Rudduck Inch From Taking Second Bowls Title

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 13

Rudduck Inch From Taking Second Bowls Title

The Oamaru skip, A. L. Rudduck, was only one inch away from winning his second national bowls championship yesterday.

He had won the fours on Tuesday, and yesterday, with his partner, R. Keen, in the pairs final, was level, 17-17, with the Caversham team, E. W. Grimman and E. W. Wilson, on the last end.

Grimman held the shot and Rudduck tried to take out the shot bowl with his last wood. If he had succeeded he would have gained three points. But his bowl whistled past one inch away from Grimman’s shot and the pairs title went to the Dunedin players, 18-17. Outstanding Wood

The Dunedin team deserved its victory. Wilson, for most of the game, outdrew Keen, and Grimman was safe and sure and always liable to add precious points.

One shot, when he had to draw to a loose kitty two inches from the ditch and he gained a toucher, was possibly the finest of the tournament.

It had been a tense five days for the Caversham pair. They had qualified to meet Rudduck in the final last Friday but because of Rudduck’s successful run in the fours, Grimman and Wilson were kept waiting in the wings until yesterday. Grimman, a 58-year-old company manager,- said that the long wait had been a strain. “Not that it worried me so much but my lead was chafing. He likes to practice, I don’t. “However, on Tuesday we had a few roll-ups to try and gauge the green. He was quite happy then.” Taken a Toll Rudduck and Keen, who had been so dominant in their fours final on Tuesday, looked a little jaded in the pairs final. The stress and strain of the fours seemed to have taken their toll and they did not play the immaculate bowls which has marked their play since the pairs began on December 29, 16 days ago. The rink chosen for the final was perhaps not the most suitable for such an important game. There was a horseshoe of deep green turf about threequarters of the way down the green on one end. The four players spent most of their time trying to avoid it for every time a bowl rolled over the green patch it braked quickly. If the players tried to draw outside it they found that the bowls did not come into the kitty. This factor was a considerable influence on the outcome of the match, particularly for Rudduck, who was throwing short ends. Lead See-sawed

Grimman ran to a 5-2 lead by the sixth end but some superb drawing by Rudduck brought the score back to 5-5 on the seventh.

The advantage did not stay long in Rudduck’s favour.

Grimman and Wilson, combining perfectly, drew four shots to move to 9-5. But the Meadowbank pair came back strongly. Keen found his length, Rudduck astutely added points and by the fifteenth end the score was 12-12. Two ends later the Oamaru pair went ahead for the first time when Wilson threw a short head and Rudduck

'lscored two, to take a 14-13 lead. I For the next thre—ends the | lead see-sawed, but when ■ Keen drew three shots on the (nineteenth end to give his (team a lead of 17-15. the [game almost seemed over. I But Grimman and Wilson (seemed unperturbed, and on the twentieth end the scores were tied at 17-17. Wilson Gained Shot ( The spectators were silent las the last end was played. I On the third bowl, Wilson i gained the shot when his wood stopped six inches behind the kitty. Tw r o of Keen’s bowl’s slid away about 18 inches to the right of the kitty. I Rudduck was one down "’hen he and Grimman walked slowly back to play their final woods. Grimman was wide with his first bowl. Rudduck was short, and the position was unchanged. Grimman, feeling the | strain now, was short but Rudduck skidded his bowl through near the kitty but missed the shot by inches. It was a tense moment, but Grimman astutely played a block shot. Rudduck was left with only one choice—to take out Wilson’s shot bowl. He weighed up the position, he carefully surveyed the head.

His last effort was a drive but it missed by an inch and as the wood thudded into the bank, the leads were already shaking hands.