester, who was third In the pairs, was outdrawing Rudduck in the early stages and ran to a formidable lead of 15-5 after 11 ends. Rudduck and his skillful number three, R. Keen, were not dismayed. Keeping up their persistent drawing they narrowed the gap, and by the twenty-fourth end the Meadowbank team held a 21-20 lead. Then It all started. Just as the first bowl of the vital last end was being played the presentations to the singles placegetters started. As the loudspeaker boomed over the ground two of the fours matches stopped, as the players could not concentrate. Rudduck and Manchester paused for a moment, but then

started again. By the time the skips were ready to bowl Manchester was two down on the head. He drove and took one shot out, but Rudduck cooHy replaced it.

It was a solemn Manchester who picked up hie last bowl. He peered at the kitty wtth its two attendant bowls. There was a dead silence as he began to swing, and then the loudspeaker started again. He paused, reflected for a moment, and drove. His drive just clipped a bowl, flew on to the kitty, and sent it an inch or so out of bounds.

Drama Again The next head also had its drama. Rudduck was two down with one shot to play. He studied the head and the directions given by Keen. It was a perfect bowl, just nestling in against kitty to give him the point. Manchester tried hard, but he was an inch or so away and lost. 22-20.

On the next rink, W. P. O’Neill’s four had been in unhappy straits against W. Cousins (Taeri). At one stage the Carlton team, which had not been playing particularly well, was down, 6-14. N. D. Lash and G. Gifford seemed to have lost their touch for a moment, and C. D. McGarry and O'Neill also had their bad moments.

However, Carlton came back into the game. The first few bowls began to arrive on target and Gifford and O'Neill added precious points. The score was 19-all with three heads to play when two brilliant shots by O'Neill dragged the kitty back to his back bowls and he had a 23-19 lead. On the next head the kitty bounced backwards from an attempted drive. From the ridiculously short head the Carlton team gained two more shots. Cousins needed five to tie. His number three drove twice, and Cousins also drove, but he could not move the kitty, and O'Neill gained another point to win. 25-19.

In the morning round, O'Neill beat the Cromwell team skipped by W. D. Scott. 21-14. and Cousins beat McKenzie (Milton), 28-14.

The last remaining Christchurch team—R. Lulham's Christchurch four and Mona Vale, skipped by T. Round—were beaten yesterday. Round lost a very close game to H. W. M. Hogg (St. Clair). 19-18. Lulham beat B. Moore (Carlton). 26-22, In the morning, but lost a tight game to Simon. 23-20, in the afternoon. The match went to the last end. but Lulham could not gain the necessary points. A six by Simon on the twenty-first end gave him an 18-13 lead after a close game, and he held on. Simon originally was not in the fours because his entry form did not arrive in time, even though it had been posted by registered mall. However, he gained entry when another team withdraw and has made steady progress through the qualifying rounds.

Decisive Win In the morning round he decisively beat E. Ravenwood (Dunedin), 28-13, and today he will play O'Neill in the semifinals.

H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino) had a great battle with R. J. Andrew (Onehunga) before winning 30-27., It was a most spectacular game. Robson scored a six early, and then raced to an 18-5 lead. The aggressive Andrews came back In amazing fashion. He scored one six to even the scores at 19-all, and another six gava him a 27-21 lead. It did not last long, as Robson, by clever drawing, pegged him back and then passed him and won on the last end. Robson had a convincing victory over Hogg, 23-18, in the afternoon match, Singtss Seml-flnal.—D. C. McKenzie (Milton) 19. R. Dunne (Otago) 18. Final.—P. C. Skoglund (Palmerston North) 21, McKenzie 15. G. Jolly (Leith) 21, Dunne 15 for third place. Fours Fourth Round. Rudduck (Meadowbank) 25, Exelby (Frankton Junction) 24; Manchester (Waimate) 25, Hampton (Naenae) 17; Robson (Mangakino) 30, Andrew (Onehunga) 28: Hogg (St. Clair) 19; Round (Mona Vale) 18; Cousin (Taieri) 28, McKenzie (Milton) 14; O'Neill (Carlton) 21, Scott (Cromwell) 14; Lulham (Christchurch) 26. Moore (Carlton) 22: Simon (Hutt) 28, Ravenwood (Dunedin) 13. Quarter-finals. Rudduck 22, Manchester 20: O’Neill 25. Cousins 19; Simon 20, Lulham 17; Robson 23, Hogg 18. DRAW The draw for the semi-finals of the fours which wil start at the Opawa green at 9 a m. is: O'Neill v. Simon; Rudduck v. Robson.